Donations from the heart in c/o Turkey & Syria

Small acts of kindness can really add up to create a much bigger impact. And it starts with just one person. One person to take action, one person to make a difference.

At Beazley, we believe that this is what binds our brand and values of being bold, striving for better and doing the right thing. After learning about the devastating earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, that have sadly claimed the lives of over 50,000 people and displaced 1.5 million people; we committed $50,000 to support relief efforts in the affected regions.

But one Beazley employee from our Farmington, CT office knew that we needed to do a little bit more. Sebnem Qurbani, a Turkey native, stepped up to the plate to collect donations for the survivors for items such as:

• Blankets, tents, sleeping bags
• Winter shoes for men, women, and children (sneakers are okay too)
• Winter clothing (jackets, long sleeves, pants, hats, gloves, scarves, etc.) 
• Undergarments and socks in all sizes for men, women, and children
• Feet and hand warmers 
• Diapers, formula, diaper cream, wipes, etc. for babies
• Medications such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, etc. children’s and adults as well as first aid items 
• Women’s menstrual products, adult diapers, etc. (for the menstrual products pads are preferred for religious reasons) 

“What inspired me to initiate the clothing drive is knowing that hundreds of thousands of people have lost everything and at times like this it’s important to come together and give back as much as we can. The affected regions are heavily populated by refugees who have escaped tough conditions themselves. The last time I visited Turkey I had chosen a couple of families in need to give back to. We were able to successfully raise enough money to pay for their rent for a few months, buy them necessities, and give them extra to cover any other expenses. I posted the initiative on my social media accounts and through that I got a community of people involved. It’s a good feeling to know we’re making a difference in peoples’ lives. Gaziantep is considered home to me so I want to do what I can to give back.” - Sebnem Qurbani, Account Administrator, Beazley Digital

Another Beazley employee, Cansu Cakmakci (a Turkish native as well), also wanted to give back. Here is how she did just that:

“My family and I sent donations to charities and donation items to the Turkish consulate. I felt so happy and felt privileged to be part of Beazley when the donation initiative started in my office. Beazley was on the scene as a responsible business, taking action and doing the right thing. As a Turkish native who also had the trauma of being in a major earthquake back in Turkey years ago, I can emphasize with the pain people are experiencing in the affected region. Grieving survivors need to re-create their lives while dealing with the after quakes and freezing weather conditions. Although no one in my immediate family is affected, many of my friends' families are. There are so many losses and the survivors will need a lot of help to get their lives back to how it was before the earthquake.” - Cansu Cakmakci, Web Specialist

In addition, we would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Mark Borenstein, Florian Beerli, Eniko Hunyadi, and Samantha Czertak in helping with the coordination of the donations. Their dedication played a crucial role in quickly setting up the drive within just a few days. Mark went above and beyond by volunteering to drop off the donations at the Massachusetts donation center. We are incredibly grateful for their contributions and teamwork, and we could not have done it without them. 

Feel inspired?

If you would like to give back as Sebnem and Cansu have done, here are some great organizations who are working around the clock to provide aid to the Turkey & Syria earthquake survivors.