Our Story
Friendship International (Max Hatfield and his late wife Karen Hatfield) have been serving the marginalized in restricted regions of the world since 1980. Officially as Friendship International, since 1983.
The decade of the 80’s was spent in the former Soviet block. Turkey since 1988.
You may recognize some of the names of cities mentioned in the news- Gaziantep, Aleppo, as this same area is where millions of Syrian refugees, in 2011, fled across the border in Southeast Turkey to escape the Syrian civil war. You may have been someone who responded to us then, with financial support for clothing, shoes, and food to help sustain Syrian refugees.
Max in Ukraine
You may have partnered with us in December 2022, sending Max to The Ukraine as Santa to be a blessing and bring gifts and cheer to many saddened children and families living under the conditions of war.
Your trust in Friendship International is why we are reaching out to you again today. Because Friendship International has invested a lot of time nurturing decades long friendships with volunteers and leaders in this area we are positioned to have a pretty quick response to those in need, and affected by the quake. Food and blankets are being delivered to feeding stations for distribution to the now Homeless Turkish citizens and Syrian refugees.
Ministry Updates
- Ministry Update
A 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck southern and central Turkey and northern and western Syria on February 6, 2023 at 04:17am . The epicenter was near the city of Gaziantep, Turkey where Karen and I have been working since 2011. The earthquake impacted around seven provinces in Turkey and a large area in northern Syria and caused more… Read More »Ministry Update