Volunteering in Istanbul: Tarlabaşı Community Center

Many of us find doing volunteer work to be a fulfilling way to connect with our community. For yabangees, volunteering can be a great way to meet people, practice Turkish and learn valuable skills. But it can feel like there aren’t many opportunities for volunteer work in Istanbul. One good option, especially for those who enjoy working with children and adolescents, is Tarlabaşı Toplum Merkezi (Tarlabaşı Community Center).

Tarlabaşı Community Center (TTM), developed as a project by İstanbul Bilgi University Center for Migration Research, was established in September 2006 in the Tarlabaşı neighborhood of Istanbul with the aim of providing assistance in educational, social and psychological areas to all Tarlabaşı inhabitants.

Although it tries to address the needs of all the residents in Tarlabaşı, the Community Center mainly runs support activities for/with children, youngsters and women, who are the most vulnerable groups struggling with problems resulting from migration and poverty.

What’s it like to volunteer at the Community Center? Here is how Moritz Bettscheider, a former yabancı volunteer at TTM, describes it:

There are a lot of activities, workshops and groups taking place at TTM…whenever I had a question, I could ask Nurgül or the others to receive friendly help. As time passed, it emerged that I mostly participated in the Rhythm/Darbuka Group, the English Group, sometimes the Art Group.  In the beginning, it was not very easy to communicate in Turkish…but the children were very sweet and helped me, and now my Turkish is fine… …I really had a wonderful time at TTM.

The Community Center offers a wide variety of classes in music, art, drama and other areas in which volunteers can become involved. If you would like to work with the center please keep in mind:

• You must be at least 18 years old.
• You must be student/graduate of university or you must have enough experience to work with people at a neighborhood with disadvantages.
• Your interests should match with the goals and principles of TTM.

Volunteering with TTM also requires a commitment to attending orientation and training. The Center also asks that the volunteer commit to at least three months of service. For more details about the application process, visit their volunteerism page. If you don’t have the time to volunteer your services, the Center also accepts donations. You can find more information on their website.

Address: Çukur Mahallesi Zerdali Sokak No.9, Tarlabaşı, Beyoğlu, İstanbul

Phone: +90 212 297 23 05

Website: www.tarlabasi.org

Volunteer Coordinator: Nurgül Öztürk (nurgul.ttm@gmail.com)

Twitter: @TarlabasiTM

Facebook: Tarlabaşı Toplum Merkezi