On November 22nd, 2014, The Mid-Atlantic Federation of Turkic Americans (MAFTAA) partnered with local government leaders and elected officials from major municipalities in Northern Virginia, international aid organizations, private sector firms, NGOs and religious communities to organize the Syrian Refugees Blanket Drive. The event brought together over 300 volunteers from the Mid-Atlantic region.
The Syrian Refugees Blanket Drive is a region-wide initiative aimed at helping refugees fleeing from Syria as a result of the violence and conflict back home. With winter approaching in eastern Turkey, extra blankets are especially needed in order to brave the harsh cold. The blankets were collected at drop-off locations across Northern Virginia with the help of Paxton Van Lines and Maersk Shipping Company, both of which offered to transport the blankets all the way to Turkey at no cost.
The partner organizations for this year’s blanket drive included Kimse Yok Mu, a global charitable organization based in Turkey; the American Turkish Friendship Association (ATFA); Fairfax County, Virginia; Arlington County, Virginia; Embrace Relief, an aid organization founded by Turkish individuals residing in the U.S.; Prince William County, Virginia; the City of Alexandria, Virginia; Loudon County, Virginia; The Rumi Forum, an organization promoting intercultural and interfaith dialogue; the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and Pinnacle Academy, a private elementary and middle school in Virginia.
Other participating organizations were the City of Falls Church in Virginia; the Town of Vienna; the Islamic Institute of Turkish Studies; Washington Hebrew Congregation; the Adams Center; New York Avenue Presbyterian Church; Virginia International University; the Unitarian Evangelist Congregation of Fairfax and the Turkic American Alliance.
Last year, the Syrian Refugees Blanket Drive collected over 18,000 blankets, including $10,000 in cash donations. This year, the targeted goal is 100,000 blankets. Additionally, an annual Dialogue and Friendship Dinner will be hosted by ATFA and the Rumi Forum on December 4th at the Tyson’s Corner Marriot in Virginia. The purpose of the dinner is to shed light on the crisis in Syria. All of the proceeds generated will be donated to benefit Syrian refugees in Turkey.
