Direct Relief

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Direct Relief
FoundedSanta Barbara, California, US
August 23, 1948 (1948-08-23)[1]
FounderWilliam D. Zimdin, Dezso Karczag[2]
TypeCharitable Organization[1]
95-1831116
Legal status501(c)(3) organization[1]
FocusDisaster preparedness and relief services[3]
Location
  • Santa Barbara, California[3]
Coordinates34°26′14″N 119°50′36″W / 34.43734°N 119.8432121°W / 34.43734; -119.8432121
Area served
International[3]
Key people
Thomas Tighe, president and CEO
John Romo, chairman of the board of directors[1]
Revenue
$1.1B[4]
Employees
100 full-time
Volunteers
20,000+ individuals, companies, and foundations
Websitedirectrelief.org
Formerly called
Direct Relief International

Direct Relief (formerly known as Direct Relief International) is a nonprofit humanitarian organization whose mission is to improve the lives of people in poverty or emergency situations by providing the appropriate medical resources.[5] The charity provides emergency medical assistance and disaster relief in the United States and internationally.[1] The organization is headed by an independent board of directors and its president and CEO, Thomas Tighe.[6]

History[edit]

In 1945, William Zimdin [de], an Estonian immigrant to the United States and businessman, began sending thousands of relief parcels to relatives, friends, and former employees in Europe to help with the aftermath of World War II.[2][7][8] In 1948, Zimdin formalized his efforts with the establishment of the William Zimdin Foundation. Dezso Karczag, a Hungarian Jewish immigrant, assumed management of the foundation following Zimdin's death in 1951. Karczag changed the organization's name to Direct Relief Foundation in 1957.[9]

In the early 1960s, the foundation refined its mission to serve disadvantaged populations in medically underserved communities around the world. To assist with this effort, Direct Relief became licensed as a wholesale pharmacy in 1962 to be able to provide prescription medicines.[10] During this time, the organization also supported victims of natural disasters in the US and homeless populations in Santa Barbara, California.[11] The foundation assumed the name Direct Relief International in 1982.[12][7]

In 2004, the Direct Relief provided almost $122 million in medical aid to 54 countries.[13] The same year, the organization assisted Sri Ramakrishna Math and GlaxoSmithKline with designing and implementing a one-year nurse assistant training program in India. The program was launched to empower young women in districts affected by the Indian Ocean tsunami. By 2019, over 1,200 nurses had graduated.[14]

In 2011, Direct Relief Women held its first fundraiser for Direct Relief International. All money raised went toward providing safe births around the world.[15] In 2013, Direct Relief International assumed the name Direct Relief.[12]

After raising $3,300 for the American Cancer Society through a partnership with Direct Relief in 2016, Matthew Moffit and Direct Relief produced Zeldathon (playing Legend of Zelda for 36 hours straight) and formed Direct Relief Gaming, which has raised $14.1M since its inception and partnered with organizations such as Humble Bundle and Bungie.[16][17]

In 2018, Direct Relief provided about $1.2 billion worth of wholesale materials to health centers in over 100 countries.[citation needed]

Operations[edit]

Between 2000 and 2014, the Direct Relief's operating budget averaged roughly $11 million per year.[18] Over the same period, it reported delivering more than $1.6 billion in medical resources and supplies worldwide.[19] Medical supplies come largely through in-kind donations by hundreds of pharmaceutical manufacturers.[20]

The organization manages logistics and distribution through enterprise systems that include SAP, Esri, and in-kind transportation support from FedEx.[3][18][21]

In 2019, Direct Relief opened a new Santa Barbara warehouse and distribution headquarters.[22] The new building is 155,000-square-feet, earthquake-safe, and outfitted with state-of-the-art distribution technology for medical supplies.[23] Direct Relief partnered with Tesla to create a microgrid power supply for the building.[24] Solar panels are integrated with battery storage and generators to keep the headquarters running for up to six months in the face of a disaster and to store temperature-sensitive medications like insulin and vaccines.[23]

Emergency preparedness and response[edit]

Relief efforts[edit]

Hurricanes[edit]

