Alpha Phi Alpha Members Living in Colombia Launch Emergency Relief Drive for Families Hit by the 7.4-Magnitude Earthquake

A group of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. members living in Colombia have launched an emergency relief drive for families and communities devastated by the earthquake that struck the western part of the country, and they are asking brothers, the Divine Nine, and supporters across the United States to help.

The group, known as Alphas in Colombia, is collecting supplies through an Amazon Wish List built specifically for the campaign. Donors choose the item themselves, and everything purchased through the list ships directly to Colombia. Priority needs include first-aid kits and medical supplies, gauze and wound-care supplies, flashlights and headlamps, batteries, KN95 masks, work gloves, diapers and baby wipes, hygiene products, portable phone chargers, emergency blankets, sleeping mats, ankle braces and basic orthopedic supports, and water-purification supplies.

The 7.4-magnitude earthquake hit on August 10, 2026, with an epicenter south of San José del Palmar roughly 250 miles west of Bogotá. According to UN News, the quake has killed more than 300 people, injured about 4,400, and destroyed more than 26,500 homes across 15 departments, with Chocó, Valle del Cauca, Risaralda, and Caldas among the hardest-hit areas.

“Service does not stop at borders,” said Jarvis Houston of Alphas in Colombia and the Beta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha. “As Alpha men living in Colombia, we have a responsibility to stand with the communities we call home when they need us most. We are asking our brothers, members of the Divine Nine, friends, family, and supporters across the United States to help us turn that commitment into immediate action.”

Houston added that the format is deliberate. “Whether someone purchases a first-aid kit, diapers, flashlights, batteries, or medical supplies, every contribution matters.”

Alix Jean of Alphas in Colombia and the Rho Sigma Chapter said the drive is part of a longer relationship with the country. “For us, service in Colombia is about more than responding to one moment—it is about building relationships with the communities we live in and showing up when people need support.”

Alphas in Colombia has organized service work benefiting Colombian children and families in multiple cities, including annual holiday programs. The collective focuses on service, cultural engagement, and community development, with attention to strengthening ties across the African diaspora in the Americas.

How to Help

Supporters can select relief supplies directly from the Alphas in Colombia Amazon Earthquake Relief Wish List. Donations are being accepted now, and items ship straight to Colombia.

Manly Deeds, Scholarship, and Love for All Mankind has carried Alpha Phi Alpha for more than a century, and the brothers in Colombia are putting the first of those three to work in the place they call home.

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