Rebuilding Homes for
Tornado Victims in Alabama

While 2011 was labeled the “Deadliest Year in Nearly a Century” by the National Weather Service, it seems like 2012 is starting out to be a similar nightmare as multiple violent tornados continue to ravage parts of the Midwest and Southern states leaving behind incredible devastation and loss. Of all the communities hit by the powerful storm systems, some of the most critical needs are in Alabama where more than 13,000 homes have been severely damaged or destroyed and most victims do not have the financial means to rebuild on their own.

IRT construction volunteers in Alabama

After more than six years of repairing and rebuilding hundreds of homes in Mississippi for low income and elderly Hurricane Katrina victims, our construction teams have now relocated to Alabama to help these communities rebuild their homes.

IRT Volunteers repairing floor of house in Alabama

International Relief Teams is committed to help these families in the coming months and years. To join in our efforts to aid tornado victims in Alabama please click here.

Six Years After Katrina

Now almost six years after the disaster, International Relief Teams has recently completed its multi-year commitment to elderly and low-income families victimized by Hurricane Katrina. Every other month, for the past six years, IRT deployed a team of skilled construction volunteers to repair and rebuild the homes of Hurricane Katrina victims involving a total number of 534 volunteers who participated in this ongoing mission of mercy. Through their efforts, IRT repaired or rebuilt 206 homes to date.

We are deeply grateful to our volunteers who helped to restore hope to so many families on the Gulf Coast. They worked long hours each day during their week’s assignment in Mississippi - often in uncomfortable weather conditions. Their dedication, generosity, and compassion inspire us all!

IRT Provides Ongoing Support to
Kids Kingdom Orphanage in Mexico

The increased violence in Mexico has resulted in a significant loss of support for many orphanages just below our border. Volunteers and supporters from the U.S. who once regularly visited, no longer make the journey out of fear for their own safety. The financial consequences from this loss of support have severely impacted the welfare of these orphanages and their children.

One such orphanage now experiencing difficulties in meeting the basic needs of their children is El Reino De Los Ninos, (“Kids Kingdom”), located 2 hours south of Tijuana. Founded in 1989 to serve needy and abandoned children, it houses more than 40 children, ages 5 to 18. Nearly all of these children had experienced neglect, abandonment or abuse before being taken in by Kid’s Kingdom. The orphanage is now providing them with a safe and loving environment where they can mature into responsible adults whose impact on society will be positive and lasting. However, the orphanage needs financial help to maintain its mission and commitment to these children.

IRT has made an ongoing commitment to provide the food and education needs for the children of Kids Kingdom. We hope you will join with us to give these children a future by clicking here.

FIGHTING HUNGER
IN THE HORN OF AFRICA

Credit:Reuters/Stringer/Kenya

The worst drought in 60 years is taking place in the Horn of Africa, with the epicenter of the crisis in Somalia. More than 10 million people are in desperate need of emergency food aid and medicine. Thousands of weak and hungry Somali refugees are fleeing to camps along the Ethiopian and Kenyan borders in search of food for themselves and their children.

Credit:Reuters/Stuart Price Handout/Somalia

Since the humanitarian crisis began, International Relief Teams, working collaboratively with on-site partners, has already provided more than $3.4 million worth of therapeutic medicines, along with 36,000 high-nutrition Plumpy'nut supplement bars to starving people in the famine-affected areas. Two additional shipments of Plumpy'nut bars and supplements will be delivered to aid famine victims in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia this month.

International Relief Teams will continue to focus our efforts on funding additional shipments of desperately needed food and medicine. Your gift today will help save lives. To help fight hunger in the Horn of Africa, please click here.

Vietnam - IRT Completes Phase 1 of Project “Healthy Baby”

IRT recently completed neonatal resuscitation instructor training in Vietnam, establishing the final 4 instructor groups needed for full country coverage. “The program was initiated in 2008 and has been enthusiastically embraced by obstetrical and neonatal practitioners throughout Vietnam”, stated IRT’s Executive Director, Barry La Forgia. “We have trained 190 instructors, and they have already trained more than 2,700 of their colleagues in how to effectively resuscitate newborns experiencing breathing difficulties at birth.”

IRT’s track record of conducting successful medical training programs in Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania enabled IRT to gain permission from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to translate and publish the AAP’s neonatal resuscitation textbook in Vietnamese.

In late 2012, IRT will initiate the 2nd phase of Project “Healthy Baby” by training instructors in how to provide effective post-resuscitation care of the critically ill newborn. As in Eastern Europe, IRT expects that Project “Healthy Baby” will achieve significant reductions in neonatal mortality across Vietnam in the years to come.

WHAT'S NEW:

Read our 2012 Spring Newsletter!

Check out our 2011 Annual Report!

Follow IRTeams on Facebook!

Click here to see how your donations are spent.

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