US$100,000 in grants to fund CARE and help address shelter, food security and hygiene needs
Boston – September 18, 2023 – The GE Foundation today announced a donation of US$100,000 to provide immediate relief to Morocco following devastation caused by a massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake. The donation will fund international humanitarian agency CARE to support local relief efforts, providing survivors with meals, safe water, emergency shelter, basic healthcare and clothing. In addition to the organization’s donation, GE employees can support relief efforts through its Matching Gifts Program.
To date, the death toll from the earthquake has reached nearly 3,000 while more than 5,500 people are injured. Other reports show that thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families, and at least 100,000 children have been affected. Many communities sustained damage to critical infrastructure including schools and hospitals.
“All of us at GE are committed to helping Moroccan families impacted by this devastating earthquake. We are proud to work with our long-time partner CARE to help address immediate needs and begin the long road to recovery,” said Linda Boff, President, GE Foundation, and Vice President, GE.
“Morocco is an important part of the GE family. We hope this grant will help alleviate the hardships that Moroccan families are experiencing by providing access to shelter, food, water and other needs,” said Joseph Anis, President & CEO of GE Vernova’s Gas Power business in Europe, Middle East & Africa.
GE employees who make eligible donations to CARE or other participating charities can register for a match with the GE Foundation’s Matching Gifts program, which supports employees’ personal philanthropy and charitable giving by providing a 1:1 match. The GE Foundation created the concept of a corporate matching gift program in 1954. Today, the program continues to serve as an important element of the Foundation’s portfolio, with gifts matched in 2022 totaling $6.2 million.
CARE is a long-time partner of the GE Foundation, with the most recent efforts focused on providing relief in Nigeria following devastating flooding.
“Our hearts go to the people of Morocco coping with the devastation and loss brought on by the earthquake,” said Michelle Nunn, President and CEO of CARE USA. “The needs following this tragedy are great, with nearly confirmed 3,000 dead so far, over 5,500 wounded, and hundreds of thousands impacted. Thanks to GE and other critical partners, CARE Morocco will be able to provide critical assistance including hot meals, safe drinking water, and emergency shelter, with particular attention given to women, girls, and people with disabilities. Our CARE colleagues are also preparing a psychosocial response given the huge mental health impact of the crisis.”
GE’s Disaster and Humanitarian Relief program responds to major global disasters and humanitarian crises, drawing on GE’s people, technology and other resources to reduce suffering and hasten recovery. Since 2020, GE Foundation’s philanthropic contribution in disaster relief totaled nearly $7.2 million, which was largely focused on the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year, GE Foundation partnered with Bridge to Turkiye Fund to provide relief to Turkey following a massive earthquake. GE remains committed to preparing for and responding to future natural disasters and humanitarian crises, diligently maximizing the impact of our financial, technological, and human resources.
About CARE
Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside women and girls. Equipped with the proper resources women and girls have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. This year, CARE and partners worked in 111 countries implementing 1,600 poverty-fighting development and humanitarian aid projects and initiatives, that reached 174,000,000 people. To learn more, visit www.care.org.
About the GE Foundation
The GE Foundation, an independent charitable organization funded by GE, is committed to transforming our communities and shaping the diverse workforce of tomorrow by leveraging the power of GE. Through Next Engineers, we are increasing the diversity of young people in engineering. In our hometown of Boston, we are working to improve workforce diversity, attack the opioid crisis, and drive STEM education in public schools. We are also inspiring others to act by connecting GE people with communities through our Matching Gifts Program and Disaster Relief. Learn more at www.gefoundation.com or follow us on Twitter at @GE_Foundation.
GE Vernova
Abeer Masood
GE Foundation
Jeff Caywood