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Thousands of people are reportedly feared dead after two powerful back-to-back earthquakes slammed northern Venezuela on Wednesday night.
The 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude quakes — among the strongest the country has seen in more than a century — leveled buildings in the capital, Caracas, and could be felt as far away as Brazil’s Amazon, about 1,050 miles from the epicenter. At least 164 people were confirmed dead and nearly 1,000 injured as of Thursday afternoon, with thousands more reported missing. Much of the damage appeared concentrated in the northern coastal region of La Guaira and the capital, Caracas, where rescue teams were racing to reach survivors trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
In Miami, home to one of the largest Venezuelan diaspora communities in the country, organizations are mobilizing to quickly bring much-needed relief to Venezuela.
If you’re wondering how to help, here’s how to get started.
Where can I drop off donations?
Michael Capponi’s Doral-based nonprofit Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is accepting donations and coordinating an emergency response in partnership with the I Love Venezuela Foundation and the City of Doral. The group, which says it expects to have teams on the ground in Venezuela by Friday, is collecting emergency supplies, including non-perishable food, temporary household and shelter items, hygiene products, pet supplies, and medical supplies at the following locations. (GEM’s full “immediate needs” list can be found at the bottom of this story.)
GEM Headquarters
1850 NW 84th Ave., Suite 100, Doral, FL 33126
Monday–Friday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections Office Lobby
2700 NW 87th Ave., Doral, FL 33172
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
Doral Legacy Park Community Center
11400 NW 82nd St., Doral, FL 33178
Monday–Friday, 5–9 p.m.; Saturday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
El Arepazo
10191 NW 58th St., Doral, FL 33178
Monday–Sunday, 8 a.m.–10 p.m.
Where can I donate money?
GEM, UNICEF, World Vision, Direct Relief, United Way, and We Love Venezuela are accepting cash donations to benefit Venezuelan relief efforts. Check out their websites to donate and learn more about each organization’s initiatives.
Know of another organization helping with Venezuela earthquake relief efforts? We want to hear from you. Email us at editorial@miaminewtimes.com.
