As Venezuelans reel from a pair of massive earthquakes that killed more than 2,000 people and left thousands homeless, donations from Kansas City and St. Louis are on their way to aid those grappling with the aftermath.
Rescue efforts are still underway after back-to-back earthquakes struck the country's northern coast on June 24. NPR reported the number of people injured by the earthquakes as of last week had risen to more than 11,200 and tens of thousands of people were still unaccounted for.
Venezuelan communities in Kansas City and across Missouri mobilized immediately to organize donation drives and coordinate local and international efforts to transport aid.
Jaclyn Noroño-Rodriguez, the vice president and scholarship director of the Venezuelan Association in Missouri, said the local community is deeply connected to what is happening back home. She said many members have family living in areas affected by the disaster.
"This tragedy is very personal. The scale of the disaster is significant," Noroño-Rodriguez said. "For many in our community, this situation is ongoing, with families still trying to confirm the safety of their loved ones, or even understand the extent of the damage."
Noroño-Rodriguez said the organization is focused on collecting monetary donations in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. She said that will allow trusted partners in Venezuela to purchase supplies and distribute them directly to those in need.
The organization collected more than $4,000 in its first wave of donations sent to Venezuela. Noroño-Rodriguez said partners have already bought mattresses, tents and food.
The most urgent needs are basic essentials including food, clean water, hygiene supplies and medical support, Noroño-Rodriguez said. The organization will eventually start collecting physical donations, and she said they anticipate providing support for the foreseeable future.
Even before the earthquake, Noroño-Rodriguez said millions of Venezuelans were already in need of humanitarian assistance. She said the Venezuelan community is resilient, and both at home and abroad, they have come together in solidarity.
"Our heart aches. It is a knot in our throat that significantly impacts your day to day," Noroño-Rodriguez said. "There are people who are sleeping on the ground… There are people that have absolutely no idea where their next meal is going to come from, so we're heartbroken, we're motivated, we're inspired to continue to help."
The Venezuelan community in Kansas City is also strategically collecting aid for those affected by the earthquakes. The weekend following the disaster, community members organized a donation drive at Sacred Heart Guadalupe Church with drop-off sites across the metro.
Yvan Duin is the international founder in Kansas City of VenMundo, the Venezuelans in the World Organization. He said they sent an 18-wheeler last week with 72 pallets full of supplies and are planning on sending more aid in the future. Another donation drive took place last week led by VenMundo, Venezolanos in Kansas City and the Spanish-language radio station La Mega, with the Salvation Army Blue Valley Corps lending space for drop-offs.
Duin said they are asking for baby food, medical supplies and hygiene items — not water or clothing because those supplies will be too heavy and take up too much room to transport. These donation drives won't be a one-time occasion, according to Duin.
"It's not just for one weekend… there's still people lost, there's still people looking for family members, there's still people needing food, babies needing food," Duin said. "The help, we (will) continue it, because the need will continue."
While sorting through donations last weekend, Duin said community members shared they have family members in Venezuela who still haven't been found or have lost their homes.
Duin said he's been overwhelmed with support from the Latino community and others in Kansas City. A transportation company provided a truck for free to take supplies from Kansas City to Miami, where it will be sent to Venezuela.
Duin said they're partnering with a foundation that is working with the State Department to ensure supplies reach the country's most vulnerable people.
The support includes the Kansas City Royals, who held a moment of silence before a game last week and planned to send raffle proceeds to support American Red Cross relief efforts to help impacted victims, families and communities.
"Everybody's involved, and that's something that we are grateful (for)," Duin said.
Heart to Heart International, a Lenexa-based nonprofit, said it's mobilizing to meet needs in Venezuela. JP Fisher, the organization's director of disaster relief, said they're hearing many hospitals and clinics are damaged while functioning hospitals are overwhelmed with patients.
Fisher said they have shipments of hygiene kits and medical supplies ready to go, but the biggest challenge is access, and the organization is working with logistics partners to get the aid into Venezuela.
The organization is also asking soccer fans during the World Cup to volunteer to assemble hygiene kits on July 11. It said the kits will be sent around the world, including to survivors of the Venezuela earthquakes.
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