Consider Helping My Venezuelan Family

Who this will help

My name is Rafael Harrington. Some of you may know I was born in Venezuela and was adopted by Kevin and Chris Harrington in Minnesota. I've been blessed to have been raised in Minnesota by a loving family. Being adopted has been a gift while at the same time complicated as I watch my biological family in Venezuela struggle to survive through the rapidly deteriorating economy and political unrest over the years.

Why I'm fundraising

Venezuela’s economy has severely been crippled over the last few years to the point that the Venezuelan Bolivar is worth close to nothing, leaving people without jobs or working for a wage that is simply not livable nor dignified. In my attempt to help fundamentally change the direction of my Venezuelan family’s future, it has become clear that they need charitable contributions in order to launch them in the direction of being able to generate their own source of income. Throughout my discussion with my Venezuelan family, one of the main ways that individuals can make income in Venezuela at the moment is through small convenient stores called bodegas. The money raised with your generosity will be used to build a bodega within my brother’s home. They would sell rice, beans, flour, sugar and other essentials like lentils.

The impact of your support

Many people have reached out to me from my supportive community asking how they can help my family in Venezuela. In helping them create their own bodega, they will be able to support themselves long term and not depend on jobs that only pay $12 a month which has forced many Venezuelans to migrate in search of a more dignified life. With your help, you will help my family be able to eat at least three meals a day and stay together as a family unit without the need to migrate to a different country.