Helping Communities-Disaster Relief

Helping those in need after a disaster is a mainstay of B’nai B’rith’s agenda. This work began in the mid-1800s and hasn’t stopped. Our disaster relief efforts have positively impacted individuals and communities in countless ways.

When terrorists detonated bombs at the Boston Marathon in April, B’nai B’rith opened its Disaster Relief Fund to aid the victims and their families. When a powerful tornado devastated Moore, Okla., we opened our Flood, Tornado and Hurricane Relief fund to help the town get back on its feet. The fund has also been opened for Colorado flooding and Midwest tornados. We opened a fund to aid with the devastation in the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan. Our work continues through monetary donations as well as hands-on helping.

Emergency and rebuilding projects are continuing such as supporting disaster response teams from our partners IsraAID and NECHAMA.

In New York, our Young Leadership Network continued to focus on Hurricane Sandy Relief efforts. Since the storm hit in October 2012 young leaders have performed 325 hours of community service and raised more than $2,200 for the B’nai B’rith Disaster Relief Fund.

B’nai B’rith and our partner Alpha Epsilon Pi (AEPi), the Jewish fraternity, organized a clean-up in Oklahoma—dismantling a damaged barn—basically providing a week’s worth of work in just one day, thanks to the enthusiasm and energy of 35 AEPi brothers.

Our Communities in Crisis program, which aids the citizens of impoverished communities in Latin America, entered its second decade this year. Since our partnership with the Brother’s Brother Foundation began in 2002, B’nai B’rith has brought tens of millions of dollars worth of prescription medicines and supplies to Latin America. Pharmaceutical companies donate supplies and medicines to Brother’s Brother and B’nai B’rith provides the shipping and logistical fees required to move the items to these countries.

B'nai B'rith members and supporters throughout Latin American provide boots on the ground throughout the process.

Towns and cities in Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela have all received assistance. We are proud to note 127 hospitals and clinics across Latin America received needed medicines in 2013.