Concern for family back home after devastating earthquakes
The images showing the devastation in Turkiye and Syria hit home for those with family there.
“All the news and the Instagram or the other social media and they didn't tell me because I'm here and they're in Turkiye,” said Berfin Kaya, whose family is homeless after the quakes.
“They didn't want me to worry, to be worried,” said Kaya. “And I was shocked. I'm still in shock, and I called them. I couldn't reach them for hours.”
Kerem Hatiboglu has been reaching out to family and friends, and while they are safe, it's painful to watch the recovery effort.
“Every day I feel like this situation is getting worse with the aftershocks, there's not enough help,” said Hatiboglu.
Those families are homeless with the constant aftershocks, and structural damage — and it’s not safe to be inside.
“No, no. They're still waiting in the streets. The babies, the pregnant women, the elderly people. They're at the streets,” said Kaya.
The images can take a toll on families here in London, Ont., which is why the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) sent out a letter to parents on Tuesday to direct them to resources that can assist with the stress.
“Having supports in schools from individuals that you trust, that you have relationships with when you need it most, it is so important. It's so important because we don't know when it's going to be the moment that we really need to reach out,” said Lucas Anderson of the TVDSB.
The Red Cross is accepting donations, and they are in critical need as people are fighting the elements trying to survive.
“There's not enough tents, and as you know, it's winter now, so people are cold. They don't have charges on their phone, they don't have like food, they don't have socks, they don't have anything [to] make them warm” said Hatiboglu.
Listed below are the links to websites where you can donate or obtain mental health help.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Military under fire as thousands of troops face lost cost-of-living allowance
The Canadian Armed Forces is under fire for its plan to cut thousands of troops off a cost-of-living allowance without much notice.

Netanyahu fires defence minister for urging halt to overhaul
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly fired his defence minister on Sunday, a day after he called on the Israeli leader to halt a planned judicial overhaul that has fiercely divided the country and prompted growing discontent within the ranks of the military.
Singh 'not satisfied' with confidence-and-supply agreement
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he's 'not satisfied' with his party's confidence-and-supply agreement with the Liberals — signed a year ago this week — because it's shown him he could do a better job running the country than the current government.
Is 'David' porn? See for yourself, Italians ask Florida parents
The Florence museum housing Michelangelo's Renaissance masterpiece the 'David' invited parents and students from a Florida charter school to visit after complaints about a lesson featuring the statue forced the principal to resign.
Ukraine demands emergency UN meeting over Putin nuclear plan
Ukraine's government on Sunday called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to 'counter the Kremlin's nuclear blackmail' after Russian President Vladimir Putin revealed plans to station tactical atomic weapons in Belarus. One Ukrainian official said that Russia 'took Belarus as a nuclear hostage.'
Teen dead after 'unprovoked' stabbing at Toronto subway station
Police have identified a teenager who died after being stabbed in an ‘unprovoked’ attack at a Toronto subway station Saturday night, and have charged an adult male suspect with his murder.
Ontario woman's lost wedding dress found by thrift store volunteer after 'long shot' search
After making a 'long shot' plea to the public this weekend, a woman in southern Ontario has found her lost wedding dress, mistakenly donated by her father earlier this year.
Philadelphia residents warned about chemical spill in river
Philadelphia residents are being told that they may want to drink only bottled water following a chemical spill into the Delaware River in neighbouring Bucks County.
Biden's visit an 'authentic' expression of Canada's importance to U.S.: ambssador
The federal Liberals aren't the only ones declaring U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Ottawa a triumph for Canada-U.S. relations: Washington's envoy, too, described it Friday as an 'overarching success.'