'You are here, but your heart is there', says Venezuelan who organizes donations in RS Venezuelans and Brazilians living in Rio Grande do Sul organized a solidarity network to collect and send donations to the victims of the earthquakes that hit different regions of Venezuela. Donations are concentrated in Canoas, in the Metropolitan Region, and transported by the state Civil Defense to Curitiba (PR), from where they travel by plane to the neighboring country. The mobilization is organized by the Network of Venezuelans in Brazil (Redeven), refugee associations and local groups. ? Access the g1 RS channel on WhatsApp Cargo lecturer Alex Medrano has lived in Canoas for three years and follows the situation of family and friends in Caracas and La Guaira on his cell phone. "You're here, but your heart is there, your mind is there. It's difficult. When your arms are tied, you can't do anything", he says. "The little we can do for them is to embrace them by sending supplies, medicine, clothes, food, everything they need." The president of the Association of Venezuelans in the Mato Grande neighborhood, Gabriel Lizarraga, explains that the entity's headquarters, in Canoas, functions as the campaign's screening center. "We now have a partnership with a Venezuelan association network here in Brazil. Each municipality managed to set up a collection point: Porto Alegre, Canoas, Esteio, Caxias, Bento. Each one set up a local point and this was the center to receive the collections", says Lizarraga. After sorting by volunteers, the material is loaded onto a Rio Grande do Sul Civil Defense truck bound for Paraná. A second truck with donations is expected to leave the state next week. "It's a commitment we have with the country. We are far away, but even far away, we are trying to provide a solution for our country, which has been suffering a lot for a long time. Everything that is here was from our hearts", says the president of the association. The logistical process and separation of clothes and food relies on the help of Brazilian volunteers. Lawyer Edineia Paim participates in organizing the items before boarding. "We are all brothers and children of the same God. We need to look at others, because often we only worry about our little world, our lives, and forget to look at others. What will get there will impact people and make a difference", he states. According to Redeven, there are nine official collection points distributed throughout Rio Grande do Sul. See the donation locations: Porto Alegre Metropolitan Region: Movimento REIDE (Av. João Elustondo Filho, 100) Canoas: Associação Migrantes e Refugiados Unidos RS (Av. Guilherme Schell, 6922 – Mathias Velho) Viamão: Red de Venezolanos en Brasil (Rua Lúcio Machado de Oliveira, 12 – Vila Elsa) Esteio: Association of Migrants and Refugees of Esteio (Estrada do Boqueirão, 690) Novo Hamburgo: Redeven (Rua Ibsen, 154 – Canudos) Interior of RS Marau: ASOVEMA (Rua Irineu Ferlin, 494 – Vila Borges) Passo Fundo: Asociación VENEBRAS (Av. Diamantina, 212 – Bairro São Luiz Gonzaga) Caxias do Sul: Venezuelans in the South of Brazil (Av. Júlio de Castilhos, 1745 – Centro, Galeria do Comércio – Room 19) Tapejara: Iglesia El Llamado de Dios (Rua Leorindo Caviochioli, 206 – Bairro São Cristóvão) Venezuelans and Brazilians living in Rio Grande do Sul organized a solidarity network to collect and send donations to victims of the earthquakes Reproduction/RBS TV VIDEOS: Everything about RS