Venezuela

Food Lion Donates $50K to Support Venezuela Earthquake Relief

Fri, 10 Jul 2026 20:50:07 GMT

Food Lion is donating $50,000 to World Central Kitchen to support emergency food relief efforts following the recent earthquakes in Venezuela.

The donation will help World Central Kitchen provide nutritional support to families and communities impacted by the disaster. The organization is actively serving hot meals in Miranda, La Guaira and Carabobo — the hardest-hit areas — while also working with local restaurants and partners to extend reach in affected communities.

“At Food Lion, nourishing families is at the heart of who we are and has been part of our heritage for nearly 70 years,” says Greg Finchum, president of Food Lion. “Our hearts are with the families and communities in Venezuela who have been impacted by this devastation. We are grateful to support World Central Kitchen as they nourish and care for people during an incredibly difficult time.”

In 2024, Food Lion donated $250,000 to World Central Kitchen to support disaster relief efforts following Hurricane Helene.

Amazon Supports Weekly Humanitarian Relief Flights to Venezuela in First-of-its-Kind Collaboration

Amazon is launching seven weekly relief flights to Caracas, Venezuela, to deliver critical supplies to nonprofits serving communities devastated by the June 24 earthquakes, which have left more than 650,000 people in need of aid. This humanitarian air bridge marks the first time Amazon will provide this service.

The weekly flights are possible through a collaboration between Amazon, Airlink, the U.S. State Department and United Nations World Food Programme. Each organization plays a distinct role: The State Department coordinates access with local authorities, Amazon donates the aircraft and fuel at no cost to humanitarian organizations, Airlink determines what goes on each flight based on nonprofit needs and the United Nations World Food Programme manages distribution in Venezuela.

The air bridge is designed to prevent an aid bottleneck or a second disaster, in which unrequested donations overwhelm communities and divert resources from the most urgent needs. Amazon is using its logistics network and aviation capabilities that move millions of packages daily, through Amazon Air Cargo, to deliver emergency supplies to the people who need them most.

“When more than 6 million people are affected and entire neighborhoods have been reduced to rubble, getting supplies quickly isn’t just helpful — it’s critical,” says Bettina Stix, director of community impact for Amazon. “This air bridge will route supplies to registered NGOs who can put them to use immediately to serve the people most affected by this catastrophe.”

Amazon is using its logistics network and aviation capabilities that move millions of packages daily, through Amazon Air Cargo, to deliver emergency supplies to the people who need them most.

(Photo courtesy of Amazon)

Nearly a decade ago, Amazon launched Amazon Disaster Relief to get emergency supplies to those in need. The company started with a first relief flight for Hurricane Maria and has since donated and delivered more than 26 million emergency supplies and technology in response to over 200 disasters around the world. This first-of-its-kind collaboration with Airlink is another step in supporting people affected by natural disasters.

“In a disaster of this magnitude, coordination and speed of response is everything. Amazon’s donated airlift capacity allows us to move quickly and efficiently to heavily impacted communities in Venezuela — eliminating bottlenecks and ensuring that every flight delivers what they need most. This partnership embodies Airlink’s model in action: bringing the humanitarian, aviation, public and private sectors together to get help to people in their moment of greatest need,” says Paloma Adams-Allen, president and CEO of Airlink.

The air bridge is one part of a broad Amazon relief effort for Venezuela earthquake relief, which includes ongoing support to more than a dozen nonprofits supporting communities on the ground, volunteering events led by Amazon team members in multiple cities and the donation and delivery of over half a million emergency supplies within days of the earthquakes.

In addition, Amazon put its technology expertise to work to help the people of Venezuela — supplying rapid response technology systems (self-contained units that provide critical technology like Wi-Fi). In La Guaira, Venezuela, near the epicenter of the twin quakes, the systems are connecting staff at hospitals and shelters and enabling them to communicate across locations. Amazon says it will continue working closely with organizations on the ground as their needs evolve and stands with the people of Venezuela.

Learn more about Amazon’s disaster relief efforts .

