How New Yorkers are helping Venezuela earthquake victims
Rescue teams in Venezuela are racing to locate thousands of people still missing following this week's powerful back-to-back earthquakes.
There are more than 17,000 Venezuelans in New York City alone, and many New Yorkers are finding ways to help those in and around Caracas.
NYC cafes collecting donations
Businesses across New York City and New Jersey are serving as collection centers to receive donations, said David Brito, who is volunteering to collect the much-needed supplies.
"All of these people suffering, there's a lot of missing people right now, people that they can't find," he said. "Unfortunately, it's been a disaster for the country, and we're just trying to help."
Donations are already piling up at Lulla's Cafe in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
"Just devastating to see how something so quick can destroy so much," cafe owner Ivo Diaz said.
Diaz was born and raised in Venezuela before opening Lulla's Cafe and Casa Ora, the first Venezuelan restaurant in the Michelin guide.
After seeing the death and devastation back home this week, Diaz put a call out for help. He's aiming to send a shipping container full of goods to Caracas.
"I went to school there when I was ... 12 to 14, and seeing some of the buildings that I admire and I love that kind of like represent what Venezuela is and seeing [them] destroyed, it's just heartbreaking," Diaz said.
Brito said all the donations they collect will be packed up in Brooklyn this weekend, and a nonprofit they're working with will arrange for them to be shipped to Venezuela.
"All the help that we can get we are going to take it," he said.
In Astoria, Queens, Venezuelan native Anarella Rodriguez is also helping collect donations at Arepas Cafe.
"We all wish we could be there to save people, our people," she said. "Even though it's just a restaurant, it's community, too."
"What matters is that we all come together in this emergency and can be better for each other," Diaz said.
NYC mayor's office response
The Mayor's Office for International and Immigrant Affairs released the following statement Friday:
"We stand with Venezuelan New Yorkers who are navigating the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela on June 24, causing tragic loss of life, injuries, displacement, and widespread destruction.
"New York City is home to a vibrant Venezuelan community. For many New Yorkers, this tragedy is not happening far away but unfolding here as people desperately try to reach parents, children, siblings, relatives, and friends, not knowing if their loved ones are safe.
"Our hearts are with every family mourning a loved one, searching for missing relatives, waiting for news, or beginning the difficult task of rebuilding. We are grateful to the first responders, medical personnel, humanitarian organizations, community leaders, and volunteers working under extraordinarily difficult conditions to rescue survivors, care for the injured, reunite families, and deliver life-saving assistance.
"As our offices continue to coordinate with partners and monitor the situation, we are committed to sharing reliable information and resources with New Yorkers."
The mayor's office suggested New Yorkers donate through trusted humanitarian organizations, such as UN OCHA and Caritas.
Some Venezuelans are struggling to strike a balance between helping and tracking down their family.
"From my husband side, we are still waiting for three cousins of him that we haven't heard any news," said Niurka Meléndez, co-founder of Venezuelans and Immigrants Aid.
She said she's been sharing photos of her missing loved ones in hopes that someone recognizes them.
New Yorkers who need help contacting or locating loved ones in Venezuela should contact the Venezuelan Embassy at contacto@embaveus.net, or submit an International Reconnecting Families Inquiry Form with the American Red Cross or call their helpline at 844-782-9441, according to the mayor's office.
What donations are needed?
In Connecticut, Americares is preparing to ship crates of donated medicine, orthopedic supplies and hygiene kits.
While clothing and home supplies are important, some of the most critical donations after a natural disaster are first aid and medical supplies.
"Survivors do face the type of trauma incurred from falling buildings around them, so there's a lot of crush wounds, broken bones, lacerations that need treatment," said Provash Budden, senior vice president of emergency programs for Americares.
