Emergency response volunteering programs to help Turkey and Syria earthquake relief efforts at workplace

Emergency response volunteering refers to time, skills, or resources contributed to relief efforts immediately after a disaster such as an earthquake, flood, or hurricane. It typically covers fundraising, awareness building, kit assembly, remote coordination, and, where feasible, on-the-ground support. The focus is on meeting essential needs like clean water, food, shelter, and medical supplies within the critical first days and weeks.

The Kahramanmaras earthquake in February 2023 initially claimed 7,500+ lives, with the toll later rising above 20,000 according to the WHO. Southern Turkey and northern Syria saw widespread destruction, leaving thousands homeless and without basic services. Survivors urgently needed clean water, food, shelter, and healthcare supplies, prompting a large international relief mobilization.

Several nonprofits mobilized quickly. Global Empowerment Mission, a 501c3 first-response organization, deployed over $3.4M in supplies within days. Convoy of Hope distributed food, water, and essentials, while International Blue Crescent, a Turkey-based partner established through UN WFP cooperation in 1999, and grassroots outfits like TIAFI in Izmir supported affected communities across the region.

Companies can activate several relief modes: employee giving campaigns, matched donations, virtual fundraising events, awareness content, remote kit-packing coordination, and on-the-ground support where feasible. The most effective corporate responses combine speed with structure, routing funds and volunteer hours through vetted nonprofit partners already operating in the affected region rather than launching standalone efforts from scratch.

Virtual volunteering for disaster relief includes hosting online fundraisers, creating awareness content, coordinating remote donation drives, translating field communications, and mapping affected areas through crowdsourced platforms. Employees can also assemble hygiene or care kits at their location for shipment. These formats let globally distributed teams contribute meaningfully without adding logistical burden to responders already stretched at the disaster site.

Matched donations double the impact of every employee contribution while signaling that leadership is willing to invest alongside staff. During the acute phase of a disaster, when nonprofits face immediate cash-flow pressure to procure water, food, and medical supplies, matched giving accelerates funding to trusted partners. It also boosts participation rates, since employees respond more readily when their gift is amplified.

Employees increasingly expect employers to respond meaningfully to global crises, not just internal ones. That means visible communication from leadership, activated giving portals, matched donations, paid time off to volunteer, and mental-health support for affected colleagues. A silent or slow corporate response can erode trust, while a thoughtful, sustained one strengthens engagement and reinforces the organization's stated values around social impact.

Immediate relief addresses survival needs like water, shelter, and medical care, while long-term recovery funds rebuilding, livelihoods, mental health, and community infrastructure. Companies should commit to both by phasing their giving: an initial matched campaign in the first weeks, followed by sustained partnership over 12 to 24 months. Transparent reporting at each phase keeps employees informed and engaged throughout the recovery.

Common mistakes include sending unsolicited physical goods that overwhelm local logistics, deploying untrained volunteers to disaster zones, launching standalone campaigns instead of partnering with established responders, and disappearing once media attention fades. Skipping due diligence on receiving nonprofits, ignoring local partners, and failing to report back to employees on outcomes are also frequent pitfalls that undermine the integrity of the response.

Goodera helps companies mobilize employees quickly during disasters through pre-vetted nonprofit partnerships, virtual volunteering events, matched-giving campaigns, and remote kit-packing sessions coordinated across global offices. The platform enables activation within days, tracks participation and funds raised, and supports sustained engagement beyond the acute phase so recovery efforts continue once initial media attention subsides.