二月六日,土耳其东南部发生了7.8级大地震,电视新闻上播放地震后的悲惨镜头触动了我们许多人。虽然地震发生在千万里之远的土耳其,应该是因为去年去过一次的原因,大家开始关心那里受灾难的老百姓。
二月十日,段老哥打电话给我,说看到地震造成的巨大灾难,老百姓的受苦,觉得很难受,建议是否可以在上次去土耳其微信群里来个捐款号召,大家伸手帮助一下。
我起草了短文,声明不公布捐款名单,大家自愿,不要有压力。Grace将原文转载到她领头的另外一个去过土耳其的微信群。
这两个群多数都是本地区的华人朋友,互相都有点认识。
老李在自己的微信朋友分享里也转了,几位从来没有去过土耳其的朋友立马转来1-2百美金。
我们以后再去土耳其的可能性很小,捐点钱,完全是一片心意,希望遭受苦难的土耳其老百姓少受点罪。
我希望能够收到捐款一千美金,没想到最后到了$3746,算是不小的一笔捐款了。
但是对土耳其一个国家来说这点钱还是杯水车薪。
我们想起了上次旅行认识的Sedat先生。他原来是大学老师,我们觉得他人品不错,办事靠谱。
联系到他,原来这些天他一直在为救灾忙着呢,还了解到他的家乡就在震区,许多亲属和朋友受到了严重损失。
他听说我们这些海外华人捐款后很感动,但开始没有答应由他来接受,建议直接捐到红十字会之类的政府组织。这同我们的初衷不太一致。
我和老段,Grace商量,就让Sedat全权决定如何帮助他的同胞,什么样的形式都可以。
Sedat办事非常认真,他将捐款分成六部分,分别帮助了12个家庭,声明是来自于萨克拉门托的一群美籍华人朋友的捐款,目前已经全部到位。
在将捐款交到Sedat的过程中,我们上次去土耳其认识的新疆维吾尔族小老乡祖丽女士帮助很大。她本人和原来新疆大学毕业的先生也参与到救灾工作中,捐赠了不少物资。我是让她先垫了钱,然后让去旅行的朋友将现金带了过去。通过银行两边都需要手续费,还有对Sedat报税有影响。
在过去的一个多月里,Sedat一直保持同我和Grace的联系,汇报他在救灾工作中的行动,还有对这笔捐款的安排,所有转账都有原始发票和记录。
下面是他的感谢:
DONATION TO THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN TURKİYE
Dear 老李, Dear Grace, Dear All Good-Hearted People in Sacramento
There are no words to express my feelings to thank you for your great support to our people, who are the victims of 3 big earthquakes in February in the South-eastern part of Türkiye.
It was difficult to choose whom to donate, because there have been millions of people who were badly &directly affected. I have tried to choose them from my family members and people that I have heard from my family members.
I have sent all donations via bank transfer. When I have the chance to visit all these people, I will send their photos to you. All their messages to you are similar; “God Bless You and never let you suffer such a disaster!”
Thank you!
因为篇幅有限,我这里只选择一段他帮助家庭的情况:
3) NAME-SURNAME: MR. HAKAN DERİN (4 families)
REASON TO DONATE: Hakan (51) is a maths teacher, married, has 2 children. He, his father&mother, his sister&family (2 daughters), his brother&family (with a baby) have lost their apartments. They had to move to another city (Dörtyol) and have been living in a friend’s house altogether. Moreover, Hakan’s mother-in law has died during the earthquake. Hakan will not be able to work this year as his school will not be open.
AMOUNT: 900 USD (17.000 TL), transferred on 28th February
…….
…….
TOTAL: 3761 USD (70.700 TL)
我代表老段,Grace,对大家的慷慨解囊,伸手帮助再次表示感谢。
能够对不相识的人解囊相助的都是有爱心的好人。
大爱无疆!
照片都是Sedat发过来的,包括我们帮助的人家。