Relief efforts underway in Williamsburg after Venezuela hit with back-to-back earthquakes
New Yorkers are quickly stepping in to help. Lulla's, a Venezuelan restaurant in Williamsburg, is collecting essential donations to send directly to Venezuela.
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Thousands of people are still missing and millions are still reeling, after two earthquakes rocked Venezuela.
Relief efforts are underway in Brooklyn as many Venezuelan New Yorkers still worry about their family and friends.
“They still waiting for people to tell them is safe, the house is safe to go inside," Oriana Chirinos said, as she described a photo of her family friends sleeping in the street.
Chirinos' hometown is Caracas.
“It’s not easy because the situation there is really hard," Chirinos says.
It’s similar for Alejandra Ramos, whose Venezuelan family members survived but lost their entire apartment.
“It's like an alternate reality because you cannot stop working," Ramos said, "You're not there. You're not living there. But we’re mentally there.”
New Yorkers are quickly stepping in to help. Lulla's, a Venezuelan restaurant in Williamsburg, is collecting essential donations to send directly to Venezuela.
“We have a duty, we have a job to do, and make sure that we represent," Ivo Diaz, the owner of Lulla's, said. "It’s not just about what people can do for you, and what you can do for them as well.”
The cafe on Graham Avenue is accepting donations through Sunday. And for those who cannot donate in person, they set up an Amazon shopping list and a GoFundMe page for support.
