Better Off Home Buyers Rallies Portland Investors to Deliver Earthquake Relief to Colombia

Oregon-based home-buying company and local investors raise $4,650 and deliver 750 pounds of essential supplies to earthquake-affected communities.

PORTLAND, OR, UNITED STATES, September 30, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Scott Dalinger, owner and founder of Portland, OR-based Better Off Home Buyers, was in Bogotá, Colombia on August 10th, when a 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the country, killing hundreds and leaving a path of devastation affecting thousands of families.

"I have been in many earthquakes in my life, but have never felt anything that strong, not even close," said Dalinger. "The earth was shaking beneath your feet, and it felt like you were on a paddleboard on choppy water, just trying to keep your balance. It went on for minutes, and I was a couple hundred miles from the epicenter."

The devastation caused by the earthquake was widespread. The Colombian governmental organization UNGRD estimates that 466,345 people were affected, 4,505 injured, 101 missing, with 331 fatalities. Additionally, 36,327 homes were destroyed, 201,939 homes were severely damaged, and 759 buildings collapsed.

In the days after the earthquake, Dalinger saw the city of Bogotá spring into action, becoming a central point for the collection and distribution of aid to the affected regions throughout the country.

Inspired by what he saw, Dalinger decided that Better Off Home Buyers was going to step in and help. "I spoke with my business partner Dylan Hallett, and we agreed that we wanted to do something. We decided to purchase food and personal care items, which is what was needed most."

Dalinger invited friends and business associates in Portland, Oregon to help as well. "I decided to use my little corner of influence to try to expand the impact beyond our own contribution. I called up my friends, most of whom are real estate investors in Portland, Oregon, and a few other states, and they were quick to pitch in financially."

After a few phone calls, contacts immediately started sending money through Venmo and Zelle. Between its own contribution and those of the Oregon investor community, Better Off Home Buyers collected a total of $4,650.

"It was really amazing that the Oregon investing community stepped up. With no questions asked, people sent us thousands of dollars which they entrusted us with to help the earthquake victims. Oregonians really know how to step up when the need is great."

To ensure direct impact, Better Off Home Buyers teamed up with Gimnasio de los Cerros and Misión INALDE of the INALDE Business School at Universidad de la Sabana, which were leading a coordinated effort to collect earthquake aid and physically distribute it to the affected communities.

Rather than donating the money, Dalinger and his family used the model of Gobble Gobble Give, Better Off Home Buyers' Portland Thanksgiving drive, whereby investors purchase food directly, rather than relying on financial donations.

With the money collected, Dalinger, his wife, and his children went shopping for the items that were needed most, filling several vehicles and making several trips, delivering the items to Gimnasio de los Cerros. From there, volunteers transported the aid to Universidad de la Sabana, where it was loaded into box trucks and dispatched to the affected regions.

The aid reached its final destinations of Chocó, a department with some of the highest poverty levels in Colombia, as well as the municipalities of Circasia and Quimbaya in the coffee region, all of which faced significant destruction by the earthquake.

All told, Better Off Home Buyers, with the financial help of its Portland friends and associates, delivered approximately 750 pounds of critically needed aid, which included rice, beans, bread, panela, spaghetti, salt, baby food, pots for cooking, deodorant, feminine hygiene products, adult diapers, toilet paper, baby diapers, baby wipes, toothpaste, toothbrushes, rubbing alcohol, soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

Guided by its founding core value of Service since its inception in 2018, Better Off Home Buyers remains committed to serving the communities where it works and lives.

High-resolution photos documenting the relief effort are available upon request.

About Better Off Home Buyers:
Founded in 2018, Better Off Home Buyers is a professional home buying company based in Portland, Oregon, and is BBB-accredited with an A+ rating. It buys homes in any condition for cash throughout Oregon and Southwest Washington. Its mission is to provide honest, fast, and hassle-free solutions to homeowners looking to sell without agents, repairs, or commissions

Scott M Dalinger
Better Off Home Buyers
+1 888-827-0889
scott@coast2coasthousebuyers.com
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