St. Pete Venezuelan Restaurant Collecting Medical Supplies For Earthquake Survivors

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — Uncertain exactly how to help from afar in the immediate aftermath of two devastating earthquakes that struck her native Venezuela last week, St. Petersburg restaurant owner Andrea Osorio asked people to bring anything they could for those in need back home to St. Pete's Foodie Labs.

She and her mother own the Venezuelan food concept Carupano Kitchen, which operates out of the shared kitchen at Foodie Labs. She recognized that its dining area could serve as the ideal collection site for donation drives.

Within days, the space was overflowing with supplies — tents and blankets, hygiene products, first aid kits, food, diapers and other children’s necessities, and more.

Volunteers she'd never met showed up with tape, boxes and scissors — items she hadn’t considered as she frantically pulled the drive together — ready to help pack donations simply because they saw her social media posts.

"The response was incredible," Osorio told Patch. "People just showed up and said, 'I have three hours. Where can I help?'"

Now, after delivering that first shipment and learning more about the challenges of getting aid into the country, she’s planning her next drive.

This time, she’s taking a more calculated approach, while also planning for the long-term aid that will be needed in Venezuela.

On Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., the St. Petersburg restaurant is collecting over-the-counter medication, first aid supplies and other medical necessities at Foodie Labs.

Needed items include bandages, gauze, medical tape, antiseptic wipes, rubbing alcohol, burn cream, pain relievers, children's medications, electrolyte packets and other over-the-counter first aid supplies.

"We're trying to get more strategic," Osorio said. "The first round was just, 'Bring me everything.' We figured it out. Now we've learned what they need most right now."

The first donation drive was a whirlwind, with a few stumbles along the way, as she organized quickly, unsure of what steps to take.

“I told people, ‘Think of what you need in a hurricane,’” she said. “I was so wrong. I didn’t know. I just didn’t know. We collected water and clothing, and it was too heavy for the small planes that shipped them. They had to prioritize other things. But I’m learning, getting advice from others, and I want to get more strategic in how we can help.”

It’s a critical time in rescue and recovery efforts in Venezuela, as potential aftershocks continue to be a concern and the search continues for the nearly 50,000 people still missing. So far, the death toll stands at more than 2,200.

“But we’re not giving up. They’re still finding people alive,” Osorio said. “Just Monday, they found so many people, like 70 people, alive. People that were under concrete for days, animals, too. There’s still hope.”

Like the first round of donations, the medical supplies will be flown directly to Venezuela aboard private aircraft donated by W Aviation FBO in Fort Lauderdale.

Osorio, born and raised in Caracas, moved to the United States 15 years ago as part of a high-school student exchange program that brought her to Ohio.

“We came to the U.S., like many immigrants, for a better life,” she said. “Now, here I am with my own business.”

She remained in the U.S. to attend the University of Toledo, and went on to enjoy a lucrative 12-year career in software sales.

She moved around the country — North Carolina, Washington, D.C., and Miami — before Osorio and her wife landed in St. Petersburg, drawn to the city’s welcoming community and queer culture.

She loved working in sales because it allowed her to build relationships and help people solve problems. But as she climbed the corporate ladder, the work became less about personal connection.

“I was so high up in these complex sales that I wasn’t really connecting with people anymore,” she said. “It was just really large contracts and a lot of procurement and general counsel, and a lot of stuff like that that now lives in my nightmares. Towards the end, it just wasn’t enjoyable anymore, and they did me the favor of letting me go.”

She always loved cooking for loved ones and had long dreamed of launching a food business with her mother. She took a three-month breather after leaving the corporate world, in November they launched Carupano Kitchen.

“My mom and I decided to go all in, and it’s been the best thing that’s ever happened,” Osorio said.

Their Venezuelan roots are at the heart of the business, which is named for her mother’s coastal hometown. The menu, known for its arepas, is inspired by family recipes.

So, they were naturally devastated when she learned about the earthquakes that rocked the country.

“With everything that is happening right now, Venezuela is not only near to my heart and dear to my heart, it's home,” she said. “It's home to my family, my brothers, my dad, my parents’ business, so many friends.”

The country’s infrastructure was already struggling before the earthquakes. Additionally, the people are distrustful of the government and Venezuelan leaders.

“We don’t have a system that works, like firefighters and police that we trust and military that we trust. They have suppressed our people for so long that we don’t trust the system. It’s a scary time,” Osorio said. “At the same time, through the madness, we’re seeing Venezuelans really show up for each other … The people doing the rescue work are civilians.”

Her father owns a cement business and is using his own heavy equipment to help clear debris, she added. “And a lot of people are moving things with their hands, shovels, things like that. It’s crazy to see how civilians are holding the country together right now.”

A recent conversation with her father will forever be etched in Osorio’s mind.

In the aftermath, he hadn’t shared many details about where he was when the earthquakes hit. And since they struck, he’s been on the go assisting in recovery efforts.

When they were finally able to speak at length earlier this week, he opened up about it.

“Tell me how it happened. Where were you? Walk me through everything,” she asked him during a video call.

He and his girlfriend were in their apartment during the first earthquake, and were able to escape the building once it was over, before the cracks spread through the structure. Scared of how the building might fare during aftershocks, they’re not staying in a small apartment he built at his company’s office.

"I watched him cry for the first time," Osorio said. "When I finally asked him to walk me through what happened, it really hit me."

She also recently learned that a former high school classmate, along with his father and girlfriend, died in the disaster.

"Seeing a face that you recognize... it hits you in a place you didn't know would hurt that badly," she said.

Unable to be there herself, Osorio said staying busy has become her way of coping.

"There's a special kind of pain when you're an immigrant and something happens in your country," she said. "You feel helpless. So you find other ways to help."

She also knows that Venezuela will need ongoing international assistance.

"This is a long-term emergency," she said. "We're going to need aid for years to come."

She’ll continue hosting donation drives and is open to working with other organizations and businesses on relief efforts.

She also hopes to find local aviation companies or other transportation partners closer to St. Petersburg that might be willing to help send future shipments, reducing the need for volunteers to drive supplies across the state to Fort Lauderdale.

For now, Osorio hopes Tampa Bay-area residents understand that Venezuela's recovery won't end when the headlines fade.

"Our attention spans are so short," she said. "Every time there's new news, we forget about the other thing."

So, she plans to keep talking about it, ensuring that people keep Venezuela in their hearts and minds.

"We will need ongoing support for a long time," Osorio said. "Don't be surprised if you see me doing a thousand events related to this."