The fires in Los Angels are still burning so we’re going to highlight another organization providing support to the impacted communities. Today, it’s Direct Relief.
Established in 1948 as the William Zimdin Foundation and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, Direct Relief “provides appropriate and specifically requested medical resources to community-based institutions and organizations throughout the world and across the United States.”
Let’s start with the fires in California. Direct Relief has coordinated their response efforts with local and state agencies and health associations, deploying emergency response teams to deliver critically needed relief items. This includes 2.3 million N95 respirators and more than $100 million in medicines and medical supplies. This short video shows what Direct Relief is bringing to community centers in the region.
This is just one example of how Direct Relief responds to disasters around the world. Whether the event is caused by fires, hurricanes, earthquakes, typhoons, disease outbreaks or is a humanitarian crisis as a result of war, the focus is on rapid mobilization. Direct Relief responds to specific requests from local partners and coordinates with other organizations and public agencies in the affected areas to ensure the most efficient use of resources.
They also provide healthcare for vulnerable communities. This work focuses on maternal health, tribal health, health equity and disease prevention. Direct Relief supports locally-run facilities around the world providing essential health services, as well as supporting facilities in all 50 US states. You can explore this interactive global aid map to see the distribution of humanitarian aid and their international network of healthcare partners.
Since July, 2024, the beginning of fiscal year 2025, Direct Relief has provided over $98 million in medical aid, 763,780 pounds of medicine and supplies and more than 21 million doses of medicine to people in need.
If you’d like to help Direct Relief improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty and disaster, there are many ways you can support them. Volunteer in their Santa Barbara office, make a general donation to the organization, or a specific donation to respond to the California wildfires. You can also amplify their work on social media by following Direct Relief on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn and subscribing to their YouTube channel.
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