Hurricane Matthew Relief Fund

With torrential rains and winds exceeding 160 mph, Hurricane Matthew made a devastating journey through the Caribbean, where more than 1,000 people lost their lives and another 1.4 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance.

Even before the storm made landfall on October 4, we began reaching out to our partners on the ground in Haiti, Cuba, the Bahamas, and the southeastern United States. Since then, more than 20 organizations have begun responding. Here are four examples of GlobalGiving partners that are assisting survivors across the affected region now:

• Partners In Health and its sister organization, Zanmi Lasante, are on the ground in Haiti responding with medical supplies and urgent health care for people critically in need both immediately and in the long-term.
• Emergency food is on its way to the southeastern counties of Florida thanks to Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.
• Beyond Borders is helping 100 vulnerable Haitian families repair and rebuild their homes, providing access to seed and tools so families can have more food, and supplying livestock or market goods families can sell to help them make a full recovery.
• In The Bahamas, the storm has left many people without power or homes, and has left many people injured. Fishing For Families in Need is helping families get back on their feet by providing emergency supplies.

We’ve seen considerable concern about giving to relief efforts in Haiti because of billions of dollars in humanitarian aid that Haitians never saw after the devastating earthquake that struck the island in 2010.

But, as I wrote this week in the Huffington Post, you can be optimistic because you have made a great impact in two major ways: by giving cash and giving locally! Local organizations know the needs of their communities best, and giving cash instead of items helps them use funds to purchase the items they need most. If you have friends or family who’ve expressed skepticism about Hurricane Matthew relief efforts, you may want to share my post with them.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll share further updates on the impact your donations are making for the millions affected by Hurricane Matthew. We’re so grateful to donors like you who are part of our giving community committed to survivors of disasters like this one.

Warmly,
Britt Lake + the GlobalGiving Team