IWAI Charity in 2013
In 2013 Julica Ortlinghaus was the charity leader of IWAI. The charity team was composed of Anja Vainompää, Hediye Dizioglu, Ayse Nalbantsoy, Kyong-Hee Tate, Kelly Günay and Dr. Ilke Kardelen! During this year IWAI supported the Hasta Cocuk Evleri Association and Women's Shelters!
Throughout the year we organized many charity events, namely: a silent auction alongside with the Blind Wine Tasting in February 2013, the White Summer Evening in June 2013, the International Food Event in September 2013 and a silent auction alongside with the Christmas Ball in December 2013 and Yilbasi in a box in December 2013.
In 2013 Julica Ortlinghaus was the charity leader of IWAI. The charity team was composed of Anja Vainompää, Hediye Dizioglu, Ayse Nalbantsoy, Kyong-Hee Tate, Kelly Günay and Dr. Ilke Kardelen! During this year IWAI supported the Hasta Cocuk Evleri Association and Women's Shelters!
Throughout the year we organized many charity events, namely: a silent auction alongside with the Blind Wine Tasting in February 2013, the White Summer Evening in June 2013, the International Food Event in September 2013 and a silent auction alongside with the Christmas Ball in December 2013 and Yilbasi in a box in December 2013.
Hasta Cocuk Evleri Dernegi
Our main charity project in 2013 was the Hasta Cocuk Everli Dernegi www.hastacocukevi.org.tr, a housing project for families for sick children being treated in the Ege University Children's Hospital to give them a home away from home.
The story behind the Hasta Cocuk Evleri:
Specializing in stem cell transplantation, Prof. Dr. Buket Erer del Castello dedicated her life to her extremely serious cases Leukaemia (Blood cancer and Thalassemia) patients. She fights like a lion to save their lives. Based almost exclusively on donations she has built up a unit to give clinical treatment to six patients at a time.
Most of her little patients are from East of Turkey where state hospitals cannot provide leukemia treatment. Parents not possessing the funds to have their children treated in private hospitals are referred to Prof. Buket who is known for her commitment far beyond the city limits.
Her patients are generally accompanied by at least one family member. Having no funds for accommodation or family in İzmir, the family members used to sleep in the corridors or in the hospital's garden causing severe hygiene problems. Alarmed by these circumstances Prof. Buket founded an association called ‘İzmir Hasta Çocuk Evleri Derneği’ (Association of Houses for sick children in İzmir). With the help of donators the association currently rents three flats hosting six families of leukemia patients. During the initial inpatient treatment the leukemia patient’s family member(s) lives in the flat. After discharge from hospital the little patients undergo daily follow up examinations during several months and live with their family members in the flat rented by the association.
Visiting the housing is a saddening and motivating visit at the time. The housing is basic, in poor condition and it lacks on many necessities. It’s inspiring to learn about this small organization kicked off by a courageous woman, who seems to be able to do wonders with next to no resources. The children are inspiring too; full of new hope they look into a future that has been returned to them by Prof. Buket.
In 2013 we have purchased for all flats of Hasta Cocuk Evleri new bed linen, duvets, pillows, basic foods and cleaning items, pots, frying pans, tea sets, we financed a monthly rent for all flats including water and electricity expenses and purchased an high-performance monitor that measures the inversive blood pressure for the unit of Prof. Dr. Buket Errer del Castello. This monitor will provide powerful monitoring capability and essential measurements in a compact package to match the pace and unique needs of intermediate care, surgery and post-operative care and will improve the level of care for the little patients!
Among members we collected second hand items and brought cars full of items to the houses! All of the donations were very precious for the project and were used to furnish the houses of Hasta Cocuk Evleri or have been sold in the second hand sale organized by Hasta Cocuk Evleri Dernegi. The income from the second hand sale is used by Hasta Cocuk Evleri to finance the houses and to cover the cash needs of the houses, which is payment of rents, water and electricity bills.
Women's Shelters
Our main charity project in 2013 was the Hasta Cocuk Everli Dernegi www.hastacocukevi.org.tr, a housing project for families for sick children being treated in the Ege University Children's Hospital to give them a home away from home.
The story behind the Hasta Cocuk Evleri:
Specializing in stem cell transplantation, Prof. Dr. Buket Erer del Castello dedicated her life to her extremely serious cases Leukaemia (Blood cancer and Thalassemia) patients. She fights like a lion to save their lives. Based almost exclusively on donations she has built up a unit to give clinical treatment to six patients at a time.
Most of her little patients are from East of Turkey where state hospitals cannot provide leukemia treatment. Parents not possessing the funds to have their children treated in private hospitals are referred to Prof. Buket who is known for her commitment far beyond the city limits.
