TURKEY

LOCATION:  ISTANBUL, TURKEY

FOCUS:  WOMEN'S SHELTER

LOCAL PARTNER:  MORE CATI

TOTAL DONATED:  $1,000

VOLUNTEER/CHARITY SUMMARY: 

I had high hopes for working with Mor Cati in Istanbul, as it's a remarkable organization that provides shelter and resources for women fleeing violence or those who have been victimized. But, unfortunately I wasn't able to stay due to some mental health challenges that corresponded too closely with their mission.

I arrived in Turkey and quickly hit all the sites, just before learning that my mother's rapist was being released from prison in the following weeks. That knowledge really kicked my ass, and I spiraled into an anxiety filled depression, missing my recently deceased mother, and reliving what she went through.

So, being around women who had experienced violence was more than I could mentally handle. I knew I couldn't cheerfully offer any assistance, and I also knew that I would be a huge distraction, as I was bursting into tears every second thinking about my mom and what she went through.

I knew I needed to be in nature, as the huge and chaotic city of Istanbul was the wrong place for me to work through the wound that had just reopened.

Luckily, my next stop was an animal rescue in Germany, so I changed my flight, made a $1,000 donation to Mor Cati, and left Istanbul feeling like a failure on the volunteer side of things. But, mentally, there was nothing else I could do.

Sidenote: One of my favorite things about Mor Cati was that they had nothing but five star reviews from women they helped, and a smattering of one star reviews from men basically saying they were a horrible organization because they gave their wives the strength and means to leave them - which to me, couldn't be a greater recommendation.

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