Support the victims of the Turkey & Syria Earthquakes with Yassin!

UPDATES: 

• UPDATE 1 (Feb 6, 10:00 PM ET): Thanks to your generosity, we have reached our initial goal of $20,000 in under 10 hours! We have now doubled our goal to $40,000.
• UPDATE 2 (Feb 7, 12:30 PM ET): We have hit our second goal of $40,000 in only 22 hours; this is double the initial goal. New Goal: $60,000.
• UPDATE 3 (Feb 8, 9:00 AM ET): We have hit our third goal of $60,000 in under 48 hours; triple the initial goal. New Goal: $80,000.
• UPDATE 4 (Feb 8, 1:00 PM ET): We have hit our goal of $80,000 in under 48 hours; four times our initial goal. New Goal: $100,000

UPDATE: The SRD team on the ground has deployed our first responders and 24 ambulances.  All SRD hospitals remain fully operational, providing treatment for trauma patients with the help of tireless emergency medical technicians. Yassin is coordinating a new training program with SRD to help onboard new first responders thru Prime Medical Training. While ready-to-eat kits have been distributed as well as bread, a full open soup kitchen is already being coordinated on the ground where Yassin and the team will be feeding warm meals to the survivors of this horrible calamity.

Thousands have been killed and injured after two massive earthquakes, measuring 7.8 and 7.7 on the Richter scale, have hit Northwest Syria and Turkey in the span of a few hours. The epicenter of the first was in Gaziantep, but the shocks were felt throughout the region especially in the bordering Northern Syria. Both areas are the epicenter of displaced Syrians in need, many have fled their homes over the past 12 years, suffering through bitter cold, intolerable hunger as the country battles a famine, and a difficult healthcare crisis and more.

Due to the aftershocks of the earthquake, people spent the night outside hungry in the cold and snow, and those who made it out safely are not sure they will have any place to return to given that many of the buildings are severely damaged and still collapsing now, hours after the earthquake due to aftershocks and damaged infrastructure. 

Prophet Muhammad said ﷺ: “Those who are merciful will be shown mercy by the Most Merciful. Be merciful to those on the earth and the One in Heaven will be merciful to you."

Yassin Terou is determined to help. As a Syrian refugee, built a new life from the ground up. He opened a very successful restaurant in Knoxville, TN, and touched thousands all over the country with his optimism, his generosity and his unique ability to connect to others through food. “My goal is spread love to our community and build bridges between people in need.” Providing relief during this disaster is also personal for Yassin; most of his family is still in Syria and one of his brothers is in Gaziantep, Turkey where he is currently displaced from his residence due to the earthquake.

Yassin has partnered with SRD and CelebrateMercy to bring meals to those in need suffering after this unimaginable crisis. Please join Yassin to help satiate their hunger and prevent more suffering in the region.

NOTE: Syria Relief & Development is a 501c3 non-profit organization (Tax ID: 45-3737015). All USA-based donations will thus be tax-deductible. 

ABOUT YASSIN

Yassin Terou – an award-winning restauranteur – was born and raised in Damascus, Syria. In 2011, he sought asylum with his family in the United States, working diligently to overcome language, cultural, and economic barriers. After selling sandwiches at the local mosque for some time, his talent and passion for food became apparent. Yassin’s Falafel House officially opened its doors in 2014 and was touted “the Nicest Place in America” by Reader’s Digest; it has been a place of connection for all people since its inception. Yassin quickly found acclaim from the likes of Jack Dorsey – co-founder and former CEO of Twitter and current CEO of Square, along with a slew of national, state, and local organizations. Yassin has infused this welcoming energy and the spirit of giving-back into everything he does, including caring for his community in America and abroad.

Read more about Yassin and his accomplishments:

• Good Morning America - Watch Yassin and his family interviewed HERE
• Square – Read “Yassin’s Falafel House” HERE
• Reader’s Digest – Read “How Did a Falafel House in Tennessee Become the Nicest Place in America?” HERE
• Buzzworthy – Read “How A Refugee Family Built What Was Voted ‘the Nicest Place in America’ This Year” HERE

ABOUT SYRIA RELIEF & DEVELOPMENT (SRD)

Syria Relief and Development (SRD) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in November 2011 to provide humanitarian aid to Syrians and Syrian refugees affected by violence, hunger, poverty, injury and displacement. The volatile situation in Syria has created a dire need for food, shelter and medical supplies. SRD is working to address these needs through its established programs within Syria and in surrounding regions. SRD is based in the US with offices in Amman, Jordan. Learn more about SRD HERE.

ABOUT CELEBRATEMERCY

CelebrateMercy is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that has been teaching about the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ's life and character - to Muslims and the general public – for over 12 years. They do this through short films, online campaigns, traveling conferences, and webinars that feature world-renowned speakers and scholars. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic alone, CelebrateMercy has raised over $1.1 million for relief efforts. They have offered over 1,600 hours of new programming for adults and children with over 370,000 hours of content viewed around the globe. They also have hosted over 1000 webinars, 60+ virtual courses and conferences, and nearly 20 online campaigns. Learn more about CelebrateMercy HERE.

MEDIA COVERAGE

• Knox News - ‘We are one world’: Yassin's Falafel House owner launches earthquake relief fund'

MEDIA INQUIRIES

Please email info@celebratemercy.com