How Food Boxes Help Families in Need

Like many refugees here Mohammed and his wife, Amira, lost their homes in Aleppo, Syria in the early years of the Syrian civil war. They moved to Idlib (a city to the west of Aleppo that borders Turkey), and when fighting intensified there, they moved to Turkey. Making a living in Turkey is difficult for refugees. Mohammed, who had been studying to be a lawyer, was now supporting his pregnant wife and son as a waiter for meager wages. Although life was stressful, Amira was able to start taking some online courses with plans to hopefully find employment. In spite of the challenges, they were thankful to have a home, and began to feel a sense of security; something precious to them after years of war and diaspora. Tragically, this was swept away in seconds for Mohammed and Amira and millions of others as the first of two powerful earthquakes erupted at 4:17 a.m. on February 6, 2023.  For the third time they were homeless. The walls of their small home were severely damaged, and they now spent nights outside in the bitter cold. Then Amira’s sister, Aya and her husband, invited Mohammed and Amira into their home, where these two families have been living jointly for nearly a year now. Our team visited their house this winter and my heart broke for these two families living in cramped quarters in a small two room house, struggling to survive. The walls of the house were damp from the cold. We could smell the mildew. The roof leaks when it rains. We donated two food boxes; enough basics for well over a month for these two small families struggling to survive. This enabled them to cut down on their food expenses so they could purchase firewood for their heater. Our hope and prayer is that the added warmth will also reduce the amount of mildew on their walls. We are planning to continue helping them for the next three months. You have played an important part in this story. It is your gifts that helped Mohammed, Amira, and her sister’s family. These families, and many like them, are surviving today because, like us, your heart is broken for them, and you’re doing something about it. Thank You!