Bloomington Ayuda raises money for relief funds after earthquakes devastate Colombia, Venezuela

Latin music filled the room and attendees gathered on the dance floor as the Bloomington community shared food and support Sunday afternoon at the FAR Center for Contemporary Arts to raise money for Colombian and Venezuelan relief funds.  

The event was co-created by Daniela Cook, who was born in Venezuela. While she and her family moved to Bloomington when she was nine years old, much of her family still lives there, and she has stayed in touch with her Venezuelan roots.  

So, on June 24, when a pair of earthquakes hit northern Venezuela and killed over 6,000 people, Cook and her sister, Silvia Panigada, were distraught. The sisters connected with another Venezuelan friend living in Bloomington, Noraedén Mora Méndez, and the three of them created Bloomington Ayuda, an Instagram account dedicated to raising funds and awareness.  

Soon after, on Aug. 10, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck western Colombia. While the two earthquakes were unrelated, both neighboring countries are experiencing the aftermath of the devastation, with thousands dead and infrastructures flattened. With homes and schools damaged, Colombians and Venezuelans are struggling to find shelter and stability.  

On Sunday afternoon, the three women of Bloomington Ayuda worked with Sergio Ospina-Romero, director and pianist of Bloomington-based music groups Palonegro and La Salsoteca, to hold a fundraising event at the FAR Center. 

According to the GoFundMe, the funds will be distributed to grassroots organizations in El Chocó, Colombia, and La Guaira, Venezuela, such as TRANS AFAB Venezuela, and family and friends volunteering on the ground. The funds will also be allocated to hospitals, rescue sites, shelters and more. 

“Through the page actually, we’ve been able to connect people who are on the ground in Venezuela, which is really cool,” Cook, FAR Center creative director, said. She explained how one of Méndez’s friends and Cook’s cousins had been doing deliveries and driving goods like medical supplies around, and through the Instagram page, they were able to connect and support each other.  

“People have sort of stepped up and taken a break from their professions and day to day to really, like, lean into community and mutual aid,” Cook said. 

At the event, a $10 donation was suggested, but entry was free and open to all. In total, the event raised $3,483. 

Cook said while raising funds is one of her main goals, creating solidarity and awareness is important, as well. She said even if one can’t give much back financially, gathering community still means a lot to her.  

The event featured six performances from Indianapolis and Bloomington-based musicians, including Mariachi Aires de la Solidaridad and La Salsoteca. Around 100 attended, and people of all ages grooved to the music, some taking to the dance floor. After each performance, attendees erupted into applause.  

A buffet-style menu was also available. While the food was free, there was an $8 suggested donation that also went to the cause. Food options included rice and beef dishes from Social Cantina, arepas and desserts. 

Emma Alvarez de la Rosa, an IU doctoral student studying ethnomusicology, attended the event after learning that her friends, who are a part of La Salsoteca, and her professor, music lecturer Andy Miller, would be performing.  

“I’m very happy that things like this are going on in Bloomington,” she said. “It’s really important to use music and community to help around, and I just hope that things like this keep happening. I’m very happy to be here.”   

Bloomington resident Luke Kwiatkowski said he attended to enjoy the music and dancing at the event. He began learning how to dance earlier this year, and said there is a decent Latin dance community in Bloomington.  

“To anyone experiencing something traumatic right now, I mean, my heart goes out to them,” he said. “I know there’s a lot of stuff that’s happening in the world right now, and I hope they can get help and support.”  

When the news of the earthquakes broke, Cook said the three women struggled, but that being together helped.  

“We were really, really distraught, and it was hard to just go about daily life and have nobody know what was going on, or really understand,” Cook said. “It felt a little isolating, so I think it’s nice to create an event where people can share that common sort of mourning.”  

Cook said minority groups of Afro-descent in Colombia and Venezuela are experiencing the worst of the aftermath, due to a lack of resources. Venezuelans were already dealing with electrical outages and a shortage of food and water daily, even before the earthquakes, she said.  

She is encouraging both herself and others to continue to show support because the issues in Colombia and Venezuelan are ongoing, and the journey to rebuilding will be long, she said.  

“We’ve had a lot of beautiful conversations and just interactions by reaching out to people, families, individuals, who are sharing their stories, who are super grateful and super, like, uplifting,” Cook said. “So, I think it’s encouraging to see that people have a lot of hope and a lot of faith and a lot of, like, gusto to keep going.”