An Orlando church has become a hub for Americans nationwide hoping to help in the wake of two earthquakes that killed hundreds in Venezuela.<\/p>\n
The Gathering church is the core of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition<\/a>, a collection of more than 3,000 churches and organizations across the U.S. It\u2019s been coordinating efforts to bring updates out of South America and raise money to help communities rebuild.<\/p>\n Ana Ayala is the coalition\u2019s global mission ambassador. She says the disaster has been acutely felt in Central Florida, which is home to a growing Hispanic population, including more than 130,000 Venezuelans.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Hispanic community, it’s not just our immediate family, right?\u201d she said. \u201cEveryone is a cousin, everyone is family. So we are deeply connected. \u2026 We are brokenhearted when we see the need and what is happening.\u201d<\/p>\n Ayala says that congregants have been eager to help.<\/p>\n \u201cMost of the conversations that I’ve had with our congregation in different ways have been, truly, how can I help? What can we do to help? \u2026 How can we use what we have to be able to be a blessing for others?\u201d said Ayala. \u201cThat is the heart of our congregation.\u201d<\/p>\n The church has partnered with World Vision, an international Christian humanitarian group, to get updates from workers on the ground and to organize and disburse donations.<\/p>\n The pair of quakes that struck near Caracas on Wednesday leveled tall buildings. As of Monday<\/a>, the government has reported more than 1,700 deaths, though an estimated 51,000 people were missing. Several aftershocks in the days following the earthquakes complicated search and rescue efforts.<\/p>\n