Your next read: Inside the Fresh Food Alliance Feeding Venezuela

Inside the Fresh Food Alliance Feeding Venezuela

Thu, 02 Jul 2026 18:15:55 GMT

As communities across northern Venezuela continue to grapple with the aftermath of devastating twin earthquakes, the need for help is far from over. The quakes have taken thousands of lives and affected more than 6 million people, reducing entire neighborhoods to rubble. While traditional humanitarian responses typically rely on dropping standard, shelf-stable canned goods, a powerful alliance between World Central Kitchen (WCK) and Amazon is introducing an innovative, “fresh-first” playbook to disaster relief.

Instead of deploying a slow, centralized supply chain, WCK relies on a decentralized model that prioritizes hot, fresh nutrition and local economic survival. Right after the earthquakes hit, the organization immediately activated its localized networks across Miranda, La Guaira and Carabobo.

Linda Roth, chief communications officer for WCK, explains how they managed the chaotic aftermath on the ground:

“One of the biggest challenges after the earthquakes was that needs were changing by the hour. Roads were disrupted, communities became isolated and many people were sheltering in different locations across Miranda, La Guaira and Carabobo. Rather than relying on a centralized operation, we activated the network of local restaurants, suppliers and community partners that WCK has built in Venezuela over several years.

“Because those partners already knew the local supply chains and had existing relationships with nearby vendors, they were able to begin preparing fresh meals almost immediately. By the morning after the earthquakes, we were already distributing ready-to-eat food while simultaneously assessing where hot meals would be needed next.

“As the response evolved, we adapted our operations as well. Restaurant partners prepared meals close to the communities they serve while food trucks and a larger kitchen near La Guaira expanded our ability to cook and distribute food closer to affected families. That decentralized approach reduces transport times, helps preserve food quality and gives us the flexibility to respond as conditions change.

“Ultimately, our goal isn’t simply to deliver calories,” Roth says. “It’s to provide fresh, familiar meals that offer comfort during an incredibly difficult time.”

WCK teams serve meals in Venezuela after earthquakes.

(Photo courtesy of World Central Kitchen)

Investing in the Community

By sourcing fresh ingredients directly from nearby vendors and using 24 local restaurants and community partners, WCK ensures its humanitarian intervention doubles as a localized economic stimulus package. Every dollar spent on fresh produce stays within the damaged regional economy.

Roth notes this approach is fundamental to long-term recovery:

“Supporting local economies is fundamental to how World Central Kitchen responds to disasters. Whenever possible, we purchase ingredients locally and work through existing restaurant, supplier and community networks instead of importing food or operating independently.

“In Venezuela, we’re working with 24 local restaurant and community partners who are preparing meals using the knowledge, culinary traditions and supply networks that already exist in their communities. That means families receive food that is familiar and culturally meaningful, while local businesses continue operating during a period of extraordinary disruption.

“Our approach also creates a ripple effect. When local restaurants are cooking, they’re purchasing ingredients from local distributors and suppliers, keeping more of the humanitarian investment within the affected communities. As operations continue to expand, we’re establishing additional cooking capacity closer to the hardest-hit areas so we can shorten supply chains, serve meals more efficiently and continue supporting local businesses as recovery begins.

“We see food as more than relief,” Roth says. “It’s also an investment in the communities leading their own recovery.”

Because security conditions prevent establishing food stations closer to the rescue sites, community members come to WCK distribution points to collect ready-to-eat meals and bring them directly to those working among the rubble.

(Photo courtesy of World Central Kitchen)

The Logistical Backbone: Amazon’s Scale

Executing a fresh-food strategy under broken infrastructure requires serious back-end muscle. Amazon is currently working with more than 12 nonprofits on the ground — using its global logistics, technology and aviation capabilities — to scale operations.

Roth notes how crucial corporate partnerships are to maintaining this rapid operational pace:

“Partnerships like Amazon’s help us respond faster and scale our operations when disasters strike. Their support provides the flexibility to mobilize quickly, activate our local restaurant and supplier networks, and adapt as needs evolve on the ground.