Brief description of Direct Relief's efforts in preparation of Hurricane Dorian in 2019
  • Hurricane Katrina (2005): Direct Relief provided care to more than 37,170 evacuees and started their Hurricane Preparedness program after Hurricane Katrina occurred.[25][26]
  • Hurricane Ike (2008): Hurricane Ike displaced over 100,000 people in 2008. Direct Relief provided over $1.1 million in hurricane emergency aid as of September 20, 2008. The shipments contained medicines and hygienic supplies.[27][28]
  • Hurricane Gustav (2008): Direct Relief committed $250,000 in hurricane response funds to assist nonprofit clinics, community health centers, and alternate care sites, working with the National Association of Community Health Centers and State Primary Care Associations in the Gulf.[29]
  • Hurricane Irene (2011): Direct Relief worked closely with Merck to make tetanus vaccines available to clinics and community health centers affected by Hurricane Irene.[30] The organization also collaborated with the National Association of Community Health Centers, the North Carolina Community Health Center Association, the Bi-State Primary Care Association, and the Vermont Coalition of Clinics for the Uninsured to offer assistance to people affected by Irene.[31]
  • Hurricane Sandy (2012): Direct Relief provided medical supplies to community clinics, nonprofit health centers, and other groups in areas affected by Hurricane Sandy, as well as mapping pharmacies, gas stations, and other facilities that remained in the New York City area despite power outages.[32]
  • Hurricane Matthew (2016): Direct Relief sent 16.7 tons of medicine and medical supplies via a donated FedEx plane to distribute in hospitals throughout the US.[33]
  • Hurricane Harvey (2017): Direct Relief provided funding and emergency supplies to Texas community health centers.[34]
  • Hurricane Irma (2017): Direct Relief coordinated with more than seventy healthcare partners in Florida and Puerto Rico, including the Florida Association of Community Health Centers and the Asociación de Salud Primaria de Puerto Rico, to support existing nonprofit community clinics and health centers.[35]
  • Hurricane Maria (2017): Between 2017 and 2018, Direct Relief provided $70.2M in medical aid for hurricane relief.[36]
  • Hurricane Florence (2018): Direct Relief committed an initial $200K in cash and made its medical inventory available for emergencies occurring on the US East Coast.[37][38]
  • Hurricane Dorian (2019): Direct Relief delivered medical aid and emergency supplies to affected areas in the Bahamas.[39]

Earthquakes[edit]

Volcanoes[edit]

Disease outbreaks[edit]

In 2013, Direct Relief launched a program in partnership with Basic Health International to screen and treat women in Haiti for cervical cancer.[52]

  • H1N1 outbreak (2009): Direct Relief provided 478 clinics in 49 US states with H1N1 protective items to keep clinic workers healthy throughout flu season.[53]
  • Zika virus outbreak (2015): In 2016, Direct Relief established a Zika fund and helped fulfill requests for supplies in fourteen affected countries.[54]
  • DRC Ebola outbreak (2015): Since 2015, Direct Relief has provided $13.9 million in medical aid.[55][56]
  • Global COVID-19 pandemic (2019–2020): In January 2020, Direct Relief worked with FedEx Cares, the courier's global charitable platform, to fulfill an emergency order from medical staff in Wuhan's largest hospital, Wuhan Union Hospital.[57][58]

Up to April 2020, the organization had distributed more than 145,000 pounds of medical aid in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[59] Direct Relief shipped supplies to hospitals and clinics in all 50 US states as well as institutions in 32 countries.[59][60] The organization also started a new COVID-19 fund to provide community health centers financial support for healthcare workers.[61] 3M donated $10 million to the fund.[62] By June 2020, over 518 health centers had received funding through the COVID-19 fund.[63]

In May 2020, Direct Relief announced that it was partnering with FedEx Cares to ship personal protective equipment to underserved communities around the US.[64] The charity has sent over 350,000 surgical masks, 30,000 face masks, and 10,000 goggles to Mexico.[65]

Wildfires[edit]

Direct Relief provides support to local and international wildfire incidents, including masks, vehicles, and funds to advance firefighter technology.

In July 2019, the organization released an analysis of which small towns in California could be the hardest hit by a fast-moving wildfire based on the numbers of low-income, immobile, aging, or disabled people in the community. Nine towns were given a "very high" social-vulnerability score.[74]

Typhoons[edit]

  • Typhoon Yutu (2018): The "super typhoon" hit the Northern Mariana Islands in October 2018. Direct Relief worked with Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (the only hospital in the Northern Mariana Islands) and with other health facilities damaged by the storm to coordinate medical aid shipments. A shipment of 40,000 liters of drinking water along with other essential items was delivered in late October.[75]

Maternal and child health[edit]

Direct Relief delivers medical aid to people in high-need areas worldwide by supporting partners that provide child and maternal health services through the full process of pregnancy. The organization provides midwives with the tools needed to provide delivery, antenatal, and postpartum care safely. In 2017, Direct Relief distributed 300 midwife kits to fourteen partners in seven countries in the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, supporting 15,000 safe births.[76]

  • In July 2011, Direct Relief developed the Global Fistula Map in partnership with the United Nations Population Fund and the Fistula Foundation.[77][78]
  • In 2012, Direct Relief teamed up with Last Mile Health to launch a childhood pneumonia program in Liberia.[79]
  • Direct Relief provided midwife kits to hospitals and midwifery schools in Sierra Leone, Somaliland, and Nepal.[80]
  • Direct Relief increased support to Edna Adan University Hospital for the treatment and care of women with obstetric fistula. This included the construction and equipping of an operating theater and the development of a training curriculum for midwives and nurses.[81]

