Miami-Dade joins Venezuela flood relief drive as donations surge

Rosie Cordero-Stutz stepped into a Unidos por Venezuela donation drive as Miami-Dade County and South Florida groups rushed aid to families hit by flooding in Venezuela. The response has quickly become local as well as international: county leaders say Miami-Dade is home to one of the largest Venezuelan communities in the United States, and many residents have relatives and loved ones directly affected.

Miami-Dade County has also partnered with Global Empowerment Mission on Venezuela relief, and its guidance says monetary donations are the most effective and impactful way to help. County officials say cash lets relief teams buy region-appropriate supplies, move aid faster and shift quickly as needs change. Residents can also contribute essential supplies or volunteer support, but county guidance puts money first because it reaches the ground most efficiently.

The county’s response carries added weight in Miami-Dade because the connection runs through neighborhoods from Doral to Westchester, where Venezuelan-American families have long formed part of the county’s civic and political fabric. The disaster struck on June 24, 2026, and South Florida organizations began launching collection drives within days. That speed reflects how closely the crisis has landed here, where news from Venezuela often travels by phone call before it reaches the television screen.

Cordero-Stutz brings a visible public-safety presence to that effort. Sworn in on January 7, 2025, she became Miami-Dade County’s first female sheriff after more than 29 years in law enforcement. The Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office is based at 9105 NW 25th St. in Doral and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The broader response has widened beyond donations. Miami-Dade first responders were preparing to deploy to Venezuela as part of the emergency effort, alongside local municipalities and nonprofits organizing collection drives across South Florida. For many Miami-Dade families, the relief push is not a symbolic gesture. It is a direct lifeline to relatives facing the damage, and county officials are treating it that way.