Organizations

World resting on a life preserver

Disaster Relief Organizations

Disaster relief organizations specialize in providing assistance to victims of natural and man-made disasters, this includes both governmental and nonprofits. Assistance will vary depending on the type of disaster; however the most commons needs are water, food, medical aid, clothing, and temporary shelter. Donation Jar

Below is a list of the most recognized relief organizations with links to their home pages. Become familiar with these agencies, their areas of service and the types of assistance they offer in the event you find yourself in need of some assistance.

You might even want to consider donating or volunteering your time & money to help them continue to help others.

Top Nonprofit Agencies

The American Red Cross is a humanitarian organization led by volunteers, providing relief to victims of disasters. The American Red Cross also helps to prevent, prepare for, and respond to emergencies. Clara Barton founded the Red Cross in 1881.

Catholic Charities USA is one of the largest social service networks in the nation, providing aid and financial support to people in need, regardless of their religious, social, or economic backgrounds. Catholic Charities was founded in 1910 as the National Conference of Catholic Charities.

Episcopal Relief and Development provides ongoing emergency relief and assistance after disasters, rebuilds communities, and helps children and families overcome poverty. It was established in 1940 by the Episcopal Church in the United States.

Operation Blessing is an international relief and humanitarian Golden Retriever holding a first aid kit in its mouth organization providing food, clothing, shelter, medical care and other basic necessities of life. Operation Blessing was established in 1978 and is governed by a national board of directors that includes founder M. G. Robertson.

The Salvation Army assists Americans seeking the basic necessities of life–food, shelter, and warmth. They also have disaster response teams "on call" to serve at all disasters and civil disorders which place a community or its populace at risk. William Booth originally established the The Christian Mission, which became The Salvation Army in 1878.

Samaritan's Purse is a world-wide, nondenominational Christian agency providing both physical and spiritual assistance to victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and hunger. It was established in 1970 by Franklin Graham, the eldest son of Billy Graham.

The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) is a humanitarian agency providing relief in disaster areas, aid to refugees, food for the hungry, and assistance to the impoverished. UMCOR, established in 1940, maintains a corps of trained disaster specialists who can respond quickly to disasters and also keeps a supply of relief materials for emergency dispatch.

World Vision is a Christian relief and development agency dedicated to helping children and their communities worldwide reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty. World Vision was founded by Bob Pierce in 1950 to provide long-term care for children in crisis and developed its first child sponsorship program in Korea in 1953.

Disaster Recovery

Founded in 1999, Architecture for Humanity helps build emergency shelters and necessary buildings after natural disasters and war. The non-profit organization holds design competitions and workshops to encourage economical, sustainable reconstruction and to promote humanitarian and social design. Partnering with other relief agencies, Architecture for Humanity provides financial aid, construction materials, and pro-bono architectural services.

In addition to constructing shelters for people in need, Relief International offers a variety of services for communities in crisis. RI's programs include health, education, agriculture, and food. The primary mission of this non-profit agency is to bridge emergency relief and long term development.