Airbnb partners with Broward-based CADENA for Venezuela quake relief

Airbnb.org announced on June 26 that it was offering free emergency housing to first responders staging in the United States and neighboring countries as relief efforts ramped up after the June 24 earthquakes in Venezuela. The nonprofit said it was working in the initial stage with groups including Rescue Response International and CADENA International while they prepared to deploy into the country.

That shelter response has a clear Broward footprint. CADENA International operates a Broward County-based foundation at 2719 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood and has long been active with South Florida’s Jewish community. For residents in Hollywood, Fort Lauderdale and nearby cities, that means the Venezuela response is not just a distant humanitarian effort. It is being routed through a local institution with community ties, donor relationships and experience moving help quickly through organized channels.

The earthquakes struck north-central Venezuela near Morón in Carabobo state and carried preliminary magnitudes of 7.1 and 7.5. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said the shaking was felt across much of the country, including Caracas, La Guaira, Aragua and Carabobo, and the Venezuelan government declared a state of emergency. Americares said early reports showed more than 160 deaths and nearly 1,000 injuries, while a later update put the death toll above 900 and injuries above 3,000. The United Nations estimated that nearly 7 million people could be affected.

Airbnb.org’s model is built for exactly that kind of fast-moving crisis. It says it provides free temporary stays for displaced people and first responders when natural disasters hit, and that 100% of donations go toward free emergency housing. In practical terms, the Venezuela response can cover the short-term lodging needed to move relief workers into place while airports, roads and local infrastructure are assessed.

CADENA describes itself as a global humanitarian organization with two decades of aid work in emergency response, prevention, sustainable development and education. It says it serves as the humanitarian arm of Jewish communities around the world and provides aid regardless of origin, religion or belief. That mission aligns closely with the way Broward’s Jewish institutions already operate: the Jewish Federation of Broward County says it mobilizes the Jewish community to provide leadership and financial resources that strengthen Jewish life in Broward, Israel and around the world. In this case, that network gives local donors and volunteers a recognizable path to support housing, logistics and aid tied to an overseas disaster.