For more than five years, the world has watched the conflicts in Syria escalate into more violence, more heartbreak – and now more orphaned children in need of care than ever before.
The children that have been able to flee Aleppo are leaving the biggest city in Syria – and endless bombing, drastic food shortages, an increasing lack of medical aid and the heartbreaking destruction of their home and communities. Most horrific of all, they have lost their family; they have lost their parents. Thousands and thousands of children are now suddenly orphans. And, if they are “lucky”, they are now refugees, too.
And there is no question that these children are as truly innocent as this brutal assault is unjust.
Photo courtesy of Syrian Orphans Org
Watching the heart-wrenching, horrific footage, it’s difficult to process that children who have actually gotten out, who have been pulled from the rubble, are considered the lucky ones, as Dr. Ossama Abu Alez, a surgeon in Eastern Aleppo, explains here. And the background on this, the history and the actions that have led to this very real genocide – unthinkable brutality – is as complex as it is frustrating to witness. This account detailing “the death and destruction .. as its hellish descent continues” is entitled “Inside Aleppo”, and it is as enlightening as it is exhaustingly sad.
We all want to do something.
You only need see the raw trauma on the face of Aya, and all who surround her, in the BBC piece Aleppo is a place Where The Children Have Stopped Crying to ask What Can I Do To Help???
I know the refrain that has been going through my mind: I wish we could stop this. I wish we could stop this. I wish we could stop this.
The only other thing we can do, in lieu of having the power to stop this, is to help. And to help fast.
It is winter in Syria and Turkey and those children lucky enough to get out of Aleppo, traumatized, many very recently orphaned, must survive not only their immediate situation but also the cold. They must eat; they must drink; they must have somewhere to lay their heads at night.
Please help us help them. We are working to immediately provide 100 Aleppo Orphans with the supplies they need to get through winter at a temporary refugee camp currently being built in Turkey, as they flee their homes.
Supplies include:
- Mattress with coverings, $30 each
- Blankets, $8 each
- Pajamas for children ages 3-12, $10 each
- Jackets for children ages 3-12, $8 each
- Food Baskets, ranging from $40-$70 each, depending on the ingredients, the amount of food and the length of time it can feed a child
For a total of $111, you can provide one Aleppo orphan – now a child refugee – with food, warmth, a place to sleep, and some winter protection. As always with Beautiful Together, 100% of all donations will go directly to these children and these supplies.
You can very directly help save a child’s life.
Photo courtesy of Syrian Orphans Org
We are partnering with Syrian Orphans Organization to ensure all donations go directly to these needs and these needs only, via the assistance of their established network of on-the-ground aid workers in Syria and in Turkey right now. 100% of the operating costs involved in the efforts of Beautiful Together and Syrian Orphans Organization are funded privately so that every single dollar donated goes directly to these efforts.
Will you please show your care by donating?
You can access the fund project page here: beautifultogether.org/project/feed-clothe-shelter-100-aleppo-orphans/
© Jake Simkin
How else can you help??
Wear your heart on your sleeve. Buy a t-shirt. Buy your entire family a t-shirt. Choose a message that fits what you would like to share, like our exceptionally comfortable “Be The Good” long-sleeved baseball tee.
100% of all proceeds from these t-shirts, and these awesome hats, go directly to this effort.
And if you live in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina area, you can pick up any of these shirts – or the calendar and fine art cards – at Coco Bean Coffee Shop.
Buy a calendar for the new year! Buy your entire extended family a calendar for the new year! I photographed at at some rather striking destinations throughout this beautiful world, and all proceeds will go to this effort.
Purchase all-purpose, linen fine art cards to use to express anything you wish to share to anyone you wish to express it to, all year long. Actually, there’s no expiration date. I’m sure you know how nice, blank cards can work – bottom line? 100% of all proceeds go towards this effort.
These are also made up of a collection of travel and fine art images that I photographed.
Have a holiday party, a New Year’s eve party, a kick-off-the New Year party, a small dinner party, whatever. Host a simple gathering and ask people to bring a small donation – gather the funds and send a check, or donate online, to Beautiful Together. Or send them all individually – we will happily log them all that way, too. Remind your friends that 100% of all of their donations are tax-deductible, since Beautiful Together is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. We just did this recently, hosting two separate gatherings last week – one was a Sip n Shop at our studio and another was a neighborhood house party. The funds we raised at both of those events will go directly to this effort.
Are you a photographer? Host a few hours of mini-sessions, share your talent, give others the gift of images of those they love – and donate a portion of proceeds to this effort. Or all of your proceeds. Again, 100% of the funds you raise with go towards the Aleppo Orphans.
Do you create things? Make crafts? Design jewelry or handbags or something beautiful to have, to hold or to give? Consider giving all – or even just a portion – of your proceeds to this effort.
Do you NOT create things, make crafts or design jewelry or handbags or something beautiful? Who do you know who does?? Offer to host a gathering to showcase their wares, or create a simple online auction, and ask them to donate a portion of their proceeds.
Do you want a striking photo album to showcase your photography? Purchase an eco-friendly, fine art Lush Album, which includes the opportunity to digitally design your album quickly and beautifully. Fifty percent of the proceeds of every single album purchased will go directly to this effort – and to all future Beautiful Together efforts ongoing.
Does your family want to get involved? Have your children host a hot chocolate stand, or a bake sale, or an art sale.
You want to help? Good. That’s amazing. Seriously, that is our humanity talking – we want to help when we know others are deeply suffering. And the Aleppo orphans – and so many endangered children in Syria – are deeply suffering. Luckily, the options to do so are plentiful. The need is great. And any and all fundraising efforts help.
We can all DO something. Please help us do this.
Thank you for caring.
© Jake Simkin
