THE BOB WOODRUFF FOUNDATION ACTIVATES NATURAL DISASTER FUND TO AID MILITARY FAMILIES AFFECTED BY HURRICANE HELENE

News provided by

Oct 04, 2024, 13:21 ET

The fund has provided emergency assistance to five partner organizations
In Georgia, the Carolinas, and other affected areas.

NEW YORK, Oct. 4, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Bob Woodruff Foundation (BWF) has activated its Natural Disaster Fund, established with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies, to provide critical aid to veterans and military families in the Southeastern US who are affected by the devastation of Hurricane Helene.

$245,000 in critical aid was distributed to the following five Got Your 6 Network partner organizations:

America's Warrior Partnership
Army Emergency Relief
Combined Arms
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society
Veterans Services of the Carolinas

Our relief efforts are ongoing as partners come online and can assess damages.

"We are heartbroken by the magnitude of loss of life and property caused by Hurricane Helene in the Southeast," said Anne Marie Dougherty, Chief Executive Officer of the Bob Woodruff Foundation. "We're committed to providing rapid relief for military and veteran families impacted, and grateful to our Got Your 6 Network partners for their essential on-the-ground efforts."

The funding for local organizations is helping military and veteran families meet their basic needs, providing resources like food, water, cleaning supplies, relocation assistance, temporary housing and rental of home restoration equipment.

The Natural Disaster Fund was established in November 2023 with support from Craig Newmark Philanthropies. It allows BWF to respond quickly and effectively when a natural disaster strikes – providing support to veteran families who are suddenly without the essentials to live. Since 2020, BWF and Craig Newmark Philanthropies have partnered to support more than 1.6 million veterans, service members, spouses, and military children.

"The destruction caused by Hurricane Helene is a reminder of how fast lives can change," said Craig Newmark, founder of Craig Newmark Philanthropies, "The Natural Disaster Fund has given us a vehicle to assure affected veterans and military families that help and hope are on the horizon."

This is the third activation of the Natural Disaster Fund this year, following deployment after Hurricanes Debby and Beryl, and the fifth activation since the Fund was created. The ongoing partnership with Craig Newmark Philanthropies on the Natural Disaster Fund underscores BWF's commitment to assisting veterans during times of crisis.

About the Bob Woodruff Foundation
The Bob Woodruff Foundation was founded in 2006 after reporter Bob Woodruff was wounded by a roadside bomb while covering the war in Iraq. Since then, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has raised awareness about the tough challenges veterans and military families are facing, and invested in solutions to help support them in the next chapter of their lives. To date, the Bob Woodruff Foundation has invested over $165 million to ensure that our nation's veterans, service members and their families — those who stood for us — have stable and successful futures. Visit. www.BobWoodruffFoundation.org for more information.

About Craig Newmark Philanthropies
Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer best known for creating craigslist, which he stepped away from running day-to-day two decades ago. Craig's full-time philanthropic work focuses on supporting organizations protecting America's security and democracy. He has given more than $300 million in support of veterans and military families, trustworthy journalism and civic engagement campaigns, cyber security education programs, hunger relief, and pigeon rescue. Craig was influenced by his Sunday School teachers who escaped the Holocaust, set his moral compass, and taught him to treat people like you want to be treated – and how to know when enough is enough. He's not as funny as he thinks he is.

Media Contact:
Hillary Ovalle
[email protected]

SOURCE Bob Woodruff Foundation