Joseph Masiello
Mr. Gianfrancesco
Honors English AP/EEP
9 February 2016
Lifesaving Relief Groups Natural disasters are unpredictable threats of nature, wreaking havoc upon nations worldwide. Some, though not as strong as others can create immense amounts of damage to cities and property. Hurricanes, tornadoes, landslides, earthquakes, or even tsunamis have the potential to tear through anything in the path of destruction. These terrors of nature can happen anywhere, but where they may occur the damages could be a lot harder to recover from. Third world countries suffer tremendous casualties and destruction, without the money or even first aid to help those in need. A prime example of disaster in a third world country would be the, large magnitude earthquake in Haiti where unstable buildings and unawareness took the lives of copious people. After the quakes many suffered from injury and needed medical attention, however the nation could not supply these medical needs. However, there are organizations such as the American Red Cross and Project cure that provide the much needed supplies that are critical to help save lives. Supplying a wide variety of life saving essentials, these disaster relief specialists, receive most supplies form fundraising events. Gathering supplies needed from simple donations such as Band-Aids and Neosporin can go a long way to help these nations while recovering from such destruction. With disaster relief teams such as the American Red Cross, and Project Cure, third world nations are aided with lifesaving supplies that are made possible by fundraising for these non-profit organizations. Nepal, one of the poorest countries in the world, was hit by powerful earthquakes, causing many to flee what they used to call home. Over nine thousand people have died and more than 22,000 are injured. The extensive damage and amounts of those injured are too great for a poverty stricken nation, causing relief effort groups like Red Cross to step in and provide the essential aid the country needs. More than 600,000 house were completely obliterated leaving thousands without shelter and sewage manes were broken contaminating water throughout the chaos stricken nation. Oxfam International states, “Since our immediate emergency phase of our response, we have been able to able to reach over 445,000 people with clean water, sanitation, shelter and emergency food support, in seven districts, with a special focus giving targeted support to women” (“Nepal Earthquake”). These relief efforts are all provided by generous donations, and fundraiser events that are meant to gather people and show them the devastation of such disasters. Without reliefs groups such as this one, many people would be left to suffer without any possible means of help. With simple donations of inexpensive and abundant medical supplies such as band aids or even purified water many lives can be saved. Many of those who feel the need to help donate regularly or even volunteer to travel with experienced medical personal to help the sick and injured. Fundraising events are a quick and easy way to gather critical supplies needed for the cause the money is being raised for. There are key factors to keep in mind about trying to raise money from the community for charitable actions. An organized event, run by volunteers willing to help would need to be coordinated well and run fluidly. In, How to Produce Fabulous Fundraising Events: Reap Remarkable Returns with Minimal Effort, by Betty Stallings and Donna McMillion, it states, “For some events it is essential that the coordinator of volunteers do a walk- through of the event with its steering committee and any other key leaders so that they will be able to coach and direct volunteers who will be helping on the day of the event.” (Stallings 42) The importance of these fundraisers is insanely high and extremely crucial for the efforts needed overseas in countries suffering from natural disasters. Most organizations are completely volunteered based and need events to run as smoothly as possible, ensuring that they will gather the attention of those willing to help or donate. The quote above merely represents the devotion one must have to organize such an event that, in the end will help others. All funds come from people willing to donate, so if an educated group of volunteers run events which target the people who truly care about others in need. These are the life lines of disaster relief groups and can be extremely beneficial, especially if they attract the right group of people willing to donate. Consequently, various donations of key materials are the back bone of large organizations such as the American Red Cross and Project Cure. Many organizations are drawn to such events where they can potentially get their name out by donating. Fundraised money often enough goes to new buildings and well needed supplies for those recovering from a devastating event. Most of the time new hospitals get established in these poor areas to help train medical physicians for future disasters. All the essential supplies for a building such as a hospital are donated and then built by voluntary effort. In an article by the American Red Cross, they state that, “The American Red Cross first partnered with PIH in 2011, providing $5.5 million for the construction of the hospital. Since then, the need for such a facility has remained urgent due to the limited access to advanced health care in the country” (Braunstein). Partnerships like these are created by large events for the cause, a five million dollar grant is exceptionally amazing, providing that it built a hospital that will have 500 hundred out-patients within a day. Companies and large corporations such as