Helping Venezuela: Donations continue to flow in Doral

DORAL, Fla. — South Floridians both within and outside the Venezuelan American community are stepping up to support relief efforts after devastating back-to-back earthquakes rocked the South American country.

Read more Florida Republicans gather at Hard Rock Casino for annual Sunshine State Showdown

The Global Empowerment Mission in Doral is receiving donations, including canned food, diapers, and medicine, with 40,000 pounds already in Venezuela and 82,000 pounds arriving soon.

A long line of cars could be seen at GEM’s warehouse on Sunday morning.

“We also have a warehouse already open in Caracas and we are planning on sending at least two flights over the next few days,” Billy Richardson, GEM’s logistics director, told Local 10 News on Sunday.

Richardson explained how aid from South Florida reaches Venezuelans in need.

“We are working with one of the bigger distributors in Venezuela that is going to help us logistically ― the trucks and other vehicles to get aid around ― and they’ll be going out to different distribution points to help allocate as much community as possible,” he said.

Read more Trump says he is nominating former Oklahoma state trooper Lance Schroyer as ICE director

Richardson said GEM is asking people to avoid donating water, which is not currently in short supply, as well as “sodas and high fructose juices.”

Richardson described the response from South Floridians as “absolutely incredible.”

“South Florida and the Venezuelan community has all come out and really supported this cause,” he said. “I mean, we’ve had well over 2,500 volunteers in the last few days and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon, which is incredible. It’s amazing.”

Read more Blues get Brandon Carlo; Hurricanes trade for John Carlson’s rights at NHL draft

—

Related list: Drop-off locations in South Florida

More HELPING VENEZUELA coverage

• Meet Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Capt. German Leal

• Pembroke Pines police officers announce collection drive
• Airbnb partners with nonprofit CADENA for emergency housing
• Hogar Bambi aims to protect vulnerable children

• Grey Bull Rescue Foundation team arrives at Caracas
• Officials close La Guaira, require volunteers to register in Caracas
• Amazon donates to Airlink to help charities with logistics

• Miami search-and-rescue team prepares to deploy
• Centro Comunitario AFE hosts collection drive in Miami-Dade
• Weston-based charity partners with local pharmacy

• Veteran-led Project DYNAMO delivers 20,000 pounds of aid in 1st 48 hours
• Altruism at El Arepazo feeds Global Empowerment Mission’s team effort
• Salvadoran rescuers work to free 15-year-old survivor in Caraballeda

• Food For The Poor packs disaster relief kits with ‘hopeful’ hand-written notes
• U.S. Southern Command focuses on airport damage
• State Department deploys Miami-Dade search-and-rescue team

• Miami Beach opens 4 new aid drop-off locations
• Miramar to keep 6 aid drop-off locations open 24/7
• Miami-Dade’s tax collector opens 11 drop-off locations
• Doral opens 4 aid drop-off locations

• Aid drop-off location opens in Homestead
• Starlink offers free service through July 25, but a kit is $470
• International Medical Corps deploys staff, needs donations
• Save The Children asks for emergency fund donations

• Samaritan’s Purse focuses on ‘emergency field hospital’
• Red Cross asks for Disaster Response Emergency Fund donations
• UN asks for donations for ‘underfunded’ program for kids

• World Vision asks for ‘disaster relief fund’ donations
• World Central Kitchen asks for donations for fresh meals
• United Way Miami launches ‘Operation Helping Hands’