Georgia community rallies to aid Venezuela earthquake survivors

Boxes of bottled water, clothing, medicine and nonperishable food filled a Lawrenceville warehouse Saturday as Georgia’s Venezuelan community came together to support families devastated by the recent earthquakes in Venezuela.

According to Atlanta News First, volunteers packed donations at Intercargo Venezuela with plans to send the supplies to Miami by Monday, where they will be loaded onto a ship bound for Venezuela. The effort comes as authorities report more than 1,400 people have died, nearly 3,000 have been injured and about 50,000 people remain missing following two powerful earthquakes.

For many volunteers, the drive offered a way to help loved ones from afar.

Victoria Espinoza said her mother, Nina Guimera, helped organize the collection because she wanted to make a difference even though she could not travel to Venezuela herself. Espinoza said many of those who survived the earthquakes escaped with little or no access to basic necessities.

Others said the disaster has been especially painful because Venezuela was already struggling after years of political turmoil. Some members of metro Atlanta’s Venezuelan community told Atlanta News First they believed the country had only recently begun to regain hope after the U.S. captured longtime dictator Nicholas Maduro, only to see those hopes shaken by the earthquakes.

Maria Valentina-Nunez, whose family is helping with relief efforts in Venezuela, said volunteering in Lawrenceville was her way of staying connected to her home country during one of its darkest moments.

“Even though I’m not living in Venezuela, this is the way I choose to say I still love Venezuela,” she said. “And this is a very, very hard moment for us.”

The donation effort drew support from people across metro Atlanta, including Adriana Ramirez, who said supplies had already begun arriving at her home before the community drive. Seeing neighbors step up has encouraged her, but she said she continues to think about the families waiting for help.

“Our prayer right now is just that everything can get to where it needs to go,” Ramirez said.