One week after two devastating earthquakes struck Venezuela, South Florida continues to show support for those impacted and in desperate need of aid, as rescue efforts slowly segueway into recovery efforts. As donations for the South American country continue to pour in with little sign of slowin g down, Inter Miami is hosting a supply drive on Wednesday at Nu Stadium in Miami and Inter Miami CF Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. “When this happened in Venezuela, we said, ‘How can we help?'” said Maria Rey, director of the Inter Miami Foundation. “We said, ‘Why don’t we bring together a day where we can have a drive-thru event, where we can have volunteers come here and help us sort items?’ That way, we can take those trucks to gym, and it’s easier for them when they get those donations over there.” The drive-thru collections are helping take some of the pressure off the Global Empowerment Mission warehouse in Doral. The humanitarian aid nonprofit has been flying in pallets of supples to Venezuela just days after the devastating temblors shook the northern part of the country. Alistar Kiyingi, GEM’s corporate relations manager, spoke with 7News about their ongoing relief efforts. “We’ve committed to over $20 million worth of aid, and we’re receiving a lot of donations from the community in our warehouse in Doral, and there’s long lines for people to bring the donations, so having drop-off centers like this one is super helpful,” he said. Back in Venezuela, foreign aid and rescue teams offer a glimmer of hope in a place where hope is hard to come by. On Tuesday, rescue crews pulled a 3-year-old little boy pulled out from underneath a collapsed building near Caracas. While time is running out to find survivors, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue’s Florida Task Force 1, also on the ground, is working alongside the U.S. State Department and other first responders from South Florida. They’re hoping to find more survivors or some closure to those still waiting on word. “We are here waiting for them to give us our bodies so we can take them home. May everything be as God wills,” said Venezuelan resident José Gregorio Rincón Ávila in Spanish. Over 30 countries have volunteers on the front lines, using K-9s and drones to search as rescue efforts slowly shift into recovery efforts. The United Nations’ World Food Programme is in La Guaira, the most impacted area, setting up temporary feeding centers. “Recovery will be a marathon, not a sprint,” said Marianela Gonzalez, a communications officer for the World Food Programme. “Sustained support for the people of Venezuela is critical, and it’s exactly what we’re doing.” The United States is contributing a total of $300 million to the relief fund, in addition to hundreds of search-and-rescue personnel. South Florida is sending its own contingency. Drone video shows the GEM’s warehouse in Doral, as volunteers have been working tirelessly — sorting supplies and putting them in pallets so they can be flown to Venezuela as soon as possible. I see a lot of hope, personally, with this, but unfortunately, we have 50,000 people that are still missing, and that’s the main focus right now,” said GEM founder and president Michael Capponi. Teams from GEM have been on the ground in Venezuela for days, distributing more than 235,000 pounds of aid, which is more than $1.2 million in value. Items that were dropped off on one day are already in route to Caracas the next day. But the effort extends far beyond GEM, as people pack drives across South Florida to do what they can to help the people of Venezuela. “We need a lot of help that we can get. Monetary donations are very helpful, because we also need to sustain the operations done in Venezuela,” said Kiyingi. Officials with GEM stress they are not accepting water, glass items or clothing at this time. They encourage those wishing to donate items to bring baby diapers, camping gear like tents, medical supplies and wheelchairs. In addition to GEM’s Doral headquarters, other drop-off locations include Doral City Hall and Nu Stadium, For more information, click here. And if you would like to make a cash donation to GEM, click here. ...read more read less