Long Beach couple rallies community in donation drive for Colombian earthquake survivors
Colombian immigrants Vanessa and Cristian Canaveral collected thousands of dollars worth of goods Thursday, and hope to do it again.
As Colombia reels from a devastating earthquake that struck its western coast Monday, the Long Beach community came together to support survivors in the South American country.
On Thursday, thousands of dollars of items were donated, including personal hygiene goods, nonperishable food, first aid supplies, pet food, baby supplies and more. Vanessa and Cristian Canaveral, Colombian immigrants who have lived in Long Beach for nine years, organized the donation drive.
“We’re collecting anything and everything that can be helpful for the people out there,” Vanessa told the Watchdog Thursday afternoon.
The donation drive comes days after a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Colombia's west coast, causing widespread death and destruction. As of Wednesday, the death toll had climbed to 256, according to the country’s new president Abelardo de la Espriella. Nearly 500 people were reported missing, he said, but a civilian-run data base estimates that number closer to 4,100, according to a CBS News report.
“It wasn’t something that we were gonna do because it’s so complicated to coordinate the shipping and the cost — sometimes it doesn’t make sense,” Vanessa said of the donation drive.
The Long Beach event, however, was in partnership with Fast Delivery Los Angeles, which will transport the donations to Colombia for free, Vanessa said. With the logistics and cost barrier removed, the couple was eager to step up.
The Q event space at 5321 Long Beach Blvd. in North Long Beach opened its doors to the cause for free as the donation center. Guavio Colombian Coffee, Saborearte and Golden Grind — all Colombian-owned businesses — held pop-ups during the donation drive, with a percentage of the profits to be donated to two organizations: Manos Visibles and La Fundación Herencia de Timbiquí (direct donation link).
Other groups offering aid include, the American Red Cross, the Colombian National Red Cross Society, Unicef and Convoy of Hope.
Mariana Silva, a Colombian who has lived in Long Beach for six years, donated a cart full of items Thursday, including food and personal hygiene supplies. Silva said she was born and raised in Popayán, which is about three hours south of Cali.
Silva said it was important for her to support her country and its people in their time of need.
“As soon as I started seeing everything that was going on — people losing their homes, not having … electricity — it really touched my heart,” Silva said. “This is the only way I can feel like I’m helping.
“It’s just nice seeing how, even in all these difficult times, people come together,” Silva added. “No matter where they’re from, we all come together.”
Vanessa, a photographer, and Cristian, a musician, began hosting events and parties around the Greater LA area as Qué Parche earlier this year. The events celebrate Colombian culture, Vanessa said, but being part of a community does not mean only showing up when times are good.
“When we can help and when we can do something, it’s so important to come together,” Vanessa said, adding that her hometown of Cali was one of the hardest hit by the earthquake. While her family is safe, she said "watching the videos of places that are familiar to me just hits so hard.”
It’s unclear if the couple will continue hosting local donation drives, Vanessa said, adding that it hinges on Fast Delivery and whether the company will cover the logistics and cost of shipping goods.
“We’re kinda just going with the flow,” Vanessa said, adding that Fast Delivery is in the same boat. “They’re trying to figure out if they’ll do another trip next week and the following week. If that’s the case, we’ll definitely make our best effort to host events weekly to collect donations.”
For updates, Vanessa recommends following Qué Parche on Instagram. People interested in supporting Colombian survivors can also reach out via Instagram for more information, she said.
Fast Delivery is accepting donations through Monday at the following locations, according to Vanessa:
- 5111 La Sierra Ave., Riverside
- 9338 Artesia Blvd., Bellflower
- 732 E. 9th Pl., Los Angeles
- 1760 S. Main St., Santa Ana
For more information, call Jonathan Gonzalez at 951-902-4149.
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