“In Venezuela, our model relies on local chefs, restaurants, suppliers and community organizations to prepare fresh meals as close as possible to the communities we are serving. That means we’re sourcing ingredients locally whenever possible, reducing transportation times and ensuring families receive fresh, culturally familiar meals rather than relying solely on shelf-stable food.

“As the response grows, we’re expanding meal production through restaurant partners, food trucks and larger cooking facilities closer to affected communities. Support from partners like Amazon helps make that scale possible, allowing us to reach more families while staying true to our approach of empowering local communities to lead the response.

“At WCK, we believe the most effective disaster response starts locally. Strategic partnerships enable us to strengthen those local networks, respond with greater speed and flexibility and deliver fresh meals that provide not only nourishment, but comfort and dignity during some of life’s most difficult moments,” Roth says.

Beyond logistics, Amazon is providing critical cash donations to give on-the-ground operators flexibility, while deploying an Amazon Air flight from Miami to Caracas packed with roughly 500,000 emergency supplies — including tents, water filters, generators and hygiene kits. Furthermore, Amazon delivered rapid-response technology systems to restore vital Wi-Fi connectivity to local hospitals and shelters.

World Central Kitchen teams serve meals in Venezuela after earthquakes.

(Photo courtesy of World Central Kitchen)

Abe Diaz, head of disaster relief for Amazon, emphasizes providing speed and overlooked operational essentials is central to its strategy:

“When disaster strikes, the speed at which communities get what they need directly impacts their recovery. Amazon works alongside organizations who understand their communities best — like World Central Kitchen, which locally procures fresh food and serves meals to affected families and first responders. We support their work with supply donations — or, in more challenging logistics situations, directly via cash donations — so they can move quickly on the ground while we apply our logistics, technology and innovation to deliver emergency supplies where they’re needed most. We also provide the often-overlooked essentials that enable hot food service — thousands of utensils and other tools that communities need but don’t have access to after a disaster. For example, after Hurricane Maria, our first flight to World Central Kitchen included thousands of utensils so they could immediately serve meals to affected families and first responders.”

Diaz also elaborates on how Amazon expands its reach to work alongside local food banks to offer immediate, holistic support:

“When a disaster displaces families from their homes, access to food becomes an immediate need. In addition to supporting World Central Kitchen, we also work alongside local food banks who understand what their communities need most — and can get it to them fast, ensuring families have access to nutritious food while rebuilding.

“After devastating floods in central Texas, Amazon partnered with the Central Texas Food Bank, to stock shelves with thousands of canned vegetables, apple juice and peanut butter bars for families who couldn’t return home. When search-and-rescue crews working long hours in rough terrain needed electrolyte-infused sports drinks to stay energized, Amazon delivered within hours. Our disaster relief approach is shaped by nearly a decade of direct feedback from partners including the American Red Cross, Save the Children and World Central Kitchen.

“In communities where plastic waste management is challenging, for example, we’ve replaced bottled water with filtration systems. We also now use compostable food service containers to reduce environmental impact. Essentially, our disaster relief inventory evolves continuously based on what our partners on the ground tell us they need. This is all part of the support Amazon can offer across the U.S. through our fast delivery network and specialized warehouses stocked with emergency supplies, known as disaster relief hubs,” Diaz says.

Goya Foods Secures the Baseline Nutrition

While World Central Kitchen and Amazon handle localized fresh-food production, Goya Foods is stepping up to provide the critical baseline of foundational nutrition. Through its global humanitarian initiative, Goya Gives, the largest Hispanic-owned food company in the U.S. has donated 100,000 lb. of food to support the victims of the Venezuelan earthquakes.

Partnering with the Global Empowerment Mission (GEM), Goya is distributing these essential food supplies directly from its Miami warehouse to impacted communities throughout Venezuela. By leveraging its deep roots in Latin American culinary traditions and its robust, 90-year legacy of emergency response, Goya’s donation provides the shelf-stable proteins and staples required to feed families as they begin the long road to recovery.