the one that provided the money for the hospital are just as important as those who donate small goods on their own. Every donation is needed and will be put to use in a new facility like this hospital. Here Band-Aids and other simple medical supplies are constantly needed in the hospital to prevent infection and help new medical trainees. The Red Cross has been around for 134 years and has helped an unmeasurable amount of people. Starting its legacy on the front lines of the civil war, this organization started by Clara Barton, has evolved into something that impacts anyone suffering around the world. In the article, “The Voluntary Effort in Disaster Relief”, by Ellsworth Bunker it is stated that, “The disaster relief service of the American National Red Cross is seventy five years old. During this period it has engaged in over 6,700 disaster relief operations, all financed by voluntary contributions.” These voluntary actions over the past 134 years have shaped and changed the lives of all place the Red Cross has traveled to. This organization based, only on the action of volunteers and people willing to donate provides lifesaving medicine and supplies regularly to the areas that need it most. These are simply ordinary people helping for the common good. They do not know people in foreign lands that are suffering however they feel the need to help anyway. Another quote from the article states, “Voluntary help in emergencies must be tremendous, the help of one neighbor to another; neighboring communities, each helping others; groups sharing a common faith and interest helping members of the group.” But there is one thing, most of the volunteers have absolutely no personal relation to anyone they go and help. These men and women provide health care for complete stranger. Without the raised goods and voluntary care needed in these chaos stricken nations, these organizations would have no power to help those in need. The will to provide complete strangers with the man power to build hospitals for the sick or help sick children with the donated goods is what enables an organization such as the Red Cross to thrive. It is essential for supplies to be donated and men and women to volunteer their time to provide the manpower needed to help others, without it these organizations crumble and people are left to die. The American Red Cross as well as world leaders often discuss prevention plans for such large casualties. In the article mentioned earlier, put out by the American Red Cross, it states that, “The American Red Cross, in partnership with the Haitian Red Cross, has helped create eight local intervention teams—20 people in each—in different zones of the Carrefour-Feuilles area of Port-au-Prince. Team members receive training and tools so they can effectively reduce the exposure to risk in their neighborhoods and be the first line of response for emergencies.” Volunteers have both aided and began organizing disaster prevention teams since the earthquakes a few years back. Ban Ki-Moon a United Nations ambassadors has also proposed ways to help prevent such destruction in third world countries. With people like Ki-Moon on relief groups such as the American Red Cross’s side then volunteers and funding from privileged nations would help greatly. Providing knowledge of how to prevent and aid peoples during a future disaster is key. This is quoted by Ban, “Traditional and indigenous knowledge is the indispensable information base for many societies seeking to live in harmony with nature and adapt to disruptive weather events, a warming globe and rising seas.” First they must be influenced by the knowledge of the Red Cross and other organizations in order to know what to prepare for.
By providing the basic and essential goods in times of recovery, disaster relief teams such as the American Red Cross, Project Cure, and others are able to aid third world countries. Using the fundraised supplies, and volunteers willing to care for those in need these groups are able to provide a safe haven while the nation recovers. These major relief organizations are completely funded by the people that are willing to give to those that now have nothing because of mother’s nature’s destructive tendencies. Men and women around the world volunteer to help those in need just for the common good. Helping complete strangers half way around the world, and providing them with lifesaving vaccines and supplies. Hospitals, houses, and other health essentials are all the cause of fundraisers, volunteers, and donations. Every single donation helps to save the lives of others. The volunteers of these organizations are using these donations to help save innocent people suffering because of nature’s fury. Such basic donations can provided a great deal of help towards the prevention of such destruction and loss of lives.

Works Cited
Braunstein, Tamara. "American Red Cross Celebrates Hospital Opening in Haiti." American Red Cross. American Red Cross, 26 Apr. 2013. Web. 14 Dec. 2015
Bunker, E. "The Voluntary Effort in Disaster Relief." The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 309.1 (1957): 107-17. JSTOR [JSTOR]. Web. 16 Nov. 2015.
Ki-Moon, Ban. “Natural Disaster Prevention and Response”. A Year at the Helm of the United Nations General Assembly: A Vision for Our Century. Ed. Shara Kay. NYU Press, 2014.
"Nepal Earthquake." Oxfam International. Oxfam International, 22 Oct. 2015. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. The Nepal earthquake
Stallings, Betty, and Donna McMillion. How to Produce Fabulous Fundraising Events: Reap Remarkable Returns with Minimal Effort: Includes Step-by-step Guide to the Perfect Fundraising Event. Pleasanton, CA: Building Better Skills, 1999. Print