Give2Asia launches ‘Yolanda – One Year Later Fund’

SAN FRANCISCO – A “one year later fund” has been launched to support for ongoing rehabilitation projects in Philippine communities ravaged by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, the humanitarian aid group Give2Asia announced.

“Our experience has shown us that disaster recovery goes beyond providing immediate help during the initial relief phase,” explained Birger Stamperdahl, Give2Asia’s president and CEO.

A full year after the super typhoon devastated the Eastern Visayas provinces of the Philippines, Filipino Americans and the international community are still rallying support for the typhoon’s victims.

The disaster claimed almost 6,500 lives, caused $2.86 billion in damage, and affected 16 million people.

“An effective recovery project should be broad, integrated, sustainable, and should be able to address all aspects of community life including healthcare, livelihood, education, the environment, as well as include a disaster preparedness training component. Typically those types of projects need more time to take shape,” Stamperdahl explained.

To support the One Year Later Fund, Give2Asia Board Director George SyCip and his wife Barbara are hosting a fundraising dinner at the Villa Taverna on Monday, November 17.

Proceeds from the event will go towards supporting Give2Asia’s long-term rehabilitation strategy in Eastern Samar, one of the poorest regions in the Philippines and the first place Yolanda made landfall.

Since 2001, Give2Asia has responded to more than 40 natural disasters throughout Asia, providing long-term support at the community level for a minimum of three years after the disaster.

For more information about the fundraiser, please visit https://www.give2asia.org/yoyl