After Helene, relief network takes the chaos out of giving

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, necessity has bred an interesting kind of financial invention for the New York MTA: the world’s first “catastrophe” bond - a reinsurance for the insurer - designed to protect public transportation infrastructure, specifically against storm surge. These bonds privatize risk for public gain, creating a kind of tool that may protect economic development against all kinds of natural and man-made disasters around the world.

Many argue that the Burning Man festival has become an exclusive and wasteful indulgence for the wealthy - an opinion that was exacerbated this year when thousands of perfectly good bicycles were left among the debris in the desert. But a few enterprising individuals and organizations saw an opportunity to aid the victims of hurricanes Irma and Maria by rescuing, fixing, and transporting the abandoned bikes to communities where many people had lost all other forms of transportation, stifling their recovery efforts. Now hope is being restored for some, two wheels at a time.

Refugio, Texas was ravaged by Hurricane Harvey, leaving behind damaged houses, schools and businesses and people who can not afford to rebuild their lives. However, this town has used its community and found strength in their love of football and their support of one another to keep moving forward.

FEMA’s response to Puerto Rico post-Hurricane Irma has been the “longest sustained domestic airborne food and water mission in the nation’s history. The agency has never distributed more food or installed more generators.” However, due to bureaucracy and delayed decision making, there are still thousands of Puerto Ricans who have not received aid, or were underserved.

In countries like Cambodia, Angola, and Mozambique, rats are saving lives by detecting untriggered land mines. An international nonprofit, Apopo, provides funding a training and works with local organizations to operate at the local level. The rats are light enough that they don’t trigger the explosives and can cover up to 2,000 square feet in just 20 minutes – something that would take a human up to four days to complete.

Clarke County School District in Georgia has 21 public schools that all offer free meals to students, regardless of their financial needs. This is facilitated through a federally-funded program, so even though poverty rates are high in the area, local residents are not footing the bill. While there are still some challenges implementing the program, in general it is received well and allows students to focus on their work and well-being instead of being distracted by hunger.

The Lee Initiative, Beam Suntory, and Pernod Ricard are three brand-sponsored initiatives that have provided meals and essential goods to cooks, servers, hosts, bussers, and bartenders that are out of jobs because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The organizations partner with local restaurants to provide meals and goods to those in need on specific days and times each week. The programs have reached many in an industry that was hard hit by the shutdown. The Lee Initiative has provided more than 9,000 meals nationwide and Beam Suntory’s Shift Meals program has served about 10,000 meals nationwide.

Garrett County students were able to get back in school quickly because the district built trust with its community by providing families with crucial supplies, carefully planning the reopening, and communicating extensively with parents. When remote learning was required because of COVID-19, the district provided families with computers, tablets, central Wi-Fi hotspots, and delivered meals, which built trust and opened lines of communication. When students were brought back into the classroom, parents trusted the district to prioritize safety and their feedback was incorporated and responded to.

Diaper banks are addressing a pressing need for families who have very few resources to buy diapers with. Federal funding such as WIC or food stamps cover nutritional needs and diapers are considered hygiene products, excluding them from assistance programs. The few programs that do provide diaper assistance are extremely difficult to qualify for. The National Diaper Bank Network supports banks across the country, including those in rural communities with small populations.

Haitian nonprofit, Health in the Mountains provided vital supplies to people in need after the earthquake. Despite a number of obstacles, the team was able to transport the supplies to the final destination.