Syrian refugees need our help.

We’re going to get serious for a post.

For the short version, please visit our fundraising page.

Worldbuilders has been around long enough that if you’re reading this, we can assume you know what we’re about: we raise money for Heifer International with a cool annual fundraiser/lottery/extravaganza. We love Heifer International, we admire how they work, and we’re all on board with how they get stuff done.

But there are more problems out there, and more people working to solve them. One of the big ones is the Syrian civil war, with over 11 million displaced people. We say “displaced,” but we mean “homeless.” We’re talking about people who have had their houses destroyed. Their businesses and places of employment wiped off the map. Their communities leveled by bombs and gunfire. These people have lost friends and family, all sources of income and normalcy, any access to fresh food, and anything they grew up with. Instantly.

And then this is their life. (Qab Elias Refugee Camp photo by Eoghan Rice)

Heifer International is about helping people help themselves. They spend time to educate folks about how to use and tend to livestock, seeds, aquifers, biogas stoves, and co-ops. They are thoughtful and thorough, and that’s why we like them.

Right now, there are 11 million people who don’t have time, don’t have a support network, and can’t even figure out where to start rebuilding their lives because there’s nothing left to build on.

We made a zero-hour decision to raise some money for them.

We’re just going to run a straight-up fundraiser through Wednesday, September 23rd, to raise money for Mercy Corps, which has been involved with the Syrian refugees since 2011.

For the first $25,000 we raise, Worldbuilders will match dollar-for-dollar. So if you donate $50, Mercy Corps gets $100. No bells and whistles, no stretch goals, no videos with puppets. We want to help these folks eat something.

Edit: Pat was so blown away by how quickly we reached our $25,000 goal that he offered to match up to the next $25,000….and before we could edit this blog, we passed that goal as well. You are all the best. You have seriously shaken us in the best way possible. So far Amanda, Rachel, Nicole, and Jeff have actually cried. Without shame. We love all of you.

Edit #2: Seriously? There are more tears–one of you guys, who asked to stay anonymous, just volunteered to match the next $25,000. Note to our mystery donor: You kind of broke Rachel, since she’s monitoring the questions@ email account today. So that’s raised our goal to $75,000, all matched dollar-for-dollar. If we reach this goal, Mercy Corps gets $150,000. We’ve run out of superlatives, so just, thank you. Thank you so much, all of you.

Edit #3: The tears continue–thanks to two more anonymous donors, funds will be matched through $100,000. If we reach that goal, that’s $200,000 going to helping families who need the help so badly. We still have no words for how wonderful you all are.

Mercy Corps has established a solid procedure for bringing food, clothing, shelter, food vouchers, and, if needed, cash to the 7 million refugees still in Syria and the 4 million seeking refuge in surrounding countries like Jordan, Iraq, Turkey, and Lebanon–countries who just don’t have the infrastructure to support such an influx of people.

Mercy Corps has also set up things we never thought of: playgrounds, to give children a safe and nurturing space; moderators, since a refugee camp with a population of over 40,000 people will have conflicts; and supermarkets, because shopping for your food is normal, and not having it handed to you off the back of a truck does wonders for your self-worth.

The next generation of Syrian adults needs the chance to have a childhood first. (photo courtesy of Mercy Corps)

The Syrian civil war has been going for over four years now. We may not be able to stop the fighting, but we can bring these refugees a little closer to a normal life. Please help us reach our goal and get immediate help for those in need.