Amid staggering blow of earthquake, here’s how South Floridians can help

Oğuzhan Gönüllü, a Miamian from Turkey who lost several relatives in this month’s devastating earthquake, says one thing that gives him hope is how caring his American friends have been since the disaster.

It has been a time of healing. He was also invited to the Turkish Consulate to meet with the consul general, who offered her condolences and support.

The Turkish consulate, one of just six in the United States, is helping coordinate relief efforts here, under the supervision of General Consul Feyza Barutçu.

She has been collecting donated items, especially tents, generators, and warm blankets for shipment to Turkey.

In the first week, with the support of business leaders, those born in Turkey and not, she sent 127 pallets by air and 11 pallets by direct sea line to Turkey.

She also dispatched donated goods in the cargo section of Turkish Airlines passenger flights, which connect directly from Miami to Istanbul twice daily.

She stressed that cash donations, not material goods, are what is most needed at this moment, as the logistical challenges to getting items to Turkey are complicated.

One of the people the consul general has been working closely with is

Ece Saglam, 32, who has lived in Miami for the past six years and is the vice president of the shipping, logistics and service company LAM Global Transport Solutions.

In the first post-quake week, her company’s offices and warehouse in Miami shifted from a global shipping and logistics company to a center that receives, sorts, labels and packages donated goods for distribution to Turkey, she said.

Just an hour or so before she spoke, a truck filled with baby formula, diapers, men’s clothing and blankets drove out of the warehouse area in Miami to be transported to the airport, where it was to be loaded into the cargo area of Turkish Airlines planes and flown from Miami to Istanbul.

“We all feel guilty we cannot be there,” said Saglam, holding back tears.

ORGANIZATIONS INVOLVED IN RELIEF EFFORTS

Official Transfer Account for Donations from the United States

Bank Name: Bank of America

Branch Name: Dupont Circle

Address: 3 Dupont Circle NW, Washington,

D.C., 20036

Account name: Embassy of the Republic of Turkey Official Transfer Account Currency: USD

Account number:

00019 2343 0455

Routing number: 054001204

Swift No: BOFAUS3N

Turkish Philanthropy Funds

Online: https://tinyurl.com/mry45h39

AAYou can also contribute to the TPF’s Türkiye Earthquake Relief Fund by sending your check to:

Re: TPF’s Türkiye Earthquake Relief Fund 1460 Broadway

New York, NY 10036

Jewish Federation of Broward County

Atinyurl.com/yxyfezht

Turk Kizilay (Turkish National Red Cross)

www.kizilay.org. tr/Bagis

Note: When donating to the Turkish National Red Cross, you can designate donations for disaster tents, mobile kitchen or general cash donations.

International Rescue Committee

tinyurl.com/mtjedzwy

Save the Children, Children’s Emergency Fund tinyurl.com/4dbyssx6

AAASyrian American Medical Society Foundation

www.sams-usa.net /donate/

Center for Disaster Philanthropy

disasterphilanthropy .org/

Unicef

tinyurl.com/2wa5ac7u

AAAClara-Sophia Daly: @daly_clara