PORTSMOUTH, Va (WAVY)- Operation Blessing recently announced a $100,000 grant to the Latin American-based nonprofit TECHO to help rebuild up to 20 homes for families affected by the devastating earthquakes that struck Venezuela earlier this summer.
The partnership marks the next phase of Operation Blessing's ongoing response in Venezuela, moving from immediate disaster relief toward helping families rebuild their homes and their lives.
"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 Operation Blessing'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.
"What makes this partnership especially meaningful is that Operation Blessing will be involved beyond simply providing the funding," said Diego Traverso. "Our team on the ground will be able to work alongside TECHO on some of these builds, helping provide meals, manpower and other resources. We've been with these communities through the emergency phase, and now we have the opportunity to be there as families begin rebuilding."
The June 24 disaster began with two powerful earthquakes, magnitudes 7.2 and 7.5, 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.
The new partnership with TECHO will extend that response into long-term recovery. In addition to the $100,000 grant, Operation Blessing personnel already on the ground in Venezuela will support selected TECHO home builds, working alongside local teams and providing meals and other resources needed during construction.
"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."
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, the organization launched a long-term reconstruction effort aimed at helping affected families transition from emergency assistance to safe, resilient housing.
The partnership brings together TECHO's longstanding community presence and housing expertise with Operation Blessing's global disaster response capabilities and team already serving earthquake-affected communities in Venezuela.
"For Operation Blessing, showing up after a disaster means staying long enough to help people take those next steps toward recovery," Traverso added. "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."
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