A downtown Chatham retailer is dipping into his own clothing inventory to donate new items to victims that survived a massive earthquake that devastated parts of Turkey and Syria.
Jarnail Gahunia and his wife Inder, who have operated T’s & Sweats in Chatham for 46 years, were busy on Monday packing new clothing into clear plastic bags to be shipped to a site in Mississauga, under the guidance of the Turkish Consulate General, to be transported to Turkey for free by Turkish Airlines.
“God has given us whatever we needed,” Jarnail Gahunia said.
More than $7,000 worth of sweatshirts, T-shirts, ladies’ pants and winter hats have been donated by the local business – and there is still more to be packed up.
“I feel so good that somebody can use (this clothing),” said Inder Gahunia. “If somebody steals something, it hurts my feelings, but if I give to somebody, I feel good.”
The clothing will go to help the approximately 1.3-million people displaced after 7.8-magnitude and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes hit southeastern Turkey and northern Syria nine hours apart on Feb. 6.
The death toll exceeds 33,000 and continues to climb as the bodies of more victims continue to be pulled from the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The couple has also supported many community causes over the years through their involvement with the Kent Sikh Society and Chatham-Kent Asian Cultural Association.
Jarnail Gahunia said both local organizations are supporters of the Chatham-Kent Health Alliance and have also provided financial assistance to other relief efforts around the world over the years.
The couple is retiring this spring but, before they do, are holding a six-week sale beginning in March, with the proceeds to the Canadian Cancer Society.
Jarnail Gahunia said they wanted to again give back to the community for all the support they’ve received over the years.