Wars[edit]

  • In March 2022, Direct Relief partnered with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to provide medical aid, including emergency response packs intended for first responders, oxygen concentrators, and critical care medicines.[82]

Charity reviews and awards[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e "Charity Navigator – Direct Relief". Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2014.
  2. ^ a b Graffy, Neal (January 1, 2010). Historic Santa Barbara: An Illustrated History (1 ed.). San Antonio, Texas: Historical Publishing Network. p. 177. ISBN 9781935377146. Retrieved November 7, 2014 – via Google Books.
  3. ^ a b c d "GuideStar Exchange Reports for Direct Relief". Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 16, 2014.
  4. ^ "Annual Report FY 2017". Retrieved December 27, 2018.
  5. ^ "Direct Relief". Global Impact. Retrieved February 28, 2023.
  6. ^ "Charity Review, Direct Relief". www.give.org. Better Business Bureau. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  7. ^ a b "A Medical Supplier Without Borders". Los Angeles Times. May 19, 2002. Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  8. ^ Kenny Slaught (November 20, 2016). "A Direct Relief to the Community Located in Santa Barbara". Retrieved September 20, 2019.
  9. ^ Martelle, Scott (May 19, 2002). "A Medical Supplier Without Borders". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 20, 2014. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  10. ^ "Member Spotlight: Direct Relief". World Heart Federation. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  11. ^ "Guide to the Dezso Karczag Papers". Online Archive of California. Retrieved December 29, 2020.
  12. ^ a b Meagher, Chris (June 21, 2013). "Direct Relief Drops 'International' from Name". The Santa Barbara Independent. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
  13. ^ Candid. "Direct Relief International". Philanthropy News Digest. Retrieved November 25, 2020.
  14. ^ Thilakavathy, M.; May, R.K. (2019). Facets of Contemporary History. MJP Publisher. p. 234.
  15. ^ Staff Report. "Direct Relief International event has a Valley link". Santa Ynez Valley News. Retrieved November 17, 2020.
  16. ^ "How Nonprofits Are Reaching Younger Donors Through Livestream Fundraising". The Chronicle of Philanthropy. December 3, 2018. Retrieved December 20, 2018.
  17. ^ "Direct Relief Gaming". Direct Relief. June 9, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
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  28. ^ "7 Organizations You Can Donate to Right Now to Help Hurricane Harvey Victims". Bustle. Retrieved August 29, 2019.
  29. ^ Hutain, Jenny (September 1, 2008). "Direct Relief Makes $250,00 Available to U.S. Gulf Coast's Medical "Safety Net"". Direct Relief. Retrieved April 5, 2019.
  30. ^ Hutain, Jenny (September 7, 2011). "Delivering Urgently Needed Medical Aid to Rutland Flood Victims". Direct Relief. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
  31. ^ Hutain, Jenny (August 31, 2011). "Reaching Out to Vermont Partners Affected by Irene". Direct Relief. Retrieved April 11, 2019.
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  37. ^ "Hurricane Florence: Direct Relief Commits $200,000 in Emergency Funding, Makes Available $100 Million in Medicine and Supplies to Aid Response". finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved March 6, 2019.
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  53. ^ Stickney, R. "Clinics Swamped with Flu Patients". NBC 7 San Diego. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
  54. ^ "Zika Virus Outbreak". Direct Relief. January 10, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2019.
  55. ^ Gretchen (August 3, 2018). "New Ebola Cases in Democratic Republic of Congo". PQMD. Retrieved April 19, 2019.
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  64. ^ "Direct Relief and FedEx Cares partner to distribute PPE". Pacific Coast Business Times. May 22, 2020. Retrieved June 30, 2020.
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  76. ^ Holl, Brooke (May 12, 2019). "Direct Relief Women Celebrate Mother's Day with Benefit for Maternal, Child Health Care". Noozhawk. Retrieved June 7, 2019.
  77. ^ "Global Fistula Map". Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
  78. ^ "Direct Relief Women Celebrate Mother's Day with Benefit in Support of Maternal, Child Health Care". Noozhawk. May 18, 2014. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved November 12, 2014.
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  84. ^ Cervenka, Rachael (June 3, 2013). "Oklahoma tornadoes: California-based nonprofit donates medical supplies". The Oklahoman. Archived from the original on November 8, 2014. Retrieved November 7, 2014.
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  86. ^ Direct Relief (September 4, 2014). "Flash Poll: In States Expanding Medicaid, Community Health Centers Report More Patients, Fewer Uninsured" (Press release). PR Newswire. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
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External links[edit]

Official website

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Direct_Relief&oldid=1202599490"