Victims of Italy' earthquake need your help
Please help the earthquake victims, read the story below, donate and share it with your friends.
Mirandola,
my hometown in Italy, was the epicenter of a couple of terrible earthquakes
that shook the earth on May 20, 2012 and then again on May 29,2012. Most of my family still lives there and I have been in constant contact with
them since their ordeal began. They are safe but terrified. They have been
living outdoors since the first earthquake and now that most of the town is
totally destroyed they are getting very discouraged. See videos and pictures at the bottom.
Today they
had at least 50 tremors, yesterday there were over 80, and some of them very
powerful. They are scared and won't go back into their homes because their
roofs could be crumbling on top of them. They refuse to set foot in a building, any
building, anytime soon. Every time they feel the earth shake their fear is
renewed!
Emergency
crews are not letting anybody into the devastated areas. The downtown of Mirandola is cordoned off because the
danger of more buildings collapsing is high. Outside
the town most of the industrial buildings have collapsed or are unstable and
unfit for use. This is one of the most industrious areas of Italy and
now much of it is destroyed leaving many families not only without a home, but
also without a job and income. They need
all the help they can get. THE GOVERNMENT WILL NOT PAY FOR EARTHQUAKES BELOW 6.0 RICHTER SCALE. THEY ARE SAYING THIS EARTHQUAKE WAS 5.9. BUT THE DESTRUCTION IS EVERYWHERE!
My cousins
are not waiting for government help. They have set up tents in the parking lot of a destroyed company that one of
the earthquake victims owned and they are buying trailers so that after a week
of living outdoors with no running water or services of any kind, they can at
least take a shower. They are desperate! The damages are so extensive that they
don't know where to begin. They have lost almost everything and the companies
where they worked are under mountains of debris. I live far away in the US, but
I want to help. Hearing their desperate cries for help and seeing on video the
places where I grew up totally destroyed breaks my heart. With this sentiment,
I've decided to start this fundraiser. I don't want to donate money to a government agency, because I have
doubts that it will reach the people who need it most. Therefore, all the money
that I will raise will be sent directly to the victims. My family has pledged
to distribute it according to who are in most desperate need. It might go
towards buying more trailers, food or clothes. The people of Mirandola have
demonstrated that their solidarity efforts are strong. They are not talking
about "you" or "me" anymore, they are just talking about "us"; they are a
community that has come together to get back on its feet. Let's help them. Many
of you know me, and you can count on the fact that the money collected will go directly
to the victims.
Thank you for doing this. I'm
sure that every little bit of help will be much appreciated!!
If you'd like to danate without using a credi card you can mail a check or money order to:
Ref: Mirandola
C/O Rossella Aquila
316 Montgomery St
Jersey City, NJ 07302
If you have
missed it in the news, you can go on the following links to watch videos and
pictures of Mirandola after the earthquake:
http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/terremoto-emilia-20-maggio/mirandola-un-paese-in-ginocchio-dopo-il-sisma/96772/95154
http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/terremoto-emilia-20-maggio/emilia-i-suoni-del-terremoto/96902/95284">http://video.repubblica.it/dossier/terremoto-emilia-20-maggio/emilia-i-suoni-del-terremoto/96902/95284
http://tg24.sky.it/tg24/cronaca/photogallery/2012/05/30/sisma_emilia_scena_di_vita_quotidiana_mirandola_crevalcore.html#1
