There When You Need Us: Rebuilding Communities
The Odyssey Group Foundation and its business affiliates proudly support charitable organizations that provide global disaster relief.
Since 2007, Odyssey has been working with Americares, a Stamford, Connecticut-based emergency response and global health organization committed to saving lives and building healthier futures for people in crisis. In 2013, the Foundation expanded its relationship by joining the Americares Annual Emergency Response Partner Program, providing key resources that allow them to maintain a response platform of medicines, supplies and people—ready to respond in a moment’s notice.
The Odyssey Group Foundation is one of Americares’ strongest corporate partners, donating more than $8 million to date. Our Stamford employees routinely dedicate their time to assemble emergency kits in the Americares warehouse, while numerous employees, within and outside of the New York TriState Area, have run in the New York City Marathon on Team Americares to aid their disaster relief fundraising efforts.
The Odyssey Group Foundation’s response to the 2010 earthquake in Haiti, enabled Americares to quickly airlift and distribute medicines and relief supplies to severely damaged health facilities. Less than 12 hours after a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the impoverished country, leaving at least 300,000 casualties, representatives from Odyssey Group arrived at Americares’ headquarters with a check for $150,000 along with plates of sandwiches for Americares staff, many of whom had worked through the night. This gesture was immediately followed by the arrival of a team of Odyssey Group employees who volunteered to help in any way they could. This ranged from answering phones, to sorting and organizing supplies and collecting donations. One employee in particular provided a greatly needed service: he helped monitor Haitian radio stations for updated news in Creole, which he then translated for Americares staff. Eleven years later, the Foundation donated $200,000 immediately following the 2021 Haitian earthquake, helping to provide lifesaving aid and supplies in the dire aftermath.
Since its establishment in 1982, Americares has delivered more than $12 billion in humanitarian aid to 164 countries. Additional information about Americares is available at https://www.americares.org/.
In July 2021, Central Europe experienced the worst flooding it’s seen in many decades, shocking the region. Dangerously high waters and catastrophic damage to roads and bridges devastated communities, killing hundreds and leaving thousands without access to essentials such as clean water and electricity.
In response to the widespread infrastructure damage across western Germany, the Odyssey Group Foundation and its business affiliates, on behalf of Newline Europe Versicherung AG, donated €20,000 to Aktion Deutschland Hilft, Germany’s Relief Coalition, to help provide medical teams and urgently needed relief supplies.
Additional information about Aktion Deutschland Hilft is available at https://www.aktion-deutschland-hilft.de/.
In August 2020, a derecho swept through Iowa causing significant damage and widespread devastation. On behalf of Hudson Insurance Group, the Odyssey Group Foundation made a $10,000 donation to The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation’s Derecho Disaster Recovery Fund to support disaster recovery efforts in the region.
Additional information about The Greater Cedar Rapids Community Foundation is available at https://www.gcrcf.org/derecho-disaster-recovery/.
When hurricanes and tropical storms strike, Latin America and the Caribbean are typically in harms’ way. On behalf of OdysseyRe’s Latin America Division, the Odyssey Group Foundation provided individual grants of $100,000 to the American Red Cross following the catastrophic hurricane seasons of 2019, 2017 and 2013. In 2019, Funds were directed to Hurricane Dorian Relief in the Bahamas. In 2017, Odyssey’s donation supported relief efforts for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria in the Caribbean Islands, Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico. Support was also directed to Mexico in 2013 to support the victims of Hurricane Ingrid and Tropical Storm Manuel.
Learn more about the American Red Cross at https://www.redcross.org/.
