Karavan Hurricane Helene Relief Fund

Karavan needs YOUR help in order to survive the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

Our beloved store, Karavan Treasures from Turkey, located in St. Armand’s Circle, Sarasota, Florida, has suffered irreparable damage from Hurricane Helene. For decades, we’ve been a source of unique Turkish treasures that have brightened the homes and outfits of many across the country, including Columbus, OH, Annapolis, MD and Sarasota, FL. We believe Karavan has grown to be more than a store. It has become a place of cultural education and community hub. Max, the owner, is highly respected for his dedication, kindness, and passion for bringing the best of Turkey to Florida.

The recent Hurricane Helene severely damaged our store and merchandise. A storm surge washed through St. Armands island and severely damaged all of the homes and businesses. It has been truly tragic to witness. For Karavan, this meant 4ft of water sloshing through the store. Luckily our precious carpets were secure on the second floor. The damage on the ground floor included the destruction of the electrical system, breakage of inventory, potentially dangerous mold growth, and rotting of display cases and walls.

The unfortunate reality is that Karavan will not be able to continue on St. Armands circle. In this pivotal moment we are doing everything in our power to keep Karavan's story alive.

We wish to rebuild. We can't do this without your help which is why we are reaching out to our amazing community of friends, family, and loyal customers who have supported us throughout the years.

In the aftermath of the hurricane, there have been enormous unexpected expenses while the store's main source of revenues has abruptly stopped. We have hired help to clean and move our inventory to new storage spaces that were in short supply. We wish to replace much of the damaged inventory. Finding and opening a new location will take time, so in the interim we will focus on online sales which includes investments in the website and marketing. Each day without

customers puts the business further and further into the red. While $20,000 is a fraction of these costs, this amount will help us survive this difficult period.

Any donation, big or small, will go directly to restoring Karavan and help us get back on our feet. Your generosity will allow us to continue sharing the beauty of Turkey with the world. Thank you for your support during this difficult time.

You can also support us by making a purchase on our website https://treasuresfromturkey.com/. For the time being, only carpets, lanterns and furniture will be available for sale. To ensure that the item you desire is still available (not destroyed by flooding), send us a direct message before purchasing. Please excuse any delay in shipping as our inventory is in storage and unorganized. We promise to ship your purchase as soon as we can.

Thanks to a generous friend of the store, the first $5,000 of donations will be matched. These matches will be applied and visible on GoFundMe every two weeks.