Illawarra businesses pledge earnings towards earthquake-stricken Turkey

When customers came up to Turkish-born Kiama cafe owner Gulcin Topel offering her money for her family in Turkey she politely turned it down but realised she had a chance to do something special for her country with the help of the local community.

"I thought if people want to donate why am I not starting something special," Ms Topel said.

READ MORE: Port Kembla gets new $500k skate park, plus a music and art festival returns

"For a week starting tomorrow 100 per cent of Saltwater cafe's earnings will go to Turkish charities."

Ms Topel who spent her childhood in Adana, one of the most severely affected cities, said she felt helpless seeing her family and friends deal with the aftermath of the deadly quake while she was here.

"My family are physically okay, even though they've lost their houses, compared to others they're doing good," she said.

The cafe owner is expecting a big turnout, having received a positive response from the community when sharing her fundraising plans.

"We will be open from 7am to 5pm but I'm happy to stay open until later depending on how busy it is," she said.

Fairy Meadow Kebabs and Pide which was also involved in a fundraiser for Turkish residents on Friday was successful in its efforts.

READ MORE: Dharawal language champion Jodi makes the state take notice

"Fairy Kebabs would like to thank everyone who contributed to earthquake fundraising on Friday, thank you everyone for your generous support," a Facebook post read.

"With everyone's support we have made $8000."

People looking to donate directly to charities are advised to use The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commissions to check if the charity you want to donate to is registered and legitimate.

We've made it a whole lot easier for you to have your say. Our new comment platform requires only one log-in to access articles and to join the discussion on the Illawarra Mercury website. Find out how to register so you can enjoy civil, friendly and engaging discussions. Sign up for a subscription here.