PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — Multiple organizations and community members gathered on Sunday at Sts. Vartanantz Armenian Apostolic Church, raising money for those impacted by the earthquakes that killed thousands of people in Turkey and Syria last month.
People paid $25 to attend the luncheon with the proceeds going directly to churches in Aleppo, Syria. The churches will help people there who are struggling to find basic necessities.
For some community members, the earthquakes hit closer to home. Galin Tashian was born in Syria and still has family there. She says her family had to sleep in their car for days after the earthquakes because the buildings were still shaking.
Tashian says even small donations mean a lot to her family overseas: “We have everything that we could ever possibly need here. We have never been in a situation where we don’t even have access to food. The extra five dollar coffee a day, or the extra lunch out, could mean 17 lunches for people there.”
If you would like to donate to help victims affected by the earthquakes, you can go to the Armenian Relief Society’s website here.
