Venezuelan restaurant owner in Los Angeles turns business into earthquake relief collection center

The owner of the Venezuelan restaurant, Full Arepas, has been organizing large donation collections to send to her home country after two deadly earthquakes struck the area last week.

Kelly Montano says she's been getting inundated with calls from people wanting to donate to send supplies and goods to Venezuela after two 7.0 magnitude quakes rattled the country.

She's turned her restaurant on Broadway and Seventh Street into a collection center for people to donate items and for boxes to be packaged. She's made a call on social media asking for volunteers to stop by and help, plus spread the word about what she's doing.

She never imagined that her posts would generate so much traction. 

Montano points out this is only the beginning and says that relief efforts will be needed for a long time. 

This cause is important to her beyond it being home; she has family in Venezuela that is still missing in the rubble, as search and rescue crews are still trying to locate survivors.  

"I'm so grateful and it makes me strong," Montano said. "All of the volunteers and the people who have come for donations make me strong, but it's hard."

Similarly, in Pasadena at Chamo Venezuelan Cuisine, owner Yesika Baker has also been collecting items to help in the relief effort since last week.

She says the community has been very generous and she has had a steady stream of customers dropping off donations.