Dear Family,

This is an appeal for you to support NABSW’s Disaster Relief Fund by clicking this LINK and making a donation.

This is hurricane season and by now, you are aware of the havoc being caused by Hurricane Isaac and what our sisters and brothers in the Gulf region are dealing with right now and Hurricane Joyce isn’t far behind.

What you may not be as aware of are NABSW’s Disaster Preparedness and Trauma Response committees that have been working for over a year to develop ways to prepare and support our chapters, when they are affected by natural disasters.  In advance of the hurricane, the Disaster Preparedness Committee contacted 10 of our chapters in the Gulf area (5 active and 5 inactive) to ask that they keep us apprised of their needs and that they will be able to request financial assistance through the national office, to meet their needs.  Chapters that do not have immediate needs often marshal their forces to provide assistance to neighboring communities.

We have learned from chapters that needed support and provided support to survivors of previous natural disasters, that financial support is the most useful initial service because these areas are experiencing multiple crises at the same time: no electricity, lack of clean water, lack of food, damage to homes and other personal property, temporary shelter and the list goes on.

Even if you have favorite charities you donate to during crises such as these, what we know for sure is that the needs of Black communities are not responded to in the same way as other communities and sometimes they are totally overlooked.  Your donation to the NABSW Disaster Relief Fund will assure that our communities and chapter members will receive direct and immediate support based on their articulated need.

In the spirit of Harambee (pulling together), please click this LINK now and donate generously and often to help our brothers and sisters. No donation is too small or too large.  Checks can also be sent to the National Office, made payable to NABSW Disaster Relief Fund.  Our mailing address is: 2305 Martin Luther King Jr Ave SE, Washington, DC 20020.