When twin earthquakes measuring magnitudes 7.5 and 7.2 struck Venezuela June 27, Daniela Lambert spent all night anxiously waiting for news of her family’s survival.
"We are devastated," said Lambert, a 20-year-old Venezuelan-American and Santa Fe College animal science sophomore. "My mom was up all night trying to get in contact with my family members."
Her relatives survived, but the earthquakes left lasting damage. Her cousins' home was damaged, the family lost their dog and their dental practice lost nearly 80% of its clientele.
Her family is now seeking financial and medical donations through social media to rebuild their home, restore their business and find new housing, Lambert said. So far, the family has raised $541 while seven relatives remain living together in her aunt's home.
The devastation also sparked a wave of relief efforts across Florida.
Members of UF’s Venezuelan Student Association, also known as VENSA, are organizing donation drives, recruiting volunteers and partnering with local businesses to send humanitarian aid to those affected.
"There are many different ways you can be affected by the earthquakes in Venezuela," said Valentina Jedlicka, a 19-year-old UF psychology junior and VENSA's vice president of community service.
VENSA started by promoting existing food drives and connecting volunteers with organizations collecting aid, Jedlicka said. The student organization partnered with Tinker, a Venezuelan restaurant in Gainesville, to expand its relief efforts.
Maria Carrero-Jimenez, an 18-year-old UF nursing sophomore and VENSA community manager, said the organization has continued collecting donations, organizing community drives and promoting relief efforts through social media.
Overcrowding, a lack of preparation and lack of medical equipment have heavily impacted Venezuelan hospitals, Carrero-Jimenez said. One of VENSA’s current priorities is gathering first-aid kits and medical supplies.
As relief efforts continue, she said she has seen a rise in volunteering.
"It has been very wonderful to see how many people have reached out to us and people who are not from Venezuela," she said. "To people volunteering, I can't say thank you enough."
Supporters have included people from Colombia, Brazil and the Middle East, she said, demonstrating how the disaster has united communities beyond Venezuela.
“Even though we are not there physically to help in Venezuela, I think it’s very wonderful that so many people have risen up to help despite the distance,” she said.
Carrero-Jimenez encourages people to continue to volunteer and provide aid, she added.
"This is something that doesn't end tomorrow," she said. "It will still be affecting a lot of people in the upcoming days and possibly years."
Valeria Cadavieco, a 21-year-old UF marine science senior and VENSA president, said the organization is collecting donations at Marston Science Library and will host a World Cup watch party on July 11, with proceeds being used to purchase supplies for families affected by the earthquakes. The Whole Foods on Archer Road also donated cases of food to be shipped to Venezuela, she added.
Despite the tragedy, she said the outpouring of support has offered hope.
"There's a lot of people who are stepping up who have no connection to the issue, and it fills our hearts to know we have that support in a time like this," Cadavieco said.
The student-led initiatives are part of a broader humanitarian response unfolding across Florida.
Ruben Jimenez is the director general of the Centro Comunitario Amor, Fe y Esperanza, a disaster relief organization in South Florida. He said volunteers have worked nearly every day since the earthquakes, collecting food, hygiene products, medical supplies and other essential items. The organization has partnered with Bambi, a Venezuelan nonprofit that serves children throughout Venezuela to distribute aid directly to affected communities.
"We've been working almost every day since it happened, promoting donation efforts on the radio, social media and television to encourage people to bring aid,” Jimenez said.
The organization has averaged between 30 and 40 volunteers each day, he added, with volunteers sorting donations, organizing supplies and loading trucks. On one of the busiest days, more than 100 people arrived to help. He said the organization has already dispatched more than 40 truckloads of humanitarian aid.
"I've helped with hurricane crises, but I've never seen the movement of help in South Florida for Venezuela like this," Jimenez said. "People have arrived in the midst of emotional crisis and tears just to work."
Despite the destruction, he said he remains optimistic about Venezuela's future.
"Although what happened in Venezuela may seem like just a catastrophe, it's also an opportunity for reconstruction," he said. "The help can be as big as the pain."
Contact Kathia Montenegro at KMontenegro@alligator.org.
