Since the turn of the 20th century Harlem has had a long history of Italians in Harlem, especially in “Little Italy” in East Harlem. So, we wanted to see how we could help victims of Italy’s earthquake that happened this past week.
Here’s what we found:
People and organizations have rushed to help after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake rocked central Italy on Wednesday, killing at least 267 people.
The worst hit towns were Accumoli, Amatrice, Posta and Arquata del Tronto. The mayor of Accumoli said around 2,500 people were left homeless.
“It’s terrible, I’m 65 years old and I have never experienced anything like this,” Amatrice resident Giancarlo told Reuters. “This is a catastrophe.”
Thousands of volunteers from all over the country have come to the mountain communities affected by the quake to offer assistance.
Here’s how you can help.
Support Organizations Helping Victims
The Italian Red Cross has sent 20 ambulances to the affected areas. Both search and rescue teams and sniffer dogs are on the ground looking for survivors.
If you’re local, donate through the website here. If you’re outside Italy, donate to the Italian Red Cross’ campaign on crowdfunding site Ammado here.
Crowdfunding site GlobalGiving has started an Italy Earthquake Relief Fund to support short- and long-term recovery efforts in the wake of the quake. The site has committed to sending all funds to local organizations.
As of Thursday afternoon, the campaign raised more that $40,000.
To support relief efforts, donate here or text GIVE ITALY to 80100 to donate $10.
The National Italian American Foundation, a U.S.-based organization serving the Italian-American community, has set up a fund to help earthquake victims. The organization is still working to identify a project to fund, which it will announce in the coming weeks. All proceeds will benefit a community devastated by the earthquake.
If You’re Local, Give Blood And Donate Goods
Italian blood donation organizations, AVIS and the National Blood Center, have called for people across the country to donate blood, according to our source translation.
To donate blood, check the list of locations to give blood in Rome here.
Residents of Rieti, Italy, a city near the areas hit hardest by the quake, can also drop off much-needed items, such as food, water and clothing, to benefit quake victims, according to the International Business Times.
To view a list of local schools and centers in Rieti accepting donations, see here.
Check On Friends And Family ― Or Let Them Know You’re Safe
Facebook has activated its Safety Check feature for central Italy. People living in or visiting Italy can use it to let friends and family worldwide know they’re safe.
U.S. cell carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon are also offering free calls and texts between the U.S. and Italy.
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