After a whirlwind week in Lebanon, I’m back home and ready to work
I’ve just returned from Lebanon, exhausted yet incredibly proud of the work we accomplished over the last (extremely busy) week. I’m humbled by your contributions, support, and, most importantly, by the trust you’ve placed in our Empower Lebanon team.
Your donations are impacting lives. I saw this in my own eyes. Below are just some highlights from this extraordinary week:
Delivered critical life-saving equipment to Lebanese first responders.
At an event co-hosted with the US Embassy Beirut, I presented the Civil Defense Corps of Yahchouch with equipment and supplies to assist them in protecting their community, especially as they battle the wildfires that ravage the area every summer season. In her remarks at the ceremony, US Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission, Janae Cooley, highlighted the work of Empower Lebanon as a model for what American organizations can do to support the Lebanese people, noting that, "Our participation here today, as a US embassy, in fact, the donation itself, I think really reflects the commitment of the United States and its citizens to the support of the people of Lebanon, and our enduring partnership and our friendship between our two great countries."
Helped deliver food parcels to 200 families. We partnered with Lebanese Food Bank, an amazing NGO, to distribute food aid to families in need in Tripoli and in Byblos. To be frank, the level of need in Lebanon today shocked me. The situation, compounded by the crashing economy and currency, is dire. I was proud that we played a role in providing stop-gap measures for these families.
Restoration work on five Beirut homes. I inspected renovations on a home in Achrafieh, Beirut that was damaged in the Port of Beirut explosion last year. During the visit, I chatted with the grateful homeowner and was deeply moved by the pride he took in his home. Our work, made possible through our partnership with the Lebanon Reforestation Initiative, is helping restore a measure of hope to the Lebanese capital.
It was a full week, as you can see. (Visit our Facebook page for more highlights!) This does not include the many engagements with potential partners and stakeholders for future aid initiatives. It is just the beginning of the urgent work you and I will do together.