MIAMI, Fla. – More than 22,000 people are dead and tens of thousands injured after a massive earthquake rocked Turkey and Syria on Feb. 6. Local and national organizations are doing much to help those impacted by raising funds and collecting supplies.
Local organizations
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Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) Doral
Greater Miami Jewish Federation
The Greater Miami Jewish Federation has established an Emergency Relief Fund to assist those affected by the powerful earthquakes that occurred in Turkey and Syria Monday, February 6, killing thousands of people and displacing thousands more.
Food for the Poor, Coconut Creek, is working with partners, MAP International and Brother’s Brother Foundation for medicines and medical supplies. Feed My Starving Children providing MannaPack rice meals, and Water Mission is assisting with safe water.
Donations will go to these organizations.
National organizations
UNICEF helps children and families.
Turkish Red Crescent provides nutritional services and blood supplies.
Humanity & Inclusion works to help people with disabilities, aging individuals and their families. “We are seeing a high number of people with complex injuries, including amputations, in need of emergency medical care, rehabilitation and psychological support.”
Mercy Corps is providing emergency water, sanitation and hygiene help.
Doctors Without Borders is providing medical aid.
CARE International, a social justice organization
International Medical Corps, a non-profit aid organization
United Nations World Food Program provides emergency food assistance.
How to Avoid Scams:
Check Charity Navigator, which provides a list of verified charity organizations. Currently the Washington, D.C., based Syrian American Medical Society Foundation is rated 100 percent as is the Santa Barbara, Calif., based Direct Relief.
There’s also Charity Watch, Candid and BBB Wise Giving Alliance.
According to the Federal Trade Commission:
Be careful how you pay
- If someone wants donations in cash, by gift card, or by wiring money, don’t do it. That’s how scammers ask you to pay.
- To be safer, pay by credit card or check.
- It’s a good practice to keep a record of all donations. And review your statements closely to make sure you’re only charged the amount you agreed to donate – and that you’re not signed up to make a recurring donation.
- Before clicking on a link to donate online, make sure you know who is receiving your donation. Read Donating Through Crowdfunding, Social Media, and Fundraising Platforms for more information.
Keep scammers’ tricks in mind
- Don’t let anyone rush you into making a donation. That’s something scammers do.
- Some scammers try to trick you into paying them by thanking you for a donation that you never made.
- Scammers can change caller ID to make a call look like it’s from a local area code.
- Some scammers use names that sound a lot like the names of real charities. This is one reason it pays to do some research before giving.
- Scammers make lots of vague and sentimental claims but give no specifics about how your donation will be used.
- Bogus organizations may claim that your donation is tax-deductible when it is not.
Report scams to ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Find your state charity regulator at nasconet.org and report to them, too. Share any information you have – like the name of the organization or fundraiser, phone number, and what the fundraiser said.