Volunteers from Montreal’s Venezuelan community took over the Arepera du Plateau restaurant on June 27 to sort and pack donated items destined for earthquake relief in Venezuela. The effort follows two strong tremors that struck the South American nation on June 24, prompting diaspora groups to mobilize resources quickly.
The Arepera du Plateau, located in the Plateau Mont‑Royal neighbourhood, became a temporary hub where volunteers organized donations that had been collected across the city. With the restaurant’s kitchen space repurposed for sorting, participants arranged food, medical supplies, and other essentials into packages ready for shipment to the affected regions.
The back‑to‑back earthquakes on June 24 left many Venezuelan communities in urgent need of assistance. In response, members of the Venezuelan diaspora in Montreal coordinated a collection drive, gathering contributions from local businesses, private donors, and residents. The decision to use the Arepera du Plateau as a central site allowed the volunteers to work in a familiar setting, leveraging the restaurant’s facilities and its connection to the community.
While the volunteers handled the logistics, the restaurant’s staff supported the initiative by providing space and basic equipment. The collaborative atmosphere reflected the strong ties between the Venezuelan community and local establishments in Montreal’s multicultural landscape. Organizers emphasized that the supplies would be sent as soon as possible, aiming to reach those most impacted by the seismic events.
The initiative illustrates how diaspora groups can quickly organize humanitarian aid when crises arise abroad. By converting a popular local eatery into a relief‑packing center, the Montreal Venezuelan community demonstrated both solidarity and practical action in the wake of the Venezuelan earthquakes.