A South Florida-based relief organization continues to step up to help thousands of earthquake victims in Venezuela. From the initial response to long-term recovery, Global Empowerment Mission said it has reached more than 105,000 people and is now preparing for the next phase of relief. Hund reds of volunteers have spent weeks gathering and packing canned goods, feminine hygiene supplies, diapers for babies, socks, and sheets. They’ve been packing boxes with handwritten letters of hope for those receiving the supplies to help them in the middle of this destruction. Local activists, representatives with the Miami Marlins, and volunteers were seen getting ready to pack two large FedEx trucks full of humanitarian aid to be sent to Venezuela on Sunday. Miami Marlins representatives donated 55 pallets. On Friday, representatives at GEM said other emergency teams will likely scale their aid operations back within the coming weeks as GEM is prepared to amp up their response. GEM said they’re preparing to serve up to 250,000 Venezuelans on the ground within the coming months after officially establishing a U.S. GEM headquarters in Venezuela. Michael Capponi, president and founder of GEM, just returned to South Florida from Venezuela. “When you get to La Guaira, let’s say you’re in northern Hollywood Beach and you drive all the way to First Street, South Beach, without exaggeration, 50% of all buildings look like Surfside or 9/11. It is all rubble,” said Capponi at a news conference. He was there for 18 days on the ground, and said the work GEM has achieved is invaluable, but states the work is not anywhere near finished, announcing the official establishment of a GEM LatAm headquarters of South America. “Two major warehouses that we have now in La Guaira. So for the first time in years and years and years, there’s an official U.S. nonprofit that’s an official State Department partner, that has a smaller version of this in La Guaira with the same logos and everything, except it’s GEM LatAm with a Venezuelan team, and we plan on being there indefinitely. It’s not that we’re just responding for the next months, but we will be there permanently now as a GEM LatAm headquarters of South America in Venezuela,” said Capponi. During the news conference, Amazon representatives presented GEM with a $100,000 check to help aid those in Venezuela. Those interested in volunteering, GEM accepts volunteers every Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. through 12 p.m. and again, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. ...read more read less