Our hearts are with the people of Venezuela, and with the Jewish community grieving among them.

Two earthquakes struck within seconds of each other on Wednesday night, among the strongest in the country's history. The destruction is widespread. Homes have collapsed, families have been displaced, and lives have been lost.

Within the Venezuelan Jewish community, families are mourning loved ones and still waiting for word of those they cannot find. We grieve with them and hold them close.

This is the work your Federation system was built for. Our partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) is caring for the Jewish community and the broader Venezuelan population alike, already distributing food and clean water, with medical supplies and housing to follow. In Caracas, the Hebraica JCC and Unión Israelita, two institutions JDC has supported for decades, have opened their doors as emergency shelters for families forced from their homes.

Because this community invests in our global partners year after year, help was already moving the moment the ground shook.

Caring for all who are in need is who we are. That means standing with the people of Venezuela.