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George Street resident Diana Calderon is on a mission to help survivors of two earthquakes in Venezuela on June 24.
Calderon’s parents came from Venezuela years ago, “seeking a better opportunity when they were 26 years old,” she says.
The earthquakes hit northwestern and central Venezuela, measuring 7.2 and then 39 seconds later, 7.5 on the Richter scale. The two earthquakes caused widespread damage across the country, killing more than 3,300 and injuring 16,400, as of July 6, with tens of thousands still reported missing.
Although the family’s friends and relatives are OK, Calderon says, “but my relatives have friends who are still missing. The death toll is more than 2,000 and more than 50,000 people are missing. And so many people have lost everything.
“The earthquake’s hardest hit was in La Guaira, a coastal city where the airport for Caracas is located,” she adds.
Asked why she got involved in helping the survivors, Calderon says she used to visit Venezuela every year until the political situation became a problem.
“I’ve always had a drive to help people,” she says. “Various teams have raised money, but I like to donate my time and energy instead.
“When the earthquake happened, I’d just had my wisdom teeth removed, and when I woke up from the grogginess, my WhatsApp was full of messages,” she continues. “All the power lines in the area were down and we were frantic for several hours.
“The next day I saw on social media all the posts with people on the ground talking about what was happening,” she adds. “I’m empathetic and thought ‘What can I do?’ I wish I could be there to help.”
HOW TO HELP
If you’re looking for a way to help, Calderon suggests the following: Casa de Venezuela New England – Earthquake Relief Fund or On-the-Ground Relief (my cousin Daniel’s GoFundMe).
Calderon quickly got to work.
“I’m lucky enough that I’ve made a lot of great connections, and I wanted to start small so I posted on Facebook that I was collecting donations,” she says. “So many people wanted to help and we collected all kinds of things, including medical supplies, non-perishable food, clothes, water, baby supplies and pet food.
“There’s a non-profit in Somerville called Casa de Venezuela and last Sunday, my Winchester friend Ana and I took the donations there and spent many hours there bringing in the supplies. We went back Monday night to put them into boxes.,” she says. “We’re fully stocked; there’s no more room.”
Volunteers and residents from all over the region have brought donations to Casa de Venezuela in Somerville. COURTESY PHOTOS/DIANA CALDERON
Now, she says, it’s a matter of trying to ship the donations.
“Ana has an uncle in Miami who’s in the shipping business and we just have to get the donations to him,” she says. “And we don’t trust the Venezuelan government. There’s a rumor that the donations get stolen.”
Calderon looked into renting a cargo plane, but it would cost $95,000.
“We could rent a U-Haul truck,” she says, “but then we’d need volunteer drivers. So now we’re fundraising to pay for transportation.”
Permits are needed to drive on the road from the airport to La Guaira, she says, “and my cousin Daniel got it for us. We’ve also given him money to buy things like food and water now. He’s really doing the Lord’s work.”
Calderon says it’s important to her to get involved in the aid effort.
“My heart is deeply rooted in Venezuela,” she says. “I could go on and on.”
Winchester resident Joyce Westner is one of the founders of Winchester News. She holds a degree in English and journalism from Northeastern University. If you have a suggestion for either a Meet the Artist or Helpers Among Us resident, email editor@winchesternews.org.
