Project Hope
I grew up seeing television advertisements for Project Hope and the disaster relief that they provide around the world. In the coming weeks I’ll be doing a podcast with Arlan Fuller who is currently Project HOPE’s director of emergency preparedness and response. The goal will be to learn more about the organization and how they deliver disaster relief and also build local disaster resilience at places that they respond to.
As part of the preparation for that podcast, Project Hope staff sent me a listing of their response efforts. You might be surprised to know that they also have responded here in the United States.
Please review the information below and watch for the upcoming Project Hope podcast at Disaster Zone
About Project HOPE’s Urgent Relief Work:
Whether brought on by conflict, climate, disease, disaster, or extreme weather, Project HOPE takes a “no regrets” approach to emergency response.
Project HOPE has responded to nearly every major disaster since the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. We move as quickly as we can to support health workers and their communities during times of crisis and we remain committed to our legacy of staying long after the headlines fade to help health systems recover and rebuild.
In the wake of hurricanes, war, earthquakes, political unrest, pandemics, and more, we do what it takes to save lives and heal communities, including:
Delivering medicines and medical supplies to health workers in rural and conflict-affected areas
Providing Psychological First Aid to people affected by conflict or disasters
Securing access to clean water for communities and health facilities
Protecting and supporting gender-based violence survivors experiencing displacement
Operating mobile medical units to reach people with essential, lifesaving health care
Distributing health and hygiene kits to restore dignity and improve community health.
Partnering with local experts to address urgent community needs during disasters
Current Emergency Response Efforts:
Project HOPE’s Emergency Response Team is responding to Hurricane Melissa after it made landfall in Jamaica as a Category 5 storm. The hurricane has had a catastrophic impact due to its extreme winds, violent storm surge, and slow-moving nature.
Health Activities:
Project HOPE has provided more than 2,120 health consultations since we began treating patients at our field hospital and operating mobile medical units.
WASH Activities:
Project HOPE's water trucking services have reached 42,000+ individuals, bringing 54,000 gallons of clean water to communities without regular access in St Elizabeth, Westmoreland, and St. James
The team installed handwashing sites at MMUs service points to improve sanitation.
Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Activities:
MHPSS teams are planning new outreach to children and adults affected by the storm, including art therapy, stress management, and other assistance.
Project HOPE’s MHPSS team has conducted 16 psychosocial support sessions, reaching 327 community members and 12 health workers. These sessions provided critical mental health support to hurricane-affected populations and health workers at severe risk for burnout. This work has reached St. Elizabeth, Trelawny, and St. James parishes.
Project HOPE has reached over 20,000 fire-affected community members since the beginning of our response. This support includes health consultations (provided through local partners) and distributions of air purifiers, air filters, PPE, re-entry kits, dignity products, clean water, over-the-counter medicines, and psychological first aid items for children.
In the immediate aftermath of the fires, Project HOPE distributed over 2,700 personal hygiene and wellness supplies to 11 community shelters and organizations, as well as other essential items, including over-the-counter medicine kits, water, baby supplies, and dignity products.
Communities in Los Angeles continue to grapple with the lasting effects of the devastating Palisades and Eaton wildfires, which destroyed more than 16,000 structures and displaced tens of thousands of residents.
Project HOPE continues to provide mental health workshops for community members and train frontline workers like teachers, principals, social workers, and other service professionals to ensure that people have the skills and tools necessary to support impacted communities.
The focus of mental health and resiliency workshops is an exploration of how trauma and chronic stress affect both helpers and survivors, as well as guidance for active listening and compassionate response.
Mental health issues increase greatly during natural disasters. Exposure to climate events increases the risk of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
A 7.7-magnitude earthquake hit Myanmar, near the city of Mandalay, on March 28, 2025.
At least 17 million people within Myanmar were impacted by the earthquakes in some way, with 9 million severely affected.
Project HOPE’s Emergency Response Team supported local partners to deliver critically needed medical care, distribute hygiene kits, build latrines, and offer other needed support following the devastation caused by the earthquakes.
To address MHPSS needs after the earthquake, Project HOPE’s team trained first responders in Psychological First Aid so that those caring for the affected population could provide immediate support to survivors, reduce initial distress, and promote adaptive coping.
This program prioritized the creation of a safe and calming environment, offered practical assistance, and connected individuals with essential resources.
By addressing immediate emotional needs, PFA helped prevent the development of long-term psychological trauma.
We coordinated with the World Health Organization and local civil society organizations to procure and distribute additional bed nets, medicines, hygiene kits, and other essential items.
