FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. (7News) — Gabriela Febres has been feeding her community for years as the owner of a popular Venezuelan restaurant in the D.C. area, but now she feels the need to do the same for the South American country where some of her family still lives, after deadly twin earthquakes have displaced many survivors.

The death toll continues climbing, topping 1,400 victims.

RELATED | Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Febres, who owns Arepa Zone, told 7News she knew she had to step in and help gather donations for people who have lost everything.

"We're in shock, we're sad, we're frustrated, and we want to feel like we're doing something. As soon as the earthquake happened, my Instagram messages for the restaurant page started overflowing with people asking how they can help," Febres said. "How do you go on with your life knowing what is happening back home? It's really hard to sit at a desk job and focus when you're waiting for news, when you know the death toll is rising."

On Sunday, volunteers worked to move food from forklifts to empty plates.

Arepa Zone received so many donations that they had to stop collecting. They are still helping facilitate cash donations.

For Febres, making sure she could help the people of Venezuela was personal. She still has family there, who survived the tragedy.

"My dad's sister is in Caracas right now. She's fine, but it's been very hard to communicate," Febres said. "We're all going through different things. There's people that have lost family members, people that are waiting for news still, people that have lost their homes."

If you walk around the donation drive, you are bound to meet many other people with similar stories.