South Florida families help assist victims of major Colombia earthquake as they await news of their loved ones

South Florida is once again mobilizing to assist victims of a major earthquake in Colombia, with community leaders and residents rallying to send support to the disaster-stricken nation.

Elected officials gathered Monday at the Doral headquarters of the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) to urge the community to support relief efforts, drawing parallels to previous mobilization efforts for Venezuela.

"Right now we are encouraging financial donations because there's a lot of items that can be bought and purchased in Colombia," said Doral Councilmember Maureen Porras.

The urgency of the situation is deeply personal for many in the South Florida community. Diana Espinosa told CBS News Miami that she has family members missing in the Colombian city of Cali following the earthquake.

"It's an indescribable sadness," Espinosa said. "Just indescribable."

Espinosa reported that her cousin, his wife, and their 23-year-old triplets were inside a building that collapsed during the quake. While one daughter was rescued, another was found dead, and the third remains missing along with the parents.

"There isn't help as far as heavy machinery that can cut through beams," Espinosa said. "We are here doing what we can to get help there."

Michael Capponi, CEO of GEM, is traveling to the hardest-hit areas to help coordinate aid. He described the widespread destruction across the country, noting that some towns have sustained damage to dozens of buildings, while others have reported up to 80% destruction.

GEM is emphasizing financial donations over physical goods. Unlike previous relief efforts for Venezuela, officials stated that Colombia has sufficient supplies available for local purchase, making shipping from Miami unnecessary.

For more information on how to support these efforts, visit the Global Empowerment Mission's website.