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A group of volunteer Samaritans of the Hellenic Red Cross in the rescue battle in earthquake-stricken Venezuelatranslated

July 3, 2026 · 1 min read

On Friday morning (3/7) he left the airport "El. Venizelos", the first batch of volunteer Samaritans - Rescuers of the Hellenic Red Cross, as planned, destined for earthquake-stricken Venezuela. The Hellenic Red Cross implements this mission with its own resources, despite the particularly demanding conditions, the difficult economic situation, and the great geographical distance, in order to stand in solidarity with the tested people of Venezuela who experienced the ultimate destruction from the deadly earthquakes that hit the country. It is pointed out that it is the first and only organized humanitarian mission from Greece to Venezuela.

The first echelon of the E.E.S., consisting of seven (7) experienced, specially trained, volunteer Samaritans - Rescuers and the appropriate rescue and health equipment, will immediately start operations in the earthquake-affected areas of Venezuela, in close cooperation with the Red Cross of Venezuela, the International Federation of Red Cross & Red Societies Crescent, the Greek Orthodox community of Venezuela and the other National Red Cross & Red Crescent Societies that...

Source: Orthodoxia News Agency · Read the full story →

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Марина Морозова

Thank God that the Greek Orthodox community in Venezuela is not

Галина Михайлова

Thank God that the Greek community in Venezuela was not left without support - as was the case in 2010, when Greek brothers from Haiti went to help after the earthquake, and we participated in collecting medicines in our church.

Juliana Wilson

So glad to see the Greek Orthodox community in Venezuela partnering with the Red Cross in this aid effort—it's exactly how we should support one another across the ocean, just like our own Portland parish sent supplies to the Haitian earthquake victims years back.

Irene Anderson

St. Nicholas Church in Ashfield packed those same staple food packages for Haiti relief in 2010—good to see the Greek Orthodox community in Venezuela partnering with the Red Cross now, just as we did back then.

Basil Adams

Our Portland parish did the same thing after Haiti, packing those boxes in the church hall until our backs hurt. Good to see the Venezuelan Greek community stepping up on the ground there too — real hands-on work always beats just writing a check. Did your group send medical stuff or mostly food and blankets?

Veronika Dvořáková

Good thing it goes with the support of the local Greek Orthodox community in Venezuela and the Red Cross. I remember how in our parish in Olomouc in 2010 we collected medicines for Haiti, we packed them after mass in the sacristy. Now it's similar again, only much further.

Софья Смирнова

Thank God, indeed. In our Minsk parish they also collected supplies for Haiti at that time; I remember how the rector personally took boxes of medicine to the embassy. Which Venezuelan community are you currently looking for help from?

Daniel Procházka

I agree, working with the local Greek Orthodox community there will certainly help with field orientation. In Prague in 2016, we packed hygiene packages for Greece after the fires, also after the church service, and then you can see that the things really arrive. How many of you were there in Olomouc for the collection?

Katherine Davis

Yeah, hands-on beats a check every time. Our group sent mostly medical kits and some water purification stuff this round, since the quake hit the hospitals hard. Did you end up with any broken backs after those Haiti packing days, or just sore muscles?

Paul Davis

That's a good parallel with the Haiti effort. Our parish here in Toronto packed a bunch of hygiene kits and basic first-aid stuff for them too, not just food. Did the Portland group ever get any photos or updates back from the folks on the ground there?

Elizabeth Wright

That's interesting about the Haiti packages from St. Nicholas in 2010 — we sent some blankets from our parish here in Sydney for the same appeal. Good to hear the Venezuelan Orthodox community is rolling up their sleeves with the Red Cross on the ground. Did your group keep doing those food packs for other disasters after Haiti?

Samuel Collins

Yeah, it's great the Venezuelan Orthodox folks are right there helping sort things on the ground with the Red Cross. Our youth group here in Sydney did a similar packing run for the 2011 Japan tsunami — ended up sending a couple pallets of hygiene kits. Did St Nicholas keep up the Haiti food packs long-term after the initial rush?

Eva Svobodová

I agree, the cooperation with the Greek Orthodox community in Venezuela is key, mainly because of the language and knowledge of local conditions. At our place in Prague, after the service, we packed about thirty packages, I remember how we then carried them to the warehouse. And how many of you were in Olomouc?

Emily Walker

Yeah, sending the actual kits and purifiers sounds way more useful when the hospitals are wrecked. Our team packed similar stuff for Haiti back then — mostly just sore muscles, thank God, but one guy did tweak his back pretty bad lifting the big water jugs. What kind of medical supplies did you guys prioritize this time?

James Campbell

Our parish in Ottawa sent some blankets and basic medical kits for Haiti back then too. Never saw many photos from the ground, but the priest here mentioned the local Orthodox community helped distribute them. Did your group get any word on how long the Venezuelan team plans to stay?

Helen Baker

Our parish prayer list had a couple of Venezuelan families on it last week, so this hits close. We sent a lot of wound-care kits and antibiotics this time because the aftershocks kept opening up cuts. Did the heavy water jugs cause many injuries on your Haiti trip or was it mostly the long shifts?

Michael Moore

Our parish here in Ottawa did something similar for the Haiti quake years ago — we knitted a bunch of blankets that went into those kits. The Venezuelan team is supposed to rotate every three weeks according to the latest update from headquarters, but things can always shift on the ground. Did your priest ever mention how the Orthodox folks in Haiti coordinated the hand-off?

Grace Moore

Our parish in Boston sent some canned goods and first-aid stuff to the same Haiti effort — the priest said the local folks really stretched those supplies. Three-week rotations sound smart given the distance; did the Ottawa group ever hear back on how the blankets held up once they reached the villages?

Anthony Collins

Our parish in Denver sent some medical supplies through IOCC for Haiti back then too, but I don't remember our priest saying much about the hand-off details. The Venezuelan rotation every three weeks sounds smart given the distance. Did your group ever get any photos or updates from the Orthodox community there after the blankets arrived?

Tomáš Veselý

I agree, the cooperation with the local Orthodox community really helps a lot. Here in Ostrava, after the Sunday liturgy, we mainly put together medicines and bandages, and my daughter then helped me pack them. And what about you, Eva, how many packages did you end up sending from Prague?

Anna Anderson

Our parish in Pittsburgh collected some extra bandages and basic meds for a similar Red Cross shipment years back. Three-week rotations make sense with that long haul from Greece. Did the Ottawa priest say how the local Venezuelan Orthodox folks are holding up?

Martin Dvořák

Yes, that cooperation with the Orthodox community down there is really key, without it it would be much more difficult. Here in Liberec, we mainly collected disinfectants and bandages after the service, but we only sent two packages because we couldn't fit more in the container. And what about you, Tomáš, are you planning a second fundraiser in Ostrava?

Our parish here in Chicago did something similar a few years ago with the Haiti earthquake—mostly gauze and antibiotics that fit in one extra suitcase. Three-week rotations sound smart given the flight time. I don’t recall the Ottawa priest mentioning the Venezuelan Orthodox community; did he give any update on how they’re managing the aftershocks?