Maya’s Community Support Centre has been involved with several humanitarian projects. These projects will involve the coming together of the local community to support a natural disaster or severe problem somewhere else in the world. Maya is able to be a conduit for the local community to channel their donations and support and ensure that they get through to the right place.
Ukrainian Support Hub Turkey / Syria earthquake Appeal Aid to Ukraine
Ukrainian Support Hub
Ever since the start of the Ukrainian conflict Maya has saved hundreds of Ukrainian families from the basements of the war. She opened her doors to the Ukrainian community and through her community links she was able to quickly set up a support network for families arriving and those willing to host / sponsor their visas. In partnership with the local authority Maya has helped hundreds of Ukrainian families to settle and integrate successfully into society.
This help also extends to the host families where she can not only help with communication but also any problems that arise when relationships break down. This has led to her being on call 24 hours a day at times, supporting refugees with mental health problems get the right medical assistance, being birthing partner to a lady who arrived seven months pregnant (whose husband was on the front line of the conflict) and being available to bond relationships.
Helping the families apply for school places , benefits , jobs etc. Her community support centre hosted a weekly support group whereby local councillors , the MP, representatives from the DWP and city council officials regularly attend Maya’s meetings. These meetings were every week for 18 months and helped dozens of Ukrainian ‘guests’ through all walks of life. Up to date Maya is still helping the newly arriving Ukrainians to settle and connect into her Ukrainian support hub.
Turkey / Syria Earthquake Appeal
Maya got a phone call from Sir Roger Gail (Herne Bay MP) asking if she could provide any blankets and clothing for the local mosque as there had been an earthquake in Turkey, where the size of Kent had been flattened over night. Maya put out an appeal on Facebook and began connecting with local businesses and charities to work together to provide the biggest response possible. Maya brought the local community together , the next day 100s of people lined the streets around the community cafe bringing clothing and blankets. Local shop keepers came forth with empty premises we could use to sort and store the donations. Rotary Club agreed to help fund six articulated lorries which included 60 portable toilets which BKM transport (who provided the articulated lorries at cost) arranged to be donated. Maya and Bev (Director at Maya’s) flew out to the worst affected area with local businesses man Mehmet (Alaturka) and Ray (Rotary Club). They slept in a tent in the border of Turkey / Syria. They felt aftershocks and tremors throughout the nights whilst they were there. It was important for Maya to make sure that the items so kindly donated by the people of Kent got through to the people who needed them the most. Maya made a report for BBC South East and ITV and in one of the pictures she can be seen giving a unicorn to a small child. A young boy from Herne Bay saw this on the news and shouted that was what he had donated, he then proudly went to his room and started searching for things he could donate to these children who had been left with nothing. Maya found a way of galvanising the local community to come to the aid of people 1000s of miles away from Herne Bay. All of the volunteers who gave up countless hours sorting and packing boxes and loading the lorry’s told us it gave them a real sense of pride in their community. All together seven articulated lorries were sent in six months , containing tens of thousands of boxes of aid.
Aid to Ukraine
At the beginning of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine Kevin approached us about sending clothing , blankets, bedding, medical supplies etc to Ukraine. Ever since , every few months he will visit us in Herne Bay and load up donations from local people, from the free shop or from our stores. Kevin has made countless trips to some of the areas that seem forgotten and giving clothing and toys to orphanages / abandoned villages or hospitals is something Maya’s Community Support Centre are proud to continue to support. Each time Kevin come back from Ukraine with a hot list of needs which then we put out an appeal for so we can fill up Kevin’s van’s with love, kindness and strength for those who is still in the conflict zone.