Pablo Torres: Love, Action, Truth

Story by Katrice Williams
Photography by Erich Perez

There are many who talk the talk, but few walk the walk. As the co-founder of LAT 318, Pablo Torres has proven that he is not a man of mere words, but a man of action. LAT (Love, Action, Truth) 318, a local area nonprofit, has assisted individuals in need since its inception in 2017. The organization’s name is derived from 1 John 3:18 which states: “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth” (Holy Bible, New International Version).

Pablo, originally from Puerto Rico, relocated to the U.S. in 2000 alongside his wife and fellow LAT 318 co-founder Luz, a Venezuela native; the couple has two sons: Jorge, 17, and Sebastian, 11. Pablo began missionary work in 1996 while living in Puerto Rico. Being familiar with the urgent needs of underprivileged communities in various countries, he was determined to be a beacon of assistance and thus partnered with organizations that shared his passion to help.

LAT 318

In 2017, Pablo’s regard for the welfare of others manifested in the creation of LAT 318.  Pablo and Luz began shipping toiletry items to South America, particularly Venezuela, Colombia, Honduras, El Salvador and Argentina; they distributed the donated items right from their own garage. Besides Pablo and Luz, the LAT 318 team includes Pablo’s brother-in-law Jorge Araque, his pastor Alton Carter, along with a few additional dedicated volunteers.

“It’s a team effort. I work with a great team of people,” Pablo says.

LAT 318 initially began shipping approximately 200-pound cases of the essential items each quarter to each of the countries.

For some time now, the organization has been focusing the majority of its benevolent efforts on Venezuela, which suffers from a severe limitation of goods necessary to sustain its citizens’ needs. Hence, LAT 318 ships about 800-pound cases of product each quarter to Venezuela, which include medical supplies provided by MAP (Medicine for All People) International, a nonprofit located in Brunswick, Georgia.

In contrast, the organization has offered a bit more financial support to Honduras and Colombia where there are more goods available to sustain the countries’ needs and where the value of the U.S. dollar is very strong.

Though LAT 318 has been a relatively small operation, it has done a world of good over the years. Pablo admits that Luz manages most of the organization's daily operations, as he has maintained a full-time career at Gulfstream Aerospace for over 16 years.

“She coordinates the day-to-day activities; the kids also help us in the logistics and packing the boxes. I couldn't do any of this without my wife and kids,” he says.

The Products of Generosity

The organization’s primary goal is for Venezuela, along with any other country it assists, to reach a point of sustainability. Besides the obvious food shortages, many Venezuelans suffer from contaminated water in certain parts of the country, as the lake that supplies water to those areas is polluted. The organization has strived to help the country alleviate that issue.

As the land has been bombarded with hyperinflation for quite some time, purchasing water is out of the question for most citizens.

A major goal of LAT 318 is to aid malnourished children, so the organization has bought cattle in Venezuela that can be used to help feed them; the milk from the cows can be sold, and cheese can be made to sell for additional funds. All of the proceeds are reinvested to further assist the children.

“All those funds come back to the program. We try to think very dynamically. We want to help make the country self-sustaining,” Pablo states. In addition, some of the children in Venezuela are becoming proficient in various agricultural skills.

LAT 318 invests in the education and vocational training of the children there, including many teenagers. It has provided the country with five educators. Further, the organization has partnered with local doctors and medical volunteers who practice at a fully accessible and well-equipped clinic that the organization provides. Over-the-counter medication is supplied as a result of the generosity of caring sponsors.

LAT 318 used some of its financial donations to rebuild a media classroom for deaf children in Honduras. The classroom received a variety of necessary equipment – laptops and other essentials to benefit the students.

“All of that was funded with donations from Savannah,” Pablo states.

LAT 318 has purchased homes for individuals in need while also helping to rebuild others. Pablo recalls the joy that an older widow experienced when her home was rebuilt, a home she needed to raise her grandchildren.

The organization’s impactful support helped over 300 children in Venezuela and Colombia receive toys over the holidays last year.

Pablo travels to some of the countries in need of assistance in order to help support his organization’s cause.

Benevolence

Pablo appreciates the benevolence of the organization’s generous givers. Over the years, LAT 318 has partnered with ministries in Savannah, along with those in Venezuela, Argentina, Honduras and Puerto Rico; they have offered priceless support for the phenomenal cause. Local churches and various organizations in the area, including Nine Line Apparel, who kindly donates t-shirts to ship to individuals in need, have proved to be a real blessing for the nonprofit.

Even more, it is important to Pablo and Luz that 100% of what is given is used to support the cause. All donations are distributed immediately, as all the needs are immediate.

“The donations we get are from caring supporters. The people here are giving hard; they are being good stewards of the opportunity to help people. It is very important that we take care of what people give us as well; all the money goes to the nonprofit,” he says.

The LAT 318 team is sincerely appreciative for all the acts of kindness shown, especially the tremendous generosity of supportive individuals and organizations right here in the Coastal Empire.

“When you see how the people here unite to help, it’s very inspiring. Having the people of Savannah encourage us and help us is very important to me; we are able to share some of the goodness that we have here in the United States. Instead of preaching more than we’re doing, we actually do more than we preach,” Pablo says.

The Asset of Military Service

Pablo is a U.S. Army veteran, and he feels his military experience has proved beneficial to him in a lot that he has accomplished with his organization.

“I believe everything in life is a tool for the next step. Resources I gained in the military have always been key. The military gave me the mental prowess to identify needs, have clear expectations, the ability to work on teams and the ability to delegate and not micromanage. Soldiers are the most effective missionaries. The core military values of integrity, honor and respect go hand-in-hand with what I’m doing now. I’m helping people in the mission field that may be affected spiritually, mentally or physically. It’s very mission-oriented; it’s very similar as far as the expectation,” he says.

Pablo is a member of Gulfstream's international sales team. He jokes that the company is his second military home.

Gratitude

Pablo is incredibly grateful for his wife Luz, whom he truly admires, especially for the heart she possesses for others.

“She is strong; she came to this country and had to learn the language, the currency, the laws and the rules. I admire her strength, her integrity and her selflessness … just seeing her go-getter attitude, her determination, and the way she loves people. She gives herself away to help others, and she does this without pay. Even though she’s doing all this, we have never seen our home lack attention in any form or fashion,” he states.

Pablo Torres, along with the entire LAT 318 team, walk the walk, exemplifying that love and concern for others is more than just talk.

“If I want to be prudent and show the world I love God, I should show the world that I love you, right? Love is an action word. If I don’t help those I see and love them, how can I say I love God, Who I don’t see?”

Anyone who would like to support LAT 318 or receive additional information about the organization can visit: www.lat318.org.