Baltimore eatery asks for donations as death toll in Venezuela rises after earthquakes

Almost every Venezuelan in the United States knows someone affected by the deadly earthquakes in their home country this past week, said the owners of Arepi, a Venezuelan restaurant in Fells Point.

“We wish we were there on the ground helping people,” said Luis Dams, one of the owners of Arepi.

That’s why Dams and his family started a donation drive at their restaurant on Thursday.

They are asking Baltimoreans to bring items they can send to the thousands of people who have lost their loved ones, homes and personal belongings after the 7.2 and 7.5 magnitude quakes that shook the South American country on Wednesday. About 920 people are dead and thousands more are injured, the Associated Press reported.

“Since we cannot be there, we are doing as much as we can from here,” Dams said.

Dams’ stepfather, Erick Oribio, said he lost his best friend who died from a heart attack following the earthquake. He said he also knows others who have lost friends and relatives. Many of the people whom Oribio is in contact with in the country said those who are injured have few places to go as first responders are running out of items like antibiotics and other medical supplies.

Oribio and Dams said the organizations they are working with, We Love Foundation and the Global Empowerment Mission, asked for donations of medicine, clothing and hygienic items. But bulkier items, like cases of water and canned foods, are too heavy to take onto the airplanes carrying the goods. A few people have already brought in some diapers, batteries and flashlights.

Arepi has received hundreds of messages from people hoping to help since the restaurant posted that it would accept donated goods on Thursday night.

The Baltimore Orioles also extended their condolences to victims of the earthquake on Thursday, adding that some current and former staff have had families impacted by the disaster.

Besides Arepi, Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services is working with Caritas Venezuela and local churches to deliver aid. The International Rescue Committee, which has an office in Baltimore, is also responding on the ground in Venezuela.

The U.S. State Department deployed a search and rescue team made up of 79 people and six dogs from Fairfax County, Virginia, on Thursday morning to help find and save people trapped in the rubble. The group of highly trained rescuers has been around since 1986. They often mobilized after major cities around the world experience devastating earthquakes.

If you are unable to contact a missing loved one in Venezuela, you can initiate a search through the American Red Cross by filling out this inquiry form, or you can call their national helpline at 844-782-9441.