How Casa de Venezuela is responding to the humanitarian crisis from Philly

“Around the Corner” is a PhillyCAM show that offers local social impact leaders the opportunity to share what impact their work is having on the Philadelphia area.

When Casa de Venezuela formed 12 years ago, the nonprofit’s purpose was to preserve Venezuelan culture for Venezuelans in the Philly region.

But recently, thanks to a wave of immigrants fleeing a humanitarian crisis in their home country, the organization has shifted to helping new arrivals adjust to American life as well as advocating for awareness of the crisis here, said Casa President Fernando Torres, who estimates there are 5,000 to 10,000 Venezuelan Americans living in and around the city.

“We’re coming from Venezuela being the richest country in Latin America to [having] the highest inflation in the world” and one of the highest murder rates in the world, Torres said. “Part of our message is trying to communicate that out here.”

The nonprofit still supports cultural programming, though — including the upcoming Latino Film Festival. Learn more about Casa de Venezuela in Torres’ “Around the Corner” interview below.

PhillyCAM is Comcast channel 66/966 HD/967 and Verizon FIOS channel 29/30 in Philadelphia.