PINEVILLE, N.C. — Pineville residents are organizing a local donation drive to aid victims of back-to-back earthquakes in Venezuela.
The non-profit Samaritan’s Purse is also dispatching more than 100,000 pounds of supplies and a 50-bed field hospital to the affected region.
These efforts aim to provide critical relief to hundreds of thousands facing devastation.
The earthquakes have caused widespread destruction, leaving many without shelter and in need of medical attention.
[ Venezuela earthquakes: Death toll climbs to 920, thousands hurt ]
Fabiana Rodriguez, a woman with family in the Venezuelan capital, is pleading for assistance from the Pineville community after her mother and sister’s building collapsed.
Rodriguez recounted the message she received from her mother, stating, “‘When she was able to communicate with me, she sent me a message, and it literally says ‘I’m alive.’”
Rodriguez’s mother is currently sleeping in a tent on the street, while her sister is seeking help.
Rodriguez described the immediate aftermath, noting, “No help has come. Just neighbors and families just trying to get their daughters, their moms, their grandmothers, get them out of the rubble. ”
She added that “More than 36 hours have passed, and there’s still a lot of people under the rubble over there. No help has come. ”
The local donation drive, held at the Latin Corner on Main Street in Pineville, is collecting construction equipment for first responders.
Medicine is also a significant need, alongside camping equipment such as flashlights, tents, and blankets.
Rodriguez expressed pride in the community’s response, stating, “Today, more than ever, I’m very proud of being Venezuelan. Everybody knows our country’s situation has not been good for the past 27 years. So I am very proud of my community today, that they are helping with whatever they have. ”
Samaritan’s Purse is sending five tractor-trailer loads of supplies, totaling more than 100,000 pounds, from its warehouse in North Wilkesboro.
The organization is also providing a 50-bed field hospital. These supplies are scheduled to be flown to Venezuela from Greensboro.
International Health Unit Director Elliott Tenpenny for Samaritan’s Purse affirmed their mission, stating it “is to save lives.”
The non-profit has already sent personnel to Venezuela to assess needs and plan responses in the hardest-hit areas.
The donation drive at the Latin Corner on Main Street in Pineville will remain open until 8 p.m. tonight. There will be another opportunity to donate tomorrow from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.