We have all heard of Toys for Tots, which specializes in collecting donated toys to children who are poor and homeless, as well as the Salvation Army. But how many organizations have you heard about that specialize in helping Syrian refugees and other victims of ISIL terrorism? This is what I think should be changed in regard to that issue.
We have all seen countless stories in the media showing how bad the war is in Syria, never mind the war against the terrorists.
There are many videos that have popped up on the internet that show the daily struggles of refugees who were made homeless by the ongoing civil war.
Everyday is a struggle for them. Yet I still have struggled to find nearby organizations that provide aid for these people.
I think a great part of the reason these organizations have not been in the public eye enough is because of the controversy surrounding refugees from Syria. According to a poll from the Washington Post and ABC News, 54 percent of total respondents oppose taking in refugees following the Paris attacks.
I think this can definitely contribute to why these organizations are not as prominent as one’s like Toys for Tots and Salvation Army.
I think the main reason, however, is because the Syrian civil war did not begin until March of 2011 and did not come into the public eye in America until a few years ago.
The refugee situation did not become the center of controversy until the Paris bombing.
George Amaru / Art Director
I had not been aware of the refugee situation until a couple of years ago. I focused my attention so much on the news surrounding ISIL that I didn’t start thinking about organizations that help the victims of terrorism until a year ago.
It wasn’t until recently that I actually had the privilege of helping send relief packages over to Syria.
It took quite a bit of research for me to find volunteer opportunities to help with these sorts of issues, but when I first started volunteering I realized that more than ever they need our help.
Many of the volunteers who I worked with had family members that are stranded in Syria. One woman who volunteered told me about how people were starving because of food being purposely kept from them.
I remember talking to one of the volunteers who was a Syrian refugee herself. She was not much older than me, 23 years old, and had moved to New Hampshire a year ago. She told me the only family she brought with her was her husband. She is now a student at Southern New Hampshire University and is an active volunteer.
We need to make organizations who help refugees just as prominent as organizations like Toys for Tots and the Salvation Army. There needs to be easier access to places that we can donate supplies for Syrian refugees to.
We need organizations such as NuDay Syria, which was the charity organization I volunteered for, to be more in the public eye.
Recent news about bombings in Syria are surfacing online which gives us all the more reason to take action.
Whether it is by donating money, toys, clothes, baby supplies, first aid kits or canned food, we can all make a difference to those who have been victims of terror overseas.
Katherine Glosser can be contacted at kglosser@kscequinox.com
