(Direct Relief video)
It’s the last day to make a 2013 tax-deductible gift to Goleta-based Direct Relief, which has been providing medical aid to people in need — locally, nationally and internationally — for 65 years. Click here to make an online donation.
While perhaps best known for its work in emergencies, the reason Direct Relief is able to respond effectively in disaster situations is because it was already working with local groups the day before the emergency. It’s the quiet, day-to-day ongoing work in the most vulnerable areas, and partnerships to support and strengthen the local health-care leaders in more than 70 countries, that makes the crucial difference — even if this work rarely makes the news.
This year, thanks to its supporters like you, Direct Relief was able to help more people than ever before — delivering $354 million in life-saving medicines and medical supplies to partner health-care providers around the world and in all 50 U.S. states. This involvement translated into treatment being available for hundreds of thousands of people displaced by emergencies, and many more in need of care in situations that didn’t make the news.
Be a part of this life-saving work by donating online at this link or by making a donation over the phone at 805.964.4767. Checks can be mailed to Direct Relief, 27 S. La Patera Lane, Goleta 93117. Also, make sure to check if your employer participates in Direct Relief’s matching gift program, which may double or even triple your gift. Click here to search the list.
The nearby video above was generously produced by Direct Relief board member Joanna Kerns, who has worked for 40 years in theater, television and film as an actress, director and producer. She is probably best known for the role of Maggie Seaver in the long-running TV sitcom, Growing Pains.
Direct Relief is a leading medical relief organization, active in all 50 states and in 70 countries, and is the only U.S. nonprofit organization to obtain Verified Accredited Wholesale Distributor (VAWD) certification by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy.
The organization has been among the world’s largest medical suppliers in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake, has top charity ratings, including four-star and “top-notch” rating from Charity Navigator, and a 99 percent fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes magazine. Among other distinctions, Direct Relief was the 2011 winner of the Peter F. Drucker Award for Nonprofit Innovation and received the 2013 President’s Award from ESRI.
» Click here for more information about Direct Relief, or call 805.964.4767. Follow Direct Relief on Twitter: @DirectRelief. Connect with Direct Relief on Facebook.
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— Hannah Rael is a media relations and communications associate for Direct Relief.