Wherever we live in the world, we live in a community. A community isn’t just a place, it’s a group of people who live together, make friends, socialise together and generally look out for each other.
Making your home in another country can be a bit of an eye-opener when it comes to the care provided for those in need, whatever the reason may be. We’re all guilty of basing our expectations on what we’ve experienced in the past.
There are many support groups in the UK however, here in Fethiye, there isn’t the same support network for those in need of help and caring, whatever the reason may be.
HOPE
Two years ago, an important “gap” in community support was filled by the the setting up of the HOPE group, whose aim was to offer emotional and practical support to cancer sufferers and their families and friends, and to provide grief counselling and practical solutions. The group is now an established source of support in the community.
Click on the link below to read more about HOPE.
HOPE – Fethiye’s support group
Corona Caring Fethiye
By March, Covid-19 had been declared a global pandemic and lockdowns and curfews were implemented, leaving many people without the means to run errands and carry out their normal routines.
Over 65’s and those with underlying health conditions were the worst affected by the curfew as it meant they couldn’t leave their homes, leaving many with no means of shopping or running daily errands.
To provide support to these people, resident David Jaime set up the Facebook group, Corona Caring Fethiye*. The aim of the group was to help these people in Fethiye impacted by the curfew, specifically those who had no-one to help with groceries, picking up medicines, attending appointments etc.
The group has 1.2K members and around 100 volunteers, enabling David, working alongside the VEFA Support Group, to coordinate and respond to requests for help by area.
Visit Corona Caring Fethiye on Facebook
*We have also consulted with Fethiye Corona Caremongering and would like to highlight that we are aware of some of the other groups out there who have supported people through the curfews and we welcome input and involvement from any groups we may have missed.
Visit Fethiye Corona Caremongering on Facebook
Fethiye Cares
We now have HOPE and Corona Caring Fethiye however, recently it has been highlighted that there is a still a gap in the support network in Fethiye.
Sometimes people who are perfectly fit and healthy, have a need for short term help. For example, someone breaks their hip, lives alone, can’t walk or drive, owns a dog, can’t get to the shops, etc and don’t have anyone who can help them with these tasks.
These requests are usually brought to the attention of, and dealt with, by HOPE or Corona Caring Fethiye however, this isn’t the primary aim of these groups.
To enable to offer this service, there is now a brand new group, Fethiye Cares.
This group will provide key services, on a short-term basis, to people who fit the criteria.
Services will include: shopping, picking up prescriptions, dog walking, lifts to appointments, as well as providing a list of professional services available i.e cleaning.
Can you help?
There are so many great people in the area who are already involved with HOPE and Corona Caring Fethiye.
Fethiye Cares needs your help.
If you’d like to be involved, even if you already help out in one of the other groups, please apply to join Fethiye Cares.
You will be asked three questions when you apply to join the group:
- How can you help/What can you contribute to the group?
- Where do you live?
- Do you have transport?
Once we have volunteers in place, we’ll be in a position to offer a stuctured support network.
We’ll also be looking for a coordinator so, if you have experience in this sort of organisation, let us know.
The three groups will work alongside each other and anyone who contacts the wrong group, will be directed to the right person, that way each group can focus on its main aim.
To join the group, please visit:
The post Charity and Community News – week ending 16 August 2020 – A caring community appeared first on Fethiye Times.