BTF Youth: Building Bridges
6,013 miles. That is the distance between Chicago, Illinois, and Şanliurfa, Turkey. My name is Lara, I am a Turkish-American high school student, and I used Google to look up that number. As cliche as it may sound, I am lucky enough to have access to the entire world at the palm of my hand with technology that I often take for granted. For students in communities like Şanliurfa, technology, books, and basic school supplies are not accessible. Or, using a better choice of words, were not accessible… but I’ll elaborate on that later. To those of you that are new as well of those of you who are returning, welcome to Cinema4aCause, a fundraiser event brought to you by the Bridge to Turkey Fund, an organization dedicated to bridging the gap between America and Turkey to help less fortunate Turkish communities.
BTF has changed my life to a very immense extent, but more importantly, it constantly succeeds in changing the lives of others that need it most.
Positive change for the less fortunate starts with the fortunate becoming aware. Growing up at schools in and around Chicago, we are often told the importance of volunteering, donating, and helping the less fortunate. However, through BTF, I truly came face to face with the necessity of doing this. With easily accessible local and school libraries in lucky communities like mine, it’s easy to take the magic of these resources for granted. People often seize to see the beauty in easy access to the endless information, the influential stories, and the time machines held on the spine of a book.
In schools that fill rural areas like Şanliurfa, Turkey, kids often have no choice but to share limited resources between overpopulated classes.
Around this time three years back, I attended my first Cinema4aCause event and learned about the mission of leaders like Şule Kivanc. Though she, and other BTF leaders like her, live in America, some 6,000 miles away from Turkey, they are dedicating so much of their lives to giving back to the country that they and their families came from. Someone can be Turkish by blood, by culture, and by lifestyle, but it means something else to be Turkish by heart. Attending my first BTF Cinema4aCause event was what drove me to take part in making a positive change for less fortunate communities in the country that gave me a second home. Since then, I was able to conduct fundraisers at both my middle school and high school, where I sold homemade bracelets. The first resulted in 300+ dollars fundraised, and the second resulting in a hefty 800 dollars, all going towards sending books to three different elementary schools in Şanliurfa.
Never in my life have I felt more proudly Turkish then when I got these pictures of the kids receiving the donations.
What people like many of you in this audience and I are lucky enough to do through BTF is truly a blessing. BTF is a gift that taught me how much you can get by giving. I want everyone in the audience, but especially the youth to be able to experience this truth first hand. Thankfully, this is now more possible than ever with the BTF New Generation, and up and coming youth group for BTF teens with a hunger for positive change. To stay updated on events and news involving the BTF New Generation, follow the BTF Chicago facebook page, or email me at larabridgetoturkey@gmail.com with any questions you may have.
I hope that whoever you are, Turkish, American, both, or neither, you walk out of this event today with a pull in your heart, a pull of inspiration, a pull towards action, a pull for change.
Bridge to Türkiye Fund (BTF) is a US based, volunteer run, charitable non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions made to BTF are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by IRS. BTF’s tax identification number is 58–678580.
