The Hope Caravan Association launched its fifth social market in Bursa last month, providing essential support to 165 low-income families through a dignified shopping system.

As part of the market’s first aid initiative, 165 families were provided with shopping cards to purchase essential items of their choice.

The social market, which began operating last month, allows beneficiaries to use preloaded shopping cards to buy basic necessities including food, red meat, clothing, shoes, and cleaning products — all within a defined spending limit. The initiative ensures that families in need can shop for what best suits their circumstances, promoting a more respectful and personalized form of humanitarian assistance.

Sadık Tekin, Vice President of the Bursa Hope Caravan Association, highlighted the significance of the project during remarks about its initial phase. “As Hope Caravan, the social market we opened last month has officially begun serving those in need. This month, in our first aid activity, we distributed food cards to 165 families, which they used to meet a wide range of needs, from red meat to cleaning supplies,” Tekin stated.

He also made a heartfelt appeal to donors, emphasizing the importance of continued support. “We are working to reach more families within our means. At this point, we deeply value the support of philanthropists. We ask them not to abandon us so that our aid efforts can continue,” he said. “Through the social market project, our citizens in need are able to select the products they want, maintaining their dignity and agency.”

The social market system is increasingly being adopted by humanitarian organizations as a more empowering and efficient alternative to traditional aid distribution, offering recipients both choice and autonomy.

Hope Caravan’s social market in Bursa stands as a testament to community-driven solidarity and a call to action for broader support from charitable individuals and institutions. (ILKHA)