Daphne Kwok of AARP; Pablito Alarcon and Estela Sanidad of Feed the Hungry; Lorraine Cortes Vasquez and Lisa Marsh Ryerson of AARP; Evangeline Ganuelas and Teresita Alarcon of Feed the Hungry; Steven Raga of AARP; and Consul Elmer Cato of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, DC. Photo Credit: Brian Perry
WASHINGTON, D.C.—AARP and AARP Foundation donated more than $1 million in emergency relief funds to support victims devastated by Typhoon Haiyan (also known as Yolanda), one of the largest and strongest storms to make landfall in recorded history.
The two organizations matched contributions dollar-for-dollar up to $500,000 and distributed those funds to relief organizations to provide meals, medical care, shelter and other forms of support to those in need, particularly older adults who are disproportionately affected during times of crisis.
“AARP members responded to the devastation in the Philippines and Southeast Asia by donating funds to those in need,” said Lisa Marsh Ryerson, AARP Foundation President. “We’re proud to partner with relief organizations that are responding to the needs of the most vulnerable people affected by this natural disaster.”
“We’re committed to serving the Filipino American community and supporting Filipino Americans who are 50+ with family and friends in the Philippines continuing the long and difficult process of recovery,” said Daphne Kwok, AARP Vice President of Multicultural Markets and Engagement for Asian American and Pacific Islander Audiences.
One hundred percent of all funds raised went to organizations helping the victims of Typhoon Haiyan:
HelpAge USA was granted $725,000 to distribute food, water, hygiene kits, and shelter materials and to set up helpdesks to direct seniors to essential services.
CARE was granted $200,000 and is partnering with local organizations to provide short-term assistance, such as food distribution, and to work on longer-term recovery efforts.
ABS-CBN Foundation International was granted $60,000 to rebuild schools, provide livelihood, and connect older adults with food and medical assistance in hard-hit regions.
Gawad Kalinga USA was granted $60,000 to provide meals to and build new homes for affected seniors and their families.
Feed the Hungry, Inc. was granted $30,000 for its work providing basic sustenance to people located in some of the most remote areas of the Philippines.
“All of us at HelpAge are proud and thrilled to be the partner of AARP in our work with seniors in the Philippines,” said HelpAge CEO Toby Porter. “HelpAge is delivering assistance directly through a large and dynamic network of Filipino senior volunteers and older people’s organizations. There are hundreds and thousands of older men and women who were seriously impacted by this terrible tragedy, and it is wonderful that the generosity of seniors in the USA is providing a helping hand to them at their time of need.”
“We’re deeply grateful to AARP and its members for their tremendous generosity,” said Jo Ann Kyle, Managing Director for ABS-CBN Foundation International. “Thanks to AARP and AARP Foundation’s leadership and assistance in this crisis, we’ve been able to help more than 3.5 million people in 14 provinces in the Philippines.”
“AARP’s support and collaboration allows us to reach our goal of building 20,000 new homes in the affected disaster areas,” said Tony Olaes, Chairman of the Board of Gawad Kalinga USA. “We’re proud to have a partner like AARP who matches our commitment to the Filipino community.”
For more information about how AARP helps Asian American & Pacific Islander families get more out of life, visit www.AARP.org/AAPI, www.facebook.com/AARPAAPICommunity and www.twitter.com/AARPAAPI.
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