With love from Windsor: Organizers pleased with weekend donation drive to help earthquake survivors

Three Windsor agencies teamed up over the weekend to collect items and food to send to Turkiye and Syria.

“You can definitely see how the world unites in tragedy to step up and provide the necessary support,” Ozcan Aktas told CTV News Monday. “It’s humbling and it's also a heartwarming experience for sure.”

Aktas is a member of the Turkish-Canadian Cultural Association of Windsor.

They teamed up with Glenwood United Church and the Windsor Islamic Association to collect personal care items for people who have lost everything in the earthquakes overseas.

“I did not expect to see the outreach and the support from the Windsor Essex region,” said Aktas. “I couldn't be more proud to be a resident of Windsor-Essex.”

Supplies to be shipped to Turkiye and Syria earthquake survivors from donors in Windsor, Ont. pictured on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023. (Michelle Maluske/CTV News Windsor)

Although Aktas’ family is not impacted by the earthquake, he told CTV News its “tough” to see the images and video coming back to Canada.

“Some of those scenes you can't erase from your memory. You can't help but feel ‘what if I was there? And what if my family was there?’ It's very tough, very tough to see,” said Aktas.

The group was able to collect enough donations to fill a transport truck.

“We divided (the donations) into blankets, medical items, winter clothing, hygiene products, baby diapers, and they're ready to be shipped Wednesday morning to the drop off center in Toronto at North York,” said Sinan Yasalar with the Windsor Islamic Association.

“We're very happy, very grateful to see the kindness and human spirit,” said Yasalar. “But of course, you know in our hearts we also feel the sadness that it's going for victims of the earthquake.”

The donations will be flown, free of charge according to Aktas, on a Turkish Airways flight to Turkiye later this week.

Aktas says once that happens they hope to be able to share details about another event to help people back home.

“The human spirit comes out in times of need,” said Yasalar “And Windsor Essex has always been great over the years.”