Mexico, Puebla and Morelos Earthquake Relief

This upcoming September will mark the 8th anniversary of the devastating 8.2 earthquakes that struck various regions of Mexico. The destruction left a lasting impact, both physically and emotionally, especially in Oaxaca's Istmo communities. In response, the International Community Foundation (ICF) initiated a multi-stage disaster relief strategy to address immediate and long-term recovery needs.

During the initial two stages, ICF focused on providing immediate emergency relief to stabilize affected areas. In the third stage, the organization shifted its focus to supporting long-term projects designed to foster sustainable recovery and resilience within impacted communities. In this critical stage, ICF collaborated with eleven local community organizations across Oaxaca, Morelos, and Mexico City to assess community needs and provide philanthropic support to address them. These organizations included:

1. Friends of El Peñón

2. Fundación Cántaro Azul A.C.

3. Fundación Comunidad, A.C.

4. Fundación Comunitaria Malinalco

5. Fondo Unido, IAP

6. Pro Ayuda a la Mujer Origen, A.C.

7. Proyecto Impacto Consultores, A.C.

8. Crecemos - Desarrollo Integral de la Juventud Oaxaca

9. Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca, A.C.

10. Centro de Apoyo Para la Educación y Creatividad

11. Manos que Reconstruyen Oaxaca, A.C.

These partnerships facilitated a range of impactful projects, including the development of vital emergency kits and the provision of therapeutic outlets to help communities process their trauma. These efforts played a significant role in stabilizing and rebuilding the most heavily affected areas.

ICF's disaster relief efforts focused on two primary objectives:

• Developing capacities in affected communities to promote economic reactivation and sustainable development, including disaster preparedness.

• Informing and advocating for communities to ensure their active participation in decision-making regarding reconstruction policies and efforts that impact them.

As disasters such as hurricanes continue to impact Mexico annually, ICF remains committed to empowering communities by equipping local foundations with resources to rebuild and strengthen their regions. Drawing on years of collaboration with partner organizations, ICF has become adept at identifying and prioritizing community needs for optimal recovery outcomes.

To further these efforts, ICF has three dedicated disaster relief funds:

• A fund supporting recovery in Mexico, Puebla, and Morelos.

• A fund specifically for the Baja California region.

• An international fund designed to support disaster relief efforts beyond Mexico.

ICF's ongoing commitment to disaster relief aims to provide food, water, shelter, health services, and more to those impacted. With your donation, we can create an inclusive and safe environment for individuals already affected and those vulnerable to future disasters. We invite you to join us in uniting, inspiring, and delivering hope during uncertain times.

Links:

• 2024 Annual Report
• Past Annual Reports

This September marked the 7th anniversary of the 8.2 earthquakes that hit in different areas of Mexico. The destruction was devastating both physically and emotionally and in Oaxaca, the Istmo communities were greatly affected. During our first and second stages of providing disaster relief, the International Community Foundation (ICF) focused primarily on quick emergency relief. During the third stage, we switched focus to fund long-term projects that would make way for the sustainable recovery of the communities affected. 

During the third stage of disaster relief response, ICF partnered with eleven local community organizations to assess longer-term community needs and provide the philanthropic support to serve those needs. The eleven organizations are located in Oaxaca, Morelos, and Mexico City: 

1. Friends of El Peñón 
2. Fundación Cantaro Azul A.C.
3. Fundación Comunidad, A.C.
4. Fundación Comunitaria Malinalco
5. Fondo Unido, IAP
6. Pro Ayuda a la Mujer Origen, A.C. 
7. Proyecto Impacto Consultores, A.C. 
8. Crecemos - Desarrollo Integral de la Juventud Oaxaca 
9. Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca, A.C. 
10. Centro de Apoyo Para la Educacion y Creatividad
11. Manos que Reconstruyen Oaxaca, A.C.

The projects funded range from developing vital emergency kits to providing therapeutic outlets to communities after surviving a traumatic experience. These projects were essential in providing key disaster relief responses to the most impacted communities. Our objectives were to promote the social reconstruction of communities through local community foundations and initiatives that promote the economic reactivation of the country through two ways:

• Developing capacities in affected communities for economic reactivation and sustainable development such as disaster preparedness
• Informing and advocating on behalf of the communities so that they are engaged in decision-making about reconstruction policies and efforts that impact them

As we turn a new page in our efforts for disaster relief due to more disasters hitting Mexico every year, such as hurricanes, ICF will continue to empower communities by providing local community foundations with the necessary resources to rebuild and strengthen their communities. After continuously working with our partner organizations for many years, ICF has become an expert in prioritizing the needs of the organizations and communities. Our efforts will help provide food, water, shelter, health services and more to those who have been impacted. With your donation, we will be able to provide an inclusive and safe environment for the people already impacted and those who will be impacted by natural disasters in Mexico. We encourage you to help us unite, inspire and provide hope during times of great uncertainty. 

Links:

• Annual Report (English)
• Annual Report (Spanish)