Update: FBB's Hurricane Matthew Drive has ended. Thank you for your support! Further information about the funds we donated to Lambi Fund of Haiti will be forthcoming.

Foundation Beyond Belief (FBB) has launched a Humanist Disaster Recovery Drive to aid the people affected by Hurricane Matthew, a Category 4 superstorm, and we have chosen Lambi Fund of Haiti (LFH) as our beneficiary. We have collected over $5,000 so far. Hurricane Matthew caused over 1,000 deaths in Haiti, displaced thousands, and destroyed homes. Cholera, already a problem in Haiti, is becoming a concern.

Mourad Wahba, the U.N. secretary general's deputy special representative for Haiti said in a statement that "Haiti is facing the largest humanitarian event witnessed since the earthquake six years ago," referring to an earthquake in 2010 that left some 200,000 people dead.

Lambi Fund of Haiti has previous experience working in disaster recovery – they set up an emergency fund to help those affected by Hurricane Jeanne in 2004. This organization has been recommended to Foundation Beyond Belief by one of our previous beneficiaries who works in Haiti and is also on several top lists of organizations to fund in Haiti. LFH is a local organization run by Haitians, women-led and using community-based practices in their work.

These are important considerations for FBB. First, locally run organizations are always best suited to handle recovery, especially in the long-term. Second, during the recovery process, research suggests women will likely face unique and more severe needs. This issue has been researched in a number of countries around the world following all manners of disasters and generated similar results. Women face three areas of increased need that are interrelated; women's health, an increase in gender-based violence, and economic strain.

Founded jointly in 1994 by Haitians and Americans, the Lambi Fund of Haiti is a unique, women-led, grassroots organization whose mission is to assist the popular, democratic movement in Haiti. Its goal is to help strengthen civil society in Haiti as a necessary foundation for democracy and development.

"Foundation Beyond Belief is proud to support Lambi fund of Haiti and confident that donors to this disaster drive will understand why we chose them," says Noelle George, Executive Director of Foundation Beyond Belief. "Women are central to disaster recovery, and instead of treating half the population as victims we need to empower them to help take the lead in recovery efforts."

Foundation Beyond Belief thanks the American Humanist Association for being a partner in our Drive effort.

Foundation Beyond Belief is also fundraising for a future Humanist Disaster Recovery (HDR) Teams deployment to areas in the south affected by flooding (Texas and Louisiana). If we raise enough funds and there is damage in Florida or elsewhere on the east coast we will deploy there, but this is NOT guaranteed. HDR Teams first deployed to South Carolina in January to rebuild homes after the flooding there.

Please use the donation boxes on this page to aid in one or both efforts. We appreciate your support!

Links:

Humanist Disaster Recovery Drive (HDR Drive) serves as a focal point for the humanist response to major disasters all over the world. Our purpose is twofold: to bring resources to those in desparate need, and to raise awareness of that need in the humanist community and beyond.



Humanist Disaster Recovery Teams (HDR Teams) provides the humanist community an avenue through which to volunteer when disaster strikes. HDR Teams is the first national humanist disaster recovery volunteer program.

Please note: Foundation Beyond Belief does not retain any portion of donations directed to our beneficiaries. If you wish to support the efforts of FBB itself, we are always grateful for direct donations. Please use the green donation box below. Thank you!

*Any recurring contributions for disaster recovery drives, or one-time contributions that are received after a given drive is closed, may be directed to FBB general funds. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Drives are closed publicly and funds raised are announced publicly at the end of a drive.​