What Yassin's Falafel House owner saw on relief trip to Turkey and whether he'll go back

When Yassin's Falafel House owner Yassin Terou arrived in Turkey and saw hundreds of earthquake survivors sleeping in the cold, needing shelter, food, blankets, clothes and medical support, he knew he was where he needed to be.

“It doesn't matter the border, it doesn't matter where they are, we are one world,” Terou told Knox News March 28, just over a month after he returned to Knoxville.

“Our idea was to provide hot soup and medical supplies,” he said of the relief mission supported by more than $200,000 he quickly raised in an online fundraiser. “But on the ground, we found out there is more need for other things.”

Terou and fellow Knoxvillians Andrew Randazzo and Noor Ibrahim jumped into action after a series of powerful earthquakes shook the Turkish-Syrian border in February. The quakes, including two that registered above 7.5 in magnitude, resulted in more than 50,000 deaths and displaced more than a million people, according to the United Nations.

“These people (fled for safety) without money and was out of everything. They just left in the middle of the night. They don’t even have socks, they don’t have underwear, they don’t have a jacket. This is (what) working on the ground will show you,” Terou recalled.

The restaurateur – whose brother was affected by the earthquakes – intended to stay in the disaster zone for only a week. And then, one night, he had a dream that told him to stay longer. Terou and his team of volunteers provided relief assistance in a few of the most affected areas for just over two weeks, crossing paths with survivors he will never forget.

Supplying what the earthquake survivors need

Terou, Randazzo and Ibrahim were able to deliver thousands of supplies, such as food, tents and even diapers, simply by asking what people needed. Terou said this was the most effective approach because, in a rush to help, organizations tend to supply the same need, causing an excess of similar items.

Among the many people they helped was a desperate and crying father who needed a special type of milk for his 9-month-old baby. A little girl was unsure Terou would get her a jacket to keep her warm. When he arrived the next day with the coat, as promised, the girl thanked him with a whisper. The moment warmed Terou’s heart.

“This is my goal. It's very hard to change people my age and older. But we can (teach) the kids to be better, which can (teach) the kids to love each other,” he said.

But Terou also felt the unimaginable grief the natural disaster brought.

“I asked a lady who I was helping, how many kids (do you have)? She told me, ‘I had four kids. Now I have one,’ because she lost three in the earthquake. That is a very sad moment I will never forget,” he said.

“But after we helped her, she was like, ‘Thank God, there’s still people around this world who want to help, want to care about us.’”

How Yassin is giving the rest of earthquake relief funds

Recovery efforts in the areas affected by the earthquakes could take years, Terou noted, and he’s committed to continuing the help however he can. He’s figuring out how to best utilize remaining donations from the fundraiser and is in the process of organizing long-term projects abroad and in Knoxville for the earthquake survivors.

“The whole idea of love and community, I think, is a seed we can grow. If we grow a seed of love, (we can build) a bridge to other communities,” he said.

Since he left Syria in 2011 and opened his first Knoxville restaurant in 2014, Terou has made an intentional effort to help others. He led similar relief endeavors when tornadoes ripped through middle Tennessee in 2020 and during the 2016 Gatlinburg wildfires. He even shared a call to action on social media after the deadly school shooting in Nashville on March 27.

Some people have advised the business owner to limit his involvement in such matters. His response to that advice: “I will not. I'm part of this community.”

“I consider everybody in our community a brother and sister,” Terou said, exemplifying why Yassin's Falafel House was once named the "Nicest Place in America" by Reader's Digest.

“I'm not gonna (be silent) because I'm scared for my business; I'm gonna say what is right.”

The two-week mission in Turkey was Terou’s first international relief campaign. And he’s already getting  things organized for a return to the areas hardest hit by the earthquakes.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Yassin's Falafel House owner reflects on Turkey earthquake relief trip