At the Füsun Sayek Community Center, the path to healing is yours to choose, as long as you have the will to begin. Surrounded by greenery by the river in Arsuz, The Füsun Sayek Community Center offers a safe space for all ages to find solace and peace, even in the wake of the earthquake.

What began as a tribute to Füsun Sayek, a pioneering Turkish doctor, and former president of the Turkish Medical Association, has blossomed into a vibrant institution. Born from a memorial event by family and friends, a week-long celebration of her legacy evolved quickly into a center for cultural events, workshops, sports activities and health screenings for the local community.  Today, the Füsun Sayek Foundation is dedicated to supporting children’s education, women empowerment, and public health initiatives in Arsuz. 

During the earthquake, Fusun Sayek Foundation’s original building collapsed. With TPF’s support, a new community center was built for women and children who needed safe spaces to heal, and rebuild their lives. Today, the center is alive with daily visitors, finding comfort in the simple yet powerful activities offered – whether it’s painting, reading, or sewing, there is something for everyone to hold onto, something that allows them to process their grief and find hope again. 

For the past year,  the doors of the Arsuz Community Center have remained open,all thanks to you.  It’s your support and kindness that enables TPF and the Füsun Sayek Association to heal our communities, one person at a time. 

Among these stories of extraordinary generosity stood Can Şengezer, General Manager of an Istanbul-based media agency. As he was looking for ways to help with the disaster’s aftermath from miles away, he came across Turkish Philanthropy Funds—a name he recognized but hadn’t interacted with before. A simple Google search relayed the information he was looking for: a highly trusted organization with the highest ratings from all charity evaluators and renowned for its swift and efficient disaster responses within Türkiye.

He reached out to TPF. But Can’s vision stretched far beyond a personal donation; he envisioned a ripple effect of empathy and action. Within hours, his team coordinated with his clients that specialized in billboard advertising in the United States. He contacted an old colleague, Altuğ Şimşek from Firefly—a next-gen car top advertising solution firm.

Together, they came up with a plan. They used billboards, ads on taxis, and even ads inside cars to spread the word, telling people how they could help the earthquake victims through TPF.

And it worked! What inspired them the most was the support they received not only from the Turkish American community but also from everyone. No questions asked, no profits calculated.

Their plan was a testament to the power of harnessing business networks for humanitarian outreach. Their message reached hundreds of millions of people—not just in one city, but all over the United States. People from NYC to Miami, Chicago to Phoenix, learned about what happened and how they could help.

Their story isn’t just about raising money; it’s about how kindness can transcend and bring us all together.

Among these stories of extraordinary generosity stood Can Şengezer, General Manager of an Istanbul-based media agency. As he was looking for ways to help with the disaster’s aftermath from miles away, he came across Turkish Philanthropy Funds—a name he recognized but hadn’t interacted with before. A simple Google search relayed the information he was looking for: a highly trusted organization with the highest ratings from all charity evaluators and renowned for its swift and efficient disaster responses within Türkiye.

He reached out to TPF. But Can’s vision stretched far beyond a personal donation; he envisioned a ripple effect of empathy and action. Within hours, his team coordinated with his clients that specialized in billboard advertising in the United States. He contacted an old colleague, Altuğ Şimşek from Firefly—a next-gen car top advertising solution firm.

Together, they came up with a plan. They used billboards, ads on taxis, and even ads inside cars to spread the word, telling people how they could help the earthquake victims through TPF.

And it worked! What inspired them the most was the support they received not only from the Turkish American community but also from everyone. No questions asked, no profits calculated.

Their plan was a testament to the power of harnessing business networks for humanitarian outreach. Their message reached hundreds of millions of people—not just in one city, but all over the United States. People from NYC to Miami, Chicago to Phoenix, learned about what happened and how they could help.

Their story isn’t just about raising money; it’s about how kindness can transcend and bring us all together.

“In the U.S. if you express interest in giving, people chase the donors. In Türkiye, I actually had to chase the organizations.” That’s when she was introduced to TPF.

There is also the added tax benefit of giving through TPF. For future contributions, Banu is also looking to add the benefit of her company’s gift matching policies. Since TPF is a registered charity in the United States, U.S. companies can match the gift of their employees to TPF, doubling the value of the initial gift. After graduating from Robert College in İstanbul, Banu came to study economics and German studies in Massachusetts. She obtained her MBA at Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania. Banu started her career as a strategic consultant and now works in investment banking. She and her husband live in New York with their three-year old daughter Ela.