Her patients are generally accompanied by at least one family member. Having no funds for accommodation or family in İzmir, the family members used to sleep in the corridors or in the hospital's garden causing severe hygiene problems. Alarmed by these circumstances Prof. Buket founded an association called ‘İzmir Hasta Çocuk Evleri Derneği’ (Association of Houses for sick children in İzmir). With the help of donators the association currently rents three flats hosting six families of leukemia patients. During the initial inpatient treatment the leukemia patient’s family member(s) lives in the flat. After discharge from hospital the little patients undergo daily follow up examinations during several months and live with their family members in the flat rented by the association.
Visiting the housing is a saddening and motivating visit at the time. The housing is basic, in poor condition and it lacks on many necessities. It’s inspiring to learn about this small organization kicked off by a courageous woman, who seems to be able to do wonders with next to no resources. The children are inspiring too; full of new hope they look into a future that has been returned to them by Prof. Buket.
In 2013 we have purchased for all flats of Hasta Cocuk Evleri new bed linen, duvets, pillows, basic foods and cleaning items, pots, frying pans, tea sets, we financed a monthly rent for all flats including water and electricity expenses and purchased an high-performance monitor that measures the inversive blood pressure for the unit of Prof. Dr. Buket Errer del Castello. This monitor will provide powerful monitoring capability and essential measurements in a compact package to match the pace and unique needs of intermediate care, surgery and post-operative care and will improve the level of care for the little patients!
Among members we collected second hand items and brought cars full of items to the houses! All of the donations were very precious for the project and were used to furnish the houses of Hasta Cocuk Evleri or have been sold in the second hand sale organized by Hasta Cocuk Evleri Dernegi. The income from the second hand sale is used by Hasta Cocuk Evleri to finance the houses and to cover the cash needs of the houses, which is payment of rents, water and electricity bills.
Women's Shelters
48 boxes - 48 smiles
Yılbası in a box* - New Year surprises for Women's Shelter
"Yılbası in a box" was the Charity Team’s last activity in 2013.
We wanted to organize a simple action, easy to participate yet bringing joy the ones undergoing hard times.
We were lucky that Ilke Kardelen, member of our charity team, knew somebody at the city hall and brought us in connection with a Women's Shelter in Izmir. The responsible of the shelter was over happy to receive a proposal of help! Her enthusiasm fired our imagination and we decided to choose the Women’s Shelter as beneficiary.
The response to the call for contributions within IWAI was immediate and large: almost 50 participants assembled boxes filled with lovable items for women and children.
We collected the boxes at our Christmas Ball and the table full of lovely wrapped boxes were a beautiful eye catcher at the IWAI event!
The boxes were handed over by the city hall to the Women’s Shelter on New Year’s Eve!
Through this action IWAI wanted to show sympathy with these young women and children in difficult situations and show them that somebody cares about them!
Thank you for everybody who contributed!
* Yılbası means ‘year end’ in Turkish. Originally “Christmas in a box”: The idea is to spread the Christmas magic among children that would normally not receive a gift and fill boxes with items that brings them joy! We adapted the idea to the modern Turkish tradition: on New Year’s Eve small gifts are exchanged in families. Even though Turkish people generally do not celebrate Christmas, decorating Christmas trees is a very popular tradition on New Year’s Eve in Turkey. In Turkey Santa Claus is associated with NYE instead of Christmas!
Yılbası in a box* - New Year surprises for Women's Shelter
"Yılbası in a box" was the Charity Team’s last activity in 2013.
We wanted to organize a simple action, easy to participate yet bringing joy the ones undergoing hard times.
We were lucky that Ilke Kardelen, member of our charity team, knew somebody at the city hall and brought us in connection with a Women's Shelter in Izmir. The responsible of the shelter was over happy to receive a proposal of help! Her enthusiasm fired our imagination and we decided to choose the Women’s Shelter as beneficiary.
The response to the call for contributions within IWAI was immediate and large: almost 50 participants assembled boxes filled with lovable items for women and children.
We collected the boxes at our Christmas Ball and the table full of lovely wrapped boxes were a beautiful eye catcher at the IWAI event!
The boxes were handed over by the city hall to the Women’s Shelter on New Year’s Eve!
Through this action IWAI wanted to show sympathy with these young women and children in difficult situations and show them that somebody cares about them!
Thank you for everybody who contributed!
* Yılbası means ‘year end’ in Turkish. Originally “Christmas in a box”: The idea is to spread the Christmas magic among children that would normally not receive a gift and fill boxes with items that brings them joy! We adapted the idea to the modern Turkish tradition: on New Year’s Eve small gifts are exchanged in families. Even though Turkish people generally do not celebrate Christmas, decorating Christmas trees is a very popular tradition on New Year’s Eve in Turkey. In Turkey Santa Claus is associated with NYE instead of Christmas!