After the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes struck on Wednesday in Venezuela, Ana Alcantara said she felt overwhelming anguish — then she took action.
The Miami-Dade resident joined the world’s Venezuelan diaspora in their struggle to communicate with loved ones after the tragedy.
“I didn’t hear from my sister for hours last night,” Alcantara said. “My niece was able to tell me that she spoke to her.”
Alcantara has been following the rising death toll as the search and rescue efforts continued. She is worried about the urgent needs of the survivors, so she dropped off donations at El Arepazo in Doral.
“We need food, medicines,” Alcanta said. “We need a lot; we need everything.”
Mayor Christi Fraga partnered with the local Global Empowerment Mission, a nonprofit founded in response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.
El Arepazo, one of four drop-off locations for donations that GEM plans to deliver to Venezuela, opens 24 hours, seven days a week, at 10191 NW 58th St.
The list of items needed included first aid kits; emergency gear such as flashlights, heavy-duty batteries, solar phone chargers, and work gloves; and baby care, such as diapers.
The need for aid rises amid an uncertain political transition under acting interim President Delcy Rodríguez, who has been cooperating with President Donald Trump after Nicolás Maduro’s capture.
“We are not going to give up. We are never going to give up, and we are going to be able to be free and rebuild,” Alcanta said. “We have to.”
Related story: Doral opens 4 aid drop-off locations
More ways to help
- Aid drop-off location opens in Homestead
- World Central Kitchen asks for donations for fresh meals
- Save The Children asks for emergency fund donations
- Red Cross asks for Disaster Response Emergency Fund donations
- UN asks for donations for ‘underfunded’ program for kids
- World Vision asks for ‘disaster relief fund’ donations
Related coverage
- The 2 earthquakes that struck Venezuela are known as a ‘doublet.’ Here’s how they happen
- Venezuelans search rubble for survivors after 2 strong quakes kill at least 188
- After Venezuela earthquakes, here are some of the deadliest in Latin America in the last century
- World leaders react with offers and solidarity after powerful quakes hit Venezuela
- Back-to-back powerful earthquakes hit Venezuela, causing widespread damage
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