Limestone cares and it has since Feb. 6, 1818.

Few disasters have reached the level of need we are seeing today in Turkey and Syria – exactly 204 years after our official creation – when on Feb. 6, 2023 earthquakes and aftershocks brought down thousands of buildings throughout those nations.

In the ensuing hundreds of years since the county was created by an act of the Alabama State Legislature, we have been always generous in times of need and emergency though myriad man-made and natural disasters.

As of Friday, the death toll from those disasters had risen to more than 23,000, with more still buried in the rubble as rescue crews continue their efforts through raw, wintry weather conditions. More than 20,000 people were reported injured in the first 24 hours, alone.

Numerous organizations on the ground there and in our country are helping victims now, and they need our donations.

First, as with any organization soliciting donations, do your homework to ensure that your money is going where it will be legitimately used. Donate to reputable, registered charities, and in immediate situations such as this where monetary donations are the most effective, also consider giving monthly donations for long-term recovery efforts.

If you want to help, you can check locally with your faith community and other international resources, such as the Red Cross. For more options, or to vet an unknown organization, Charity Navigator — https://www.charitynavigator.org/discover-charities/where-to-give/earthquakes-turkey-syria/ — has published its own list of those helping in Turkey and Syria.

Other reputable organizations include:

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund, better known as UNICEF: https://www.unicefusa.org

American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org

Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

Save the Children: https://www.savethechildren.org

International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies: https://donation.ifrc.org/?campaign=f3cfd66a-0ba7-ed11-a2da-005056010028

And also, CARE, an organization that works with impoverished communities, is accepting donations that will go toward food, shelter and hygiene kits, among other items: https://tinyurl.com/5n8sk342

The emergency and recovery efforts in these impoverished countries are ongoing today and will be for months and years. Our help is needed today.