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MIAMI BEACH, Florida — For Venezuela earthquake survivors whose homes were damaged or destroyed by the devastating earthquakes that struck earlier this summer, the road to recovery is far from over.
Now, Operation Blessing is helping families take the next step.
Operation Blessing has announced a $100,000 grant to TECHO, a Latin American-based nonprofit, to help rebuild up to 20 homes for families affected by the earthquakes. The partnership marks a new phase of Operation Blessing’s response in Venezuela—moving from meeting urgent needs in the aftermath of disaster toward helping families rebuild safe places to call home.
“Operation Blessing’s commitment to Venezuela did not end with the immediate emergency response,” said Drew Friedrich, president of Operation Blessing. “Families who have lost their homes face a much longer road to recovery, and this partnership with TECHO gives us an opportunity to help them take one of the most important steps forward: having a safe place to call home again. We are grateful to invest $100,000 in this effort and to work alongside an organization with deep roots in Venezuelan communities.”
Diego Traverso, Senior Director of Global Disaster Response for Operation Blessing, who is spearheading the organization’s efforts on the ground, will formally present the $100,000 contribution to TECHO during the “Miami Ayuda a Venezuela” benefit gala Friday evening at the Faena Forum in Miami Beach. Funds raised through the event will support earthquake recovery and reconstruction efforts in Venezuela.
But Operation Blessing’s role in this next chapter will go beyond providing funding.
“Our team on the ground will be able to work alongside TECHO on some of these builds, helping provide meals, manpower and other resources,” Traverso said. “We’ve been with these communities through the emergency phase, and now we have the opportunity to be there as families begin rebuilding.”
From Disaster Relief to Rebuilding
The June 24 disaster began with two powerful earthquakes, measuring 7.2 and 7.5 in magnitude, striking just seconds apart and causing widespread destruction across parts of Venezuela.
Operation Blessing quickly deployed its Global Disaster Response Team to the country, working with local partners and communities to provide critical assistance to families affected by the disaster.
Now, through the partnership with TECHO, that response is continuing into long-term recovery.
In addition to the $100,000 grant, Operation Blessing personnel already serving in Venezuela will support selected TECHO home builds, working alongside local teams and volunteers. The team will also provide meals and other resources needed during construction.
For families who have already endured the loss and uncertainty of disaster, rebuilding a home can mean much more than putting walls and a roof back in place.
“This is about much more than putting walls and a roof back in place,” Traverso said. “A home gives a family stability. It gives them a place to come together again and begin looking toward the future. After everything these families have endured, helping them reach that point is an important part of bringing hope after disaster.”
Walking With Venezuela Earthquake Survivors as They Rebuild
TECHO has worked alongside communities in Venezuela for 15 years and has extensive experience developing housing, basic services and community infrastructure for families living in vulnerable conditions.
Following the earthquakes, TECHO launched a long-term reconstruction effort to help affected families move from emergency assistance toward safe, resilient housing.
Together, TECHO’s longstanding community presence and housing expertise, along with Operation Blessing’s global disaster response capabilities and team already serving earthquake-affected communities, will help extend the work already underway.
“For Operation Blessing, showing up after a disaster means staying long enough to help people take those next steps toward recovery,” Traverso said. “We were there in the immediate aftermath of these earthquakes, and through this partnership with TECHO, we can continue walking alongside Venezuelan families as they rebuild.”
For Operation Blessing, the response does not end when the immediate emergency passes. As families begin putting their lives back together, the organization is continuing to walk alongside them—helping provide practical support and bringing hope along the way.