Supporting Our Community
Dear faculty, staff and students,
I am writing to ask you to join me in supporting our students and other community members who have family or other close ties to Turkey and Syria, particularly to those areas devastated by the 7.8 magnitude earthquake earlier this week. The people of this region are facing unimaginable pain, suffering and loss of life, and my heart goes out to them and to those who love and care for them.
Staff from our office of International Students and Scholars have been in contact with LC students with connections to Turkey and Syria to offer assistance and support. I ask that every member of our community extend that same compassion and support for these students and other impacted community members at this very challenging time in their lives.
I also want to encourage everyone to participate in relief efforts to help meet immediate needs in the two affected countries, as well as to assist with recovery and rebuilding efforts. In addition to specific efforts individual community members may be aware of, following are some options for those who have the means to donate financially to the relief and recovery efforts:
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Mercy Corps www.mercycorps.org
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International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies www.redcross.org/about-us/our-work/international-services.html
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UNICEF www.unicefusa.org
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OXFAM www.oxfam.org
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Doctors Without Borders www.doctorswithoutborders.org
It is important that we also extend compassion and understanding to others in our community who may be upset by the magnitude of the suffering in the affected region. If you feel your own emotional or mental health is being affected, please reach out to your support network or take advantage of the various resources available on campus through the Counseling Service, International Students & Scholars, the Ombuds Office, the Office of Spiritual Life, and the College Advising Center. Anytime the Counseling Service is closed, students can access our Crisis Counseling Service at 503-265-7804. For off-campus referrals and assistance with communicating to faculty around academic support, contact the Office of Student Accessibility. And if there is a peer who might need outreach, please report that concern here. Employees may access help through the Employee Assistance Program.
Finally, Spiritual Life will be offering a place for reflection and lighting of a candle in remembrance of the tens of thousands of lives lost in the earthquake, beginning at 5:30 this evening in the Agnes Flanagan Chapel.
Thanking our community in advance for your care and compassion for those affected by this devastating event.
Robin Holmes-Sullivan
President
