{"id":387029,"date":"2026-09-01T10:02:11","date_gmt":"2026-09-01T10:02:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/387029\/"},"modified":"2026-09-01T10:02:11","modified_gmt":"2026-09-01T10:02:11","slug":"colombians-in-orlando-help-home-country-after-earthquake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/387029\/","title":{"rendered":"Colombians in Orlando help home country after earthquake"},"content":{"rendered":"

Juan Pablo Santa Luna<\/a> was in Colombia on Aug. 10, enjoying his morning coffee while staying with his mother, when he felt the earth begin to tremor. They were on the 14th floor of a 22-story apartment building.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy mom just woke up, and I said, \u2018Just calm down.\u2019 She said, \u2018What\u2019s going on? What\u2019s going on?’\u201d he recalled. \u201cI told my mom, \u2018Calm down, we are going to wait for this to stop.\u2019 It was two minutes, the 7.4-magnitude earthquake<\/a>. It was very traumatic. She still has PTSD.\u201d<\/p>\n

The executive director of Orlando\u2019s Mills Gallery<\/a> was visiting his home country for the inauguration of Colombia\u2019s new president, Abelardo de la Espriella<\/a>. He was in Cali, Colombia\u2019s third-largest city, when the earthquake struck, destroying dozens of buildings and damaging hundreds more.<\/p>\n

Santa Luna\u2019s trip to connect Orlando\u2019s arts and culture with Colombia quickly turned into a mission to help his hometown recover from disaster. He spent the days to follow delivering food, water, gloves, lights and batteries to the hardest-hit communities near Cali.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople just lost everything. The buildings collapsed, and half of the city needed to rebuild the buildings in order for people to live,\u201d he said. \u201cI felt the pain of other humans there. I saw things that you normally don\u2019t see with the destruction.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"JuanJuan Pablo Santa Luna, executive director of the Mills Gallery, is pictured at the Orlando gallery on Aug. 28. Santa Luna was in Cali, Colombia, on Aug. 10 when a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country. (Patrick Connolly\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

In total, the natural disaster damaged more than 160,000 homes, killed 331 people<\/a> and injured an estimated 4,500 Colombians.<\/p>\n

Now back in Orlando, Santa Luna is using his platform with the Mills Gallery to find ways to help his home country and connect with other Colombians in Central Florida. He encouraged donations to Give To Colombia<\/a>, a nonprofit that connects with grassroots organizations and local foundations in Colombia.<\/p>\n

Stephanie Sch\u00fctt Chac\u00f3n<\/a>, an ambassador for the Colombian American Chamber of Commerce and coordinator for the Defensores de la Patria<\/a> political party, said the tragic event has brought her community together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis sad situation, this emergency demonstrates unity, compassion and extraordinary strength of Colombians wanting to help other Colombians,\u201d she said. \u201cWe had an outpouring of solidarity from the Colombian community in Central Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AA vehicle is crushed by debris after an earthquake struck Cali, Colombia, on Aug. 10. (Juan Diaz\/Associated Press)<\/p>\n

While the process of rebuilding critical infrastructure \u2014 from hospitals and schools to housing \u2014 will begin soon, Colombia\u2019s most immediate need is survival. Through Mecatos Bakery & Cafe<\/a>, volunteers are collecting nonperishable (and unexpired) food, personal hygiene items, medical supplies, flashlights, baby supplies, blankets and tents.<\/p>\n

The Central Florida relief effort gained momentum when Orlando\u2019s good samaritans reached out to the first lady of Colombia, Ana Luc\u00eda Pineda. Orlando resident Juliana Botero was in Miami with her family visiting her longtime friend and hairstylist, who also does Pienda\u2019s hair.<\/p>\n

\u201cJust jokingly, we said, \u2018You should talk to her,’\u201d Botero said. \u201cThe United Nations called my mom and told her to continue collecting donations. We\u2019ll make sure we send a plane according to the amount of stuff that you have.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"VolunteersVolunteers help to accept and sort donations to send to Colombia at the Mecatos Bakery warehouse in Orlando on Aug. 28, 2026. Colombians in Central Florida are rallying to send supplies and humanitarian relief to the hardest hit areas of Colombia following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Aug. 10. (Patrick Connolly\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

Within a week, the Mecatos Bakery warehouse became a hub for collecting and sorting supplies. All boxes must be labeled with their contents and sorted by category, and each item must have its barcode crossed out and \u201cdonation\u201d written on it.<\/p>\n

All nine Mecatos Bakery locations in Central Florida as well as the warehouse (11236 Satellite Blvd. in Orlando) will continue collecting donations through Sept. 8 to fill the 40-ton United Nations<\/a> plane. Clothing, shoes and water are not being accepted.<\/p>\n

Botero said the outpouring of support comes from the feeling that this event hits home for many of the more than 400,000 Colombians living in Florida<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"VolunteersVolunteers help to unload and sort donations to send to Colombia at the Mecatos Bakery warehouse in Orlando on Aug. 28, 2026. Colombians in Central Florida are rallying to send supplies and humanitarian relief to the hardest hit areas of Colombia following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Aug. 10. (Patrick Connolly\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is personal for every Colombian. It\u2019s home, or it\u2019s home away from home,\u201d she said. \u201cThere\u2019s a new president who has really stepped up to help, but it\u2019s not the same as the resources we have here in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s the resilience of the Colombian community that will define the future, Santa Luna said.<\/p>\n

\"VolunteersVolunteers help to accept and sort donations to send to Colombia at the Mecatos Bakery warehouse in Orlando on Aug. 28, 2026. Colombians in Central Florida are rallying to send supplies and humanitarian relief to the hardest hit areas of Colombia following a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck on Aug. 10. (Patrick Connolly\/Orlando Sentinel)<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople there are going to use this opportunity to be like the phoenix. You have something bad that happened to you, but now you have to rebuild from that,\u201d he said. \u201cThe PTSD is still there, and I think the PTSD is necessary for not forgetting what happened there. That\u2019s what is going to keep this project alive because I was there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Find me\u00a0@PConnPie on Instagram<\/a>\u00a0or send me an email:\u00a0pconnolly@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>. Stay up to date with our latest travel, arts and events coverage by subscribing to our newsletters at\u00a0orlandosentinel.com\/newsletters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

How to help<\/p>\n

To help with the relief effort, drop off donations of medical supplies, hygiene products, baby supplies, sleeping bags, blankets, tents, non-perishable (and non-expired) food, kitchen products, flashlights and batteries at any Mecatos Bakery location. The warehouse collection center is open from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Friday at 11236 Satellite Blvd. in Orlando. Contact Olga Arango on WhatsApp at 407-534-7050. Donations are being accepted through Sept. 8. Give to Colombia is accepting monetary donations at givetocolombia.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t