Following the earthquake that struck Venezuela on June 24, the Congregation, through the Province of Latin America, launched a Hospitality Solidarity Mission in Venezuela, with the aim of accompanying affected individuals and families, particularly through mental health care and support.
The project, planned to last two months, is being carried out in collaboration with the Hospitaller Order of Saint John of God, the Red Cross, and other congregations, seeking to offer a close and supportive presence in places where pain, uncertainty, and loss remain part of everyday life.
Being There When It Is Needed Most
On August 18, Sister Lucy Campos, Sister Ana Lucía Castro, and Carlos Daniel Polo, a psychologist from Clínica La Inmaculada in Bogotá, set out for Venezuela to begin this mission. Upon their arrival in Valencia, they were welcomed by Brother José Daniel, Superior of the community, and Brother Ángel Carvajal.
During their first few days, the community at Hospital San Juan de Dios offered them hospitality and a warm welcome, helping them feel at home while gaining a close understanding of the reality they had come to accompany.
On August 20, together with volunteers and members of the humanitarian brigade, they began visiting different areas of La Guaira. In Catia La Mar, they met families who were still living in tents and provided psychosocial and spiritual support, as well as essential food supplies. In Playa Verde, on the shores of the Caribbean Sea, they distributed clothing, water, food, and medication, while also beginning psychological support for affected families.
There, they also met the teacher of Rincón de Luz School, who welcomes 35 children and young people between the ages of 2 and 15 into her own home. An agreement was reached with her to provide psychosocial and spiritual support to this educational community.
The mission continued in Maiquetía, where they visited Hospital San José, run by the Congregation of the Little Sisters of the Poor of Maiquetía. There, they met with Sister Ignacia Cordero, Superior of the community, and other sisters. The hospital continues to provide care in tents set up outside its facilities. The team delivered food and water and agreed to organize a meeting with families in the area.
Hospitality That Accompanies and Sustains
The mission also focuses on caring for those who provide healthcare every day. For this reason, Belkis, Head of Human Resources at Hospital San Juan de Dios, coordinated with the team to organize psychosocial and spiritual support sessions for hospital staff.
This first stage provided an opportunity to draw closer to a complex and deeply painful reality. Behind every affected family are loss, fear, uncertainty, and the need to feel accompanied. In the face of this reality, Hospitality becomes a presence: drawing close to those who are hurting, listening to them, and reminding them that they are not alone.
The mission will continue over the coming weeks in different communities in the central-eastern region of La Guaira, including Caraballeda, Los Corales, and Tanaguarena, bringing accompaniment, listening, and hope.
Every Gesture Can Be a Way of Accompanying Others
Solidarity can also be expressed from afar. Every gesture matters: praying, sharing this reality, standing alongside those who are suffering, or making a financial contribution can help sustain this mission and continue bringing hope to affected families.
Donations can be made through:
Bank transfer: ES81 0049 1821 0724 1063 9312
Bizum: 02732
Account holder: FUNDACIÓN BENITO MENNI
Reference: VENEZUELA or COLOMBIA
Donor’s ID (DNI): Please provide DNI
Telephone: 659566805
Today, more than ever, we are called to make solidarity a concrete presence. Because accompanying others is also a way of healing, and being close is a form of Hospitality.
