Jheovanny Gomez hosting fundraiser in support of Colombia disaster relief | News

A Tuscaloosa restaurant owner is giving back to his home country of Colombia and is asking West Alabamians to do the same following a deadly earthquake that struck the region earlier this month.

The Aug. 10 earthquake that struck near the coast resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people and injured thousands more.

Jheovanny Gomez, who co-owns Jalapeño’s Mexican Grill, came to the U.S. from Colombia in 1999. Now, he’s asking West Alabamians who can to donate to disaster recovery via a GoFundMe. Gomez said he already has people on the ground in Colombia, and he’ll be there himself Thursday.

When he launched the campaign last week, his goal was $10,000. That goal was surpassed quickly, so he raised it to $20,000. As of Aug. 18, the campaign has raised more than $24,000.

“Immediately after the earthquake, I started getting calls from friends and people from this community asking ‘What can we do? Can we help?’ And I felt the need and felt so compelled to do something,” Gomez said. “It was this community that prompted me to do something about it.”

Gomez said he and his wife will be heading to Colombia on Thursday. All members of his and his wife’s family are accounted for, he said, and he’s thankful for that. 

 If you would like to donate, you can do so right here.