Minnesota chef travels to Turkey to help feed people in disaster zones

In the wake of the deadly earthquake that has killed thousands across Turkey and Syria, a team of Minnesotans is on the ground in that region now and gearing up to help in any way possible.

That team includes a local chef, who left his restaurants at home to cook for those who are among the most desperate for food.

Brian Ingram owns Hope Breakfast Bar, The Gnome and several other restaurants in the Twin Cities. He and his wife, Sarah, also run the nonprofit Give Hope MN, which provides hunger relief here in Minnesota.

When Ingram heard about the earthquake, he knew he needed to take his talents as a chef and help where he could.

“To be able to feed people, the most basic of human needs right now, they don’t have,” said Ingram. “To be able to offer a hot meal and just love on people that means everything in the world.”

Brian and another one of his employees just arrived in Istanbul Monday and are gathering food, equipment and supplies to head into the disaster zone in Turkey on Tuesday.

“Istanbul and Turkey is a place that’s very near and dear to our hearts. We helped with a cafe over here a few years ago and we just said if we’re going to come in the good times we should stand with them in the bad times,” said Brian.

Give Hope MN partnered to help open the Gospel Culture Cafe in Istanbul a few years back. Since then, they’ve provided support and resources to keep the cafe running and in that time they’re formed relationships with people in Istanbul.

“Even from our cafe, one of our folks lost everybody in his family: mom, dad, aunts, uncle. We have another friend named Farrek (?) and he’s lost his family. He has no contact with any of them,” he said.

As the were gearing up to go help in the region, the Turkish government has asked their group to help feed a group of 500 people three times a day. Ingram and his teamed were tasked with opening a mobile kitchen in the disaster zone.

“We went today and we got burners and gas and we’ve got this van, and we ripped all the seats out of it that we rented so we can just load it. We’ve got 100 gallons of propane, fuel. We have 500 pounds of lentils, 400 pounds of white beans. We’re going to be making soup so we had to go buy hoses and hardware and tents and sleeping bags,” Ingram added.

He said none of this would be possible without support from people at home, without people standing with them through the nonprofit, they wouldn’t have the financial means to do this.

All the money raised goes diretly to their relief work.

Brian says all the schools have canceled classes, and there is no traffic in Istanbul at the moment – a very surreal feeling on the ground.

As of Monday morning, more than 36,000 people were reported to have died in Turkey and Syria due to the 7.8 earthquake and the aftershocks.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS will continue to follow Brian and his team as they feed people in need. They plan to be in the region for about 10 days, and are working on building a kitchen that can sustain itself once they leave.

CLICK HERE if you’d like to donate to their organization.

Hope Breakfast Bar isn’t the only business working to help the earthquake victims – The Med Box Grill in Chanhassen hosted a donation drive and fundraiser over the weekend.

The restaurant partnered with the Turkish American Association of Minnesota to raise money and collect supplies.

The donations are all headed to the Chicago Consulate General of Turkey now, and will then be sent overseas.

“We have many members – many friends – students here – whose families, friends, relatives, or their close relatives and people they know, they’ve been impacted, unfortunately,” said Ilgin Sezer, the Vice President of the Turkish American Association of Minnesota.

Sezer says there are about 1,500 people from the region living in the Twin Cities metro, and the tragedy is hitting close to home for them.

Med Box Grill’s partnership includes locan non-profit “Matter”, which is donating medical equipment to earthquake victims.

The restaurant will continue to accept donations from Matter moving forward to help with supporting the recovery process.