LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — A Las Vegas Venezuelan restaurant has transformed into a community donation center for families impacted by deadly earthquakes in Venezuela.
Volunteers have spent days at Rika Arepa Express collecting boxes of diapers, food, clothing and medical supplies. Tables have been replaced by donations as a steady stream of community members walk through the door.
MORE ON FOX5: Las Vegas locals share accounts of Venezuela quake aftermath
‘People started coming’
Robert Gonzalez of Radio Latina Las Vegas said the effort grew quickly once word spread.
“So we started organizing everything. And then we needed people. And then people started coming. And then as they started bringing everything, they started staying,” Gonzalez said.
Owner Migdalia Davila said the response has come from across the community.
“Thank God we have had, we have had enormous participation, not only from Venezuelans, but from the Latino community. Many Americans too,” Davila said.
Donations heading to Miami, then Venezuela
Davila said the donations collected at Rika Arepa Express will be sent to Miami, where they will then be shipped directly to people in Venezuela.
Volunteer Delia Rodriguez said she arrived with whatever she could find at home — and stayed.
“So we decided to grab anything that was in the house and then bring it and we stayed,” Rodriguez said.
Volunteer Carlos Chavarria said he brought a trailer and has been making repeated trips throughout the effort.
“I brought down my trailer and we’ve been loading it up yesterday and today, so we’ve been taking trips and it’s been non stop,” Chavarria said.
‘Whatever we can from Las Vegas’
Throughout Sunday, volunteers packed hundreds of boxes, loaded truck beds and sorted through donations as more people continued arriving.
Gonzalez said the focus remains on those affected by the earthquakes.
“At the end of the day, this is not about us. This is not about any of us here. We just doing whatever we can from Las Vegas in order to support them in any way we can,” Gonzalez said.
The donation drive continues through July 5. Organizers are asking for supplies as well as volunteers to help sort and pack donations before they are shipped overseas.
Copyright 2026 KVVU. All rights reserved.
