Next Sunday, 12 February 2023, a number of parishes in Malta will be collecting basic and essential items to be sent to the people struck by the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. This initiative is being coordinated by the Archdiocese of Malta through the Fondazzjoni Opri Soċjali.
The products needed include: canned and sealed food, sanitary products, tents, tent mattresses, sleeping bags, torches, batteries and power banks.
The full list of items to be collected can be obtained from the website djakonija.org/turkijasirja. Further details can be found there about the venues to which donations may be delivered.
Items may be left in the centres set up for this purpose in the parishes of Iklin, Qawra, Għaxaq, Gżira, Mosta and Birżebbuġa between 10am and 4pm. In each parish, a number of volunteers will receive the donations, sort and pack them well in special boxes to ensure they will reach their destination in as quickly as possible. The boxes will be passed on to the Civil Protection Department which is currently in continuous contact with the respective authorities in Turkey and Syria.
It is important to note that items not on the list of items specifically requested by the Civil Protection Department will not be accepted.
Fondazzjoni Opri Socjali works to provide support to diocesan entities, including Maltese parishes, and helps in the organisation of pastoral events and initiatives of social benefit to the community.