Dear sisters, partners-in-mission, and friends,

We write to you once again, this time for an emergency on the other side of the Atlantic, where another community held dear by our Congregation has been struck by disaster. On June 24, 2026, Venezuela was hit by two powerful earthquakes within seconds of each other, and the sisters and the families they serve in Caracas urgently need our help.

The epicenter of the two earthquakes, with magnitudes of 7.2 and 7.5, was in the Yaracuy region, and the impact was felt across the north of the country. The states of La Guaira, Caracas, Lara, and Carabobo have been the hardest hit, with La Guaira declared a disaster zone after dozens of buildings collapsed. As search and rescue operations continue, official sources report more than 1,700 dead, many thousands injured, and tens of thousands missing or trapped beneath rubble, with final figures yet to be confirmed. Venezuela has declared a state of emergency. The earthquakes have struck a country already living through a fragile humanitarian and economic crisis and have redefined overnight what its people most urgently need.

Shortages of food, medicine, and basic services have for years tested the resilience of its people. Families who had little to begin with have now lost their homes; some can no longer return because their buildings are at risk of collapse, others because they no longer have water, gas, or electricity. Expectant mothers, unaccompanied minors, people with disabilities, and the elderly are among those most exposed in the days ahead.

Our sisters in Caracas did not hesitate. Within hours of the earthquake, Centro Esperanza, normally a place of formation and support for women and their families, opened its doors as an emergency shelter and a collection point for aid. The team, instructors, volunteers, and participants in the center’s programs have mobilized to care for one another and for their wider community: roughly 150 women are currently being supported, and ten families with children are sheltering inside the center because their own homes are too damaged or too dangerous to return to.

The needs at Centro Esperanza are immediate and concrete: mattresses, bedding, towels, and blankets for families sleeping in the center; safe drinking water and non-perishable food; essential medicines, from basic pain relief and blood pressure treatment to first-aid supplies, along with the equipment to administer them; and personal hygiene items for everyone the center is sheltering. A rapid needs assessment carried out by our local partners estimates that approximately €93,000 is needed to sustain food, water, shelter, and medical assistance for the people currently in their care.

We ask you to stand with the women and families of Caracas in this moment of fear and loss, and with the sisters who have opened their doors to shelter and care for them. Your gift will allow Centro Esperanza to continue feeding, sheltering, and tending to those who have nowhere else to turn.

Please donate to GSIF to support the Venezuela Earthquake Emergency Response. Donations can be made online or by bank transfer – more information here.

With gratitude we remain united in mission,

Sr. Joan Marie Lopez, Congregational Leader                                                                                         Cristina Duranti, Director of GSIF