EMERGENCY RELIEF

Helping others in need has long been a mandate of the Jewish people. And coming through in a crisis is one of the things the Jewish Federation does best. Whether it's providing aid to victims of the current wildfires crisis in Israel, or of Hurricane Katrina; sending Israeli children to summer camp when rockets are falling near their homes; or finding a place for San Diegans to stay following the Firestorms of 2007, Federation is there for Jews and non-Jews alike. The following are some of Federation's most prominent emergency relief efforts in recent years.

In 2011, the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, in conjunction with our overseas partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), responded to the worst natural disaster to hit Turkey by immediately opening a campaign mail box to accept funds to aid victims of the 7.2 quake.

In 2010, the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, along with other Federations of North America, raised more than $2 million for emergency aid to victims of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Within hours, through our partner the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), we had people on the ground with food and supplies. Federations purchased medical equipment including infant incubators for a neonatal unit and orthopedic devices to support an IDF field hospital. "As always, the Federation movement responded instantly to help those in need," said Barry Swartz, senior vice-president of The Jewish Federations of North America. "Working as a collective and partnering with others, Federations are helping the Haitian people to meet the challenges of this catastrophe."

As soon as rockets began falling in Israel in July 2006, Federation began working to assist our family halfway around the world. From the start, Federation pledged significant funding of its own to help meet the immediate needs on the ground in Israel. We established a special Israel Emergency Campaign, raising nearly $5 million from the San Diego Jewish community to support the Jewish homeland.

As with many of the Federation's crisis-response endeavors, the initial focus was on providing immediate aid where it was needed most. This included sending Israeli children to summer camp in safer parts of the country; offering intervention programs for seniors and the disabled; and treating terror victims with direct counseling. As the immediate crisis abated, the focus shifted to include the long-term costs of rebuilding the country - physically and emotionally.

One hundred percent of all donations collected were sent - without any overhead - to service organizations working on the ground in Israel. It is the commitment of the Jewish people - and the Jewish Federation of San Diego County - to provide maximum aid in times of greatest crisis. We continue that tradition always.

Hurricane Katrina, characterized by authorities as one of the most powerful and punishing hurricanes in U.S. history, slammed through Louisiana's southeastern shore and the coasts of Alabama and Mississippi in September 2005.

In response, the Jewish Federation of San Diego County joined with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) in establishing a fund to accept donations for humanitarian aid for people and communities affected by the hurricane in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the Western Florida panhandle.

Over $325,000 was raised through Federation by the San Diego Jewish community to aid the victims of the hurricane. Additionally, the San Diego Jewish Academy launched "Operation Care-Lift," a community-wide hurricane-relief donation drive that collected over 145 pallets of toys, books, diapers, bicycles, water, clothing and more. The goods were flown to Houston on a UPS-donated Boeing 757 and were distributed to relief centers. In San Diego, through funding provided by Federation, Jewish Family Service provided emergency food and financial assistance for families fleeing the disasters of Hurricane Katrina.