Medical Teams International has been selected as the National Winner in the 4th Annual CLASSY Awards, in the Disaster Relief and International Aid category.
(PORTLAND, Ore., September 22, 2012) – Medical Teams International has been selected as the National Winner in the 4th Annual CLASSY Awards, in the Disaster Relief and International Aid category.
The CLASSY Awards is the largest philanthropic awards ceremony in the country, recognizing the top charitable achievements around the world. This year, more than 2,400 nominations were submitted for nonprofit organizations, social entrepreneurs, and volunteers. Out of 4 Regional finalists in the category, Medical Teams International was recognized as the National Winner at the September 22nd ceremony held in San Diego, California for the organization’s response to famine victims in East Africa.
“This award is a tribute to our amazing volunteers and staff,” says Jeff Pinneo, CEO of Medical Teams International. “Their compassion and expertise allow us to effectively provide care to suffering people around the world. We are humbled by this recognition and pray that it brings attention to the continuing needs in East Africa.”
In 2011, East Africa was hit with one of the worst droughts in 60 years, escalating into a famine affecting more than 11 million people. Utilizing key local partnerships, Medical Teams International implemented a program to deliver emergency medical relief to both sides of the Kenya/Somali border. MTI was able to send teams of volunteer medical professionals to rural areas where there were no health care providers to meet the demand, and provided much-needed medical supplies and treatment to refugees.
In the first nine months of response, MTI volunteers treated over 7,500 people and provided training and support to a local Somali NGO and Kenyan community health workers. An estimated 40,000 people in Kenya and Somalia were directly or indirectly impacted by this program during the height of the crisis.