Standing outside her Venezuelan restaurant in downtown Los Angeles, Kelly Montana clutched photos of her parents, fighting back tears. She usually kept in constant touch with them, even when they were far away in La Guaira, Venezuela. However, communication halted after two massive earthquakes struck 100 miles west of Caracas on June 24. In response, she turned her restaurant into a donation center.
Montana’s parents were among the over 40,600 unaccounted for, according to a digital database for missing persons. The death toll initially at 600 had risen to approximately 2,200 by Wednesday. Faced with this grim reality, Montana transformed her restaurant into a hub for donations. Volunteers like Lia Saba, her daughter Beverly Arbiz from Grenada Hills, and Alecia Negron from Silver Lake helped organize and package donations.
Montana opened her restaurant, Full Arepas, last year, as a tribute to Venezuela, her homeland. On Tuesday, a group of volunteers gathered outside, diligently packing items such as hygiene products and nonperishable foods donated by passing drivers.
With the pass of the hour, my hope stays,
Montana stated. I’m going to pray for a miracle.
The donated supplies will be transported to Venezuela via Miami by Olarte Transport, explained volunteer Andrea Casanova. Her grandfather in Venezuela survived the quakes, despite sustaining an injured leg while descending stairs.
I think we’re all still in shock,
Casanova commented. [I’ve] definitely been going home and crying after hours.
Los Angeles has a population of 6,770 Venezuelans, according to the Los Angeles Almanac. Many, like Montana and Casanova, have relatives and friends affected by the disaster in Venezuela. In Long Beach, Nova Bakery also stepped up, becoming a donation center for essential items to be shipped by Olarte.
Nova Bakery owner Pierina Barboza, originally from Merida, Venezuela, expressed hope that these donations would reach those who have evacuated. And what they really need is everyone united, all for the same cause,
she said.
While Full Arepas concluded its collection earlier in the week, people like Alviany Dominguez continued to contribute. Dominguez, originally from Venezuela’s populous Zulia state, has been in the U.S. since 2024. The damage is huge, the need for help is there,
he remarked.
Barboza aims to continue organizing aid through social media, insisting any effort, no matter how small, contributes positively. Without a doubt, we’ll be that center of help for those who need it,
Barboza affirmed.
In Pasadena, Amara Cafe owner Amara Barroeta pledged to donate 70% of Tuesday’s profits to Global Giving, an organization providing emergency aid in Venezuela. The arepa pabellón, a traditional Venezuelan dish, was the bestseller, representing comfort and nostalgia for customers.
Barroeta believed her restaurant was more than a place to eat. I feel people needed a hug,
she observed. We all needed to talk.
Even by Wednesday morning, the donation site at Full Arepas stayed busy, while international teams continued searching for survivors in La Guaira. I have hope today that I’m gonna find them,
Montana expressed, referring to her missing parents.