We are Humanism at Work

Last August, Hurricane Harvey made landfall in Houston and the surrounding area and the damage was extraordinary. Then Hurricane Irma hit Florida, the US and British Virgin Islands, and to a lesser degree, Puerto Rico. By the time Hurricane Maria caused such catastrophic damage to Puerto Rico, it was hard to believe so much devastation was possible in so little time. We now know that casualties from Hurricane Maria were grossly under reported, and that Puerto Rico may never return to the way it was before the storm.

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Hurricane Florence, currently a Category 4 hurricane, is expected to hit the southeastern US coast on Thursday September 13th, with tropical storm force winds expected to arrive as early as Wednesday night. Florence is expected to be a major event, possibly being the worst hurricane to hit the region in US history. If Florence is a Category 5 when it hits, which is a real possibility, it will break a record ase the most northernmost landfall of a Category 5 on the Eastern US coast in the history of the region.

We are thrilled to announce our beneficiary for our Disaster Appeal: Kerala Monsoon Flooding. ActionAid USA's local partners are currently responding in the some of the hardest hit regions of Kerala where there is a high presence of tribal, minority, and Dalit people whose subsistence is largely based on informal labor. Their capacity to recover during emergencies is very limited. ActionAid USA has a history of focusing on the most vulnerable populations when disaster strikes. 

This year Kerala is experiencing the worst monsoon season since 1924, with at least 40% more rain than usual causing sever landslides and flooding. Over 400 have died and over one million people have been displaced. 

ActionAid started its response work by distributing mattresses, clothes, and hygiene kits in relief camps. Their response grew to distributing food kits, non-food items, dignity kits, and shelter materials.The response and recovery will be women-centered -- supporting women to take the lead in community organization, facilitating distributions of relief items, and in reconstruction efforts. They are still engaged in response work, but are working with local partners to identify recovery needs.

The people of Kerala still need your help. Give now!

July's Beyond Belief Network Picture of the Month comes from one of Central Ohio United Non-Theist's (COUNT) four events in July! In addition to their regular monthly Community Shelter Board and Ronald McDonald House events, they also helped at the Secular Student Alliance Conference and held another Bleed-N-Feed where they donated 5 units, which took 8 hours total. Every little bit helps COUNT!