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From Haiti to Kentucky: CORE’s Mission Knows No Boundaries
Photo © Courtesy of CORE
From Haiti to Kentucky: CORE’s Mission Knows No Boundaries
By Allie Murray
Established following the devastating Haiti earthquake in 2010, CORE (Community Organized Relief Effort) has been dedicated to supporting communities in times of crisis. For nearly 15 years, CORE has found themselves thrust into the most dire situations, ranging from war in Ukraine, earthquakes in Türkiye, flooding in Kentucky, and more, helping some 10 million people in 27 regions worldwide.
The organization, co-founded by Oscar-winning actor Sean Penn and humanitarian leader Ann Lee, brings immediate response and recovery to underserved communities after disaster strikes and works within the community to build long-term resilience.
“Since CORE’s inception after the 2010 Haiti earthquake, our approach has been to provide critical humanitarian relief for communities who need it most by listening, learning and taking action. A willingness to take calculated risks and to constantly adapt has fueled our growth as an organization and allows us to remain nimble to respond to urgent needs around the globe.
This agile approach allowed us to expand our reach to the frontlines of the war in Ukraine and provide tailored support to families reeling from the devastating floods in Kentucky, Pakistan and Brazil, as well as the food insecurity crisis spurred on by civil war in Sudan. It has also allowed us to continue adapting our long-term support in Haiti to address widespread humanitarian needs during the current civil unrest.
We’re so grateful to be able to do what we do, reaching the most vulnerable and marginalized people around the world,” said Lee.
Since the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010, unrest has been growing, which has been exacerbated due to the political climate in the country. To date, CORE has supported more than 60,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and removed more than 650,000 cubic meters of debris. The charity was also monumental amid the COVID-19 pandemic, administering more than 150,000 vaccines and tests in Haiti alone.
In addition to their work in Haiti and across the world from Türkiye to Pakistan, CORE has supported domestic responses, including being on the ground in Kentucky during the destructive floods in August 2022 and has remained in the state ever since to work with community partners to support families whose homes have been damaged or destroyed. Almost two years after the floods, CORE is still operating in five offices with more than 30 case managers to support the community. The teams have supported more than 1,000 cases, connecting impacted community members to vital recovery resources.
Work in Haiti
To continue supporting the needs of the people in Haiti, CORE has launched several initiatives and programs in the country, one of which is the School of Hope and Sunshine. Originating as a school for kindergarten to sixth grade for IDPs in Petionville Club Camp, the school has found a permanent home on CORE’s Community Development Campus. The School of Hope and Sunshine educates more than 200 students annually—19 percent of them are children with disabilities—and is one of the only schools in Haiti that offers inclusive education. In 2021, the school expanded to provide education up to ninth grade.
CORE also puts a large focus on strategies to prevent future climate-related devastation in Haiti. Launched during the 2015 Climate Summit that led to the Paris Agreement, CORE’s Haiti Takes Root (HTR) initiative aims to reverse 200 years of deforestation. Through programs like this one, they hope to eliminate the effects of climate change and environmental degradation on vulnerable and marginalized families who are often the ones most impacted.
Work in Kentucky
As communities in Kentucky are still recovering from the floods in August 2022, CORE has continued to provide programming to support impacted families. Their work in the area includes assessing needs, making referrals to other community partners, assisting those affected in obtaining resources, providing information on mold disease, and providing mold kits to educate homeowners.
In addition to responding to flood-related disasters, CORE is also assisting amidst Kentucky’s opioid epidemic. Attorney General Russell Coleman called the drug epidemic the public health challenge of our lifetime, noting that since 2019, overdose deaths in Kentucky have skyrocketed more than 60 percent.
CORE’s work to tackle the opioid crisis includes helping control the spread of infectious diseases; decreasing stigmatization; providing referral for prevention, treatment, and recovery; enhancing access to lifesaving resources; and providing relevant tools and resources. Similarly, CORE has been supporting seven health districts to educate families and opioid users on First Aid, CPR, and Narcan administration.
CORE remains committed to responding to the world’s most devastating crises, ensuring they stay until communities are back on their feet. The humanitarian organization hopes to build systems that better prepare the most vulnerable populations for future disaster.
