At least 15 people are dead and hundreds more are injured after a powerful earthquake rocked Ecuador and Peru Saturday. As rescue efforts ramp up over there, a group in the DMV is coming together to raise funds to help the victims.
The devastating scenes are heartbreaking to watch for Isolina Campos, 84, who is doing everything she can to help her home country.
“My heart was shrinking, I don't know what to do,” she said. “I don’t know if I can go to Peru and do something in there. But, more I can do here, than in there.”
Campos has helped organize the annual Peruvian festival in Northern Virginia for years. Now, she’s teamed up with the Maryland-Piura Sister States Committee to raise money for those in need.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
But it’s not just the earthquake that Peruvians are dealing with. The country was barely starting to recover from a powerful cyclone that flooded cities and destroyed homes.
“The coast of Peru is damaged, and everybody needs our help,” Campos said.
She said their main focus is raising money to buy clean water and mosquito repellent as the country recovers from both natural disasters.
Local
Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia local news, events and information
“We’re begging the people to please help us,” Campos said. “We need the help. It’s not for us, it’s for them.”
She hopes people sympathize with what her country is going through. For now, the focus is gathering monetary donations, but in the future, Campos said she plans on gathering clothes and supplies that they can ship to Peru.
“I’ve lived here 54 years, but my heart is still half-and-half, half in Peru and half in here,” she said. “But now my heart is more in Peru because they need it. They need us.”
The group is accepting donations through Zelle at (240) 600-6565. You can also contact Isolina Campos at (703) 362-1591.
