BETHLEHEM, Pa. — A Bethlehem couple, alongside their friends and family, are leading the charge to send money to the people of Viña del Mar, Chile, following devastating forest fires last month in the country’s central region.
February reports show over 1,600 people within Viña del Mar lost their homes, but the blazes affected some neighboring areas, as well. Over 100 people died.
Local husband-and-wife duo César Cordova and Anna Smith said all are invited to come out for food, drinks and community bonding during a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 29 at Venture X at 306 South New Street — even if you don’t have any money to donate.
Cordova, a native of Viña del Mar, is a health and physical education teacher at Liberty High School. His wife, Smith, serves as the director of Community Action Development Bethlehem.
The two met in Viña del Mar when Smith lived and worked there for five years. They now serve in a number of Bethlehem community-centric roles in addition to their day jobs.
Class back in session soon
Cordova said the school year in Chile goes from March to December, so classes are starting next week.
Gathering funds now will mean backpacks, basic hygiene products, shoes and more for the kids.
“We spoke with many people,” Cordova said. “A lot of people, they escaped from the fire with whatever they were wearing. So they just need to start from zero.”
“We spoke with many people. A lot of people, they escaped from the fire with whatever they were wearing. So they just need to start from zero.”Chilean native and Bethlehem resident César Cordova
He said though his home country has faced earthquakes, floods and wildfires before, the Chilean people have always banded together for the common good in these cases — and kept a positive attitude while they’re at it.
“It’s super emotional to think about people that lost everything,” Cordova said. “And then the next day, they were just cleaning the place where their house was.
“‘There’s nothing else we can do. We just need to start from zero.’ And people are thinking like that.”
The couple said donations could provide tents, sleeping bags and flashlights as common short-term needs for the people, with clothes and school supplies needed for the long term.
“One of the things we’ve emphasized to folks is just how far $1 can go in these recovery efforts,” Smith said.
“The government and [nongovernmental organizations] down there are gathering funds and are helping to rebuild, but just being able to put cash in people’s pockets to address their immediate needs has a tremendous impact on folks’ mental health and resiliency.”
For help with the fundraiser, she wanted to give a shoutout to her family, two of their friends, a handful of local restaurants offering appetizers, as well as Venture X for offering the venue space.
Continued relief
Bethlehem City councilwoman Rachel Leon said she was impressed with Cordova and Smith’s efforts just after the February blaze, where they quickly raised about $5,000 to send immediate relief to Chile.
She said the Lehigh Valley’s Chilean population is growing and some of them are undocumented, meaning catastrophes like these also cause troubles for those living stateside.
“When they leave Chile, they can never go back and they know they’ll never go back,” Leon said.
“So something devastating like this happens, you watch the devastation pour through that community and there’s very little that you can do. But with Anna and César, they have that strong, strong connection.”
