Raindrop Turkish House hosted Johnson County Sheriff Frank Denning and members of the Sheriff’s office on November 3, 2011. Sheriff Denning has been serving the law enforcement community for 30 years. He joined the Johnson County Sheriff’s Department in 1978 as a Deputy serving in the Adult Detention Center.  He’s been an active participant in many law enforcement associations and is a graduate of the 196th Class of the FBI National Academy and a current member of the Kansas-Western Missouri chapter of National Academy graduates. He is a life member of the Kansas Peace Officers Association, serving as President and currently as Governor Emeritus, and a member of the Kansas City Metropolitan Chiefs and Sheriffs Association, the Kansas Sheriff’s Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police. (November 3rd 2011, Lenexa, KS)

At 1:41 p.m. (5:41 a.m. CT) on Sunday, November 23, a quake with a magnitude of 7.2 hit Van province of Turkey near the border of Iran.

According to TRT, state-run network, 59 people were killed and 150 were injured in Ercis. 25 people were also killed in provincial capital also named Van. One other person was reported dead in Bitlis. However, officials fear that 1000 people may have been killed by the earthquake. We have received many calls and emails from the community expressing sympathy. We are very saddened by this disaster and extend our deepest sympathy and condolences to those who lost their loved ones. May God comfort them at this difficult time.

This is the time that we need to show our friendship and brotherhood. Raindrop Helping Hands launched a campaign for the earthquake victims in Turkey.

Please send us your generous donation so that we can deliver it to those who are in need. Funds collected through the Helping Hands' account will be delivered to the authorized people in the U.S. or through our sister organizations located in Turkey.

You can make your donations by:

• Check (Please make your checks payable to: "Raindrop Helping Hands" and place the memo as Help Earthquake Victims in Turkey. The check should be sent to 9301 West Belfort Houston, Texas 77031)
• Donation through our website. (You can see the Donate button on the right side of the website and choose Help Earthquake Victims in Turkey to make donation.)

We appreciate your kind donations and even a small contribution will help is pain of the devastation.

Anniversaries of special events have a life and impact that go beyond the actual dates themselves. Many are specific to individual families: wedding anniversaries; birthdays; memorials of the deaths of loved ones. Various nations also have various special dates that are prominent in their corporate memories and celebrations. Cinco de Mayo in Mexico celebrates an unlikely victory over French colonial troops by the Mexican Army in 1862. Indonesia's Proklamasi, celebrated on August 17, is the date in 1945 when the armed resistance to the colonial Dutch regime was begun. (September 22, 2011 Kansas City, MO)

(August 30th 2011, Lenexa, KS)