Music for Relief has teamed up with Direct Relief to provide grants of up to $25,000 to small Haiti-based nonprofit organizations working in education and reconstruction in Haiti. The funds will allow groups working in their communities long before the earthquake struck to continue to serve the people in greatest need.
Direct Relief has been supporting hospitals and clinics in Haiti with medicines and medical supplies since 1964 and has provided more than $42.5 million (wholesale) in medical aid since the January quake. With cash support received in the aftermath of the earthquake, Direct Relief established a $500,000 grant program to provide Haitian groups with funds to continue their work. To date, Direct Relief has dispersed $150,000 to five organizations, which will:
- Rebuild a library and community center in Carrefour-Feuilles;
- Enable the Haitian Community Hospital to provide free care for three months;
- Start a psychosocial support program for youths in St. Raphael;
- Reopen a medical clinic and outreach program in Delmas; and
- Conduct a community survey and needs assessment of every family in the Carrefour Feuilles community.
Music for Relief (MFR) was founded in 2005 to bring the music community together to support victims of natural disasters and help mitigate damage from future disasters through environmental programs. In early 2009, MFR launched a campaign to support long-term recovery in Haiti following the 2008 hurricanes and floods by funding clean water, food, and reforestation programs in the Central Plateau and La Gonave areas. Following the earthquake in 2010, MFR launched Download to Donate for Haiti, which has raised $250,000 for the emergency response, including such critical needs as the delivery of food, water, and sustainable housing for affected families.
Music for Relief is creating a second album of songs by mainstream and independent artists to reignite support for earthquake recovery in Haiti. This exclusive compilation will be available to fans after making a $10 donation at www.musicforrelief.org/ this summer.
Together, Direct Relief and Music for Relief will provide more funding to a greater number of deserving groups working at the grassroots level in Haiti.