Hizmet Relief along with the Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic American Associations (MAFTAA), the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA), Pinnacle Academy, the Counties of Loudoun and Fairfax, the town of Purcellville and the Northern Virginia Regional Commission co-organized a blanket drive for Syrian Refugees in Turkey.
On November 19, Fairfax County Board of Supervisors Chairman Sharon Bulova called for Board support in publicizing a blanket drive for Syrian refugees in Turkey. Residents were asked to drop-off clean and folded blankets at locations around Northern Virginia, including a number of faith organizations and offices of several Fairfax County Board members. The goal of the drive was to fill one shipping container for delivery to Turkey for distribution to refugee families by a local aid organization.
The inspiration for this collaborative project was a cultural exchange trip to Turkey led by ATFA for a delegation from Northern Virginia that included Loudoun Country Chairman Scott York, Purcellville Mayor Bob Lazaro and Northern Virginia Regional Commission Director Mark Gibb. Part of this trip included a visit to a Syrian refugee camp in eastern Turkey. Upon their return to the U.S., Mayor Lazaro, Director Gibb and others proposed an initiative to collect blankets in northern Virginia for those they had visited in light of the quickly approaching harsh winter months.
With the immense efforts by Loudoun Country Chairman Scott York, Fairfax County Chairman Sharon Bulova, Mark Gibb of the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and many others, Hizmet Relief collected over 15,000 blankets (which weighed over 24,000 pounds) and raised an addition $10,000 USD. The drive culminated on Saturday, December 7. The Church of Latter Day Saints at its Virginia Stake Center in Oakton opened its doors from 9am to 5pm as the main collection site. Chairman Bulova visited this site during the day to assist in packing blankets and presenting the Hizmet Relief with a generous check.
The Turkic American Alliance sincerely thanks the co-organizers, the volunteers and those who generously offered donations for this important cause. We hope that the blankets may be of some reprieve to those Syrian families that have already suffered and endured so much. We hope and pray for a speedy and peaceful resolution of the conflict in Syria and a return to normalcy for the millions who have been displaced.
