JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – More than three weeks after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck Syria and Turkey, countless people are still devastated. They’re in need of help and resources.
Jacksonville’s Turkish and Syrian communities came together Saturday for a special festival with all proceeds going to help victims and survivors of the earthquake.
Despite the rain, people came out to the Istanbul Cultural Center to support the victims of the earthquake -- and get something tasty to eat.
Everywhere you looked, food of all kinds was on display from naan to shish kabobs, each homemade dish came with a side of love and support, all for the people of Turkey and Syria.
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Meltem Altintas said she’ll never forget the feeling of anxiety from the first images after the earthquake, knowing some of her loved ones were there.
“I couldn’t handle it,” Altintas said. “You want to know! Like what’s happening? What can I do? This is kind of, keeps you awake as well to see what’s happening in there.”
Altintas decided to get involved. She helped organize Saturday’s event and all proceeds from the festival will go right to the victims. Toys were also donated to sell.
Omer Dur was there selling baklava.
“It’s winter. They need food, they need shelter. Any kind of help will be really good for them,” Dur said.
With that, also came a message of healing -- and hope.
“I want them to feel that we love them, we hug from here and can’t imagine how painful for them being over there. Because we are painful here,” Altintas said. “I want to tell them we love them. We love our Turkish people and Syrian people as well.”
You can also donate to help the victims of the earthquake. Embracerelief.org is an option. You can also learn more about how to donate by visiting the Istanbul Center’s website: https://istanbulcenterjax.org/.
