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The Arepera du Plateau restaurant in Montreal’s Plateau Mont-Royal borough was a beehive of activity on Saturday.
Volunteers took over half the restaurant to organize donated supplies for Venezuela, following back-to-back earthquakes that devastated the South American country on Wednesday.
Venezuela’s government said the number of people killed rose to 1,430 Saturday morning and families reported at least 68,900 people missing.
Adriana Arian, who owns the restaurant, is spearheading the drive with help from her aunt Mayra Guevara. Both women left Venezuela over a decade ago and settled in Montreal.
Arian said they are collecting food items, canned goods, baby products, diapers, hygiene products, batteries, and medical supplies, with the restaurant functioning as a drop off centre.
The hope, Guevara added, is to fill at least one container that will be shipped to Venezuela next week, although the logistics have yet to be finalized.
Arian said they are still evaluating which organization to trust with distributing the donations on the ground in Venezuela.
“As you know, in my country, we have a lot of corruption. So we need to be sure that all of this arrives in good hands,” she said.
While both women say their family members survived the quake, they felt compelled to help.
“It’s important cause you are far away, you are not there, you can not help them,” said Guevara, “so for us it makes us feel like useful — a little bit.”
Arian says she’s moved by the outpouring of support.
“It’s very touching for me as a Venezuelan because it’s people from all nationalities, it’s not only Venezuelans,” Arian said of those who came to help or drop off supplies.
One of those people was Navil De Frias, who is from Panama.
She said she was moved to act after watching videos of the devastation on social media. And while they are difficult to watch, she said they also make her feel more connected to what is happening.
“I have a lot of Venezuelan friends,” she said. “This is the least I can do.”
De Frias dropped off ready to feed formula for babies. She said she picked it over powdered formula that needs water added in.
“I know that the water situation right now is bad,” she said.
Oscar Bayona, from Colombia, said he and his wife brought medical supplies.
“We didn’t think twice, we just decided to help,” he said. “I know they have been in a struggle for many years and we should look after them because they really need our support.”
Arian agrees the needs in Venezuela are great and says even before the earthquakes, Venezuela was in a profound political and economic crisis.
Some who survived the quakes have lost everything they spent their lives working for.
“Because we are living in a crisis … it’s not that easy to tell people, ‘OK well the important thing is that you are alive,'” she said.