Impact Report 2023

Haiti

Table of Contents 

. 

Message from Our Founders . 04 

Financials 06 

Mission . 08 

Our Work. 10 

OVERVIEW . 10 

. 

. 

. 

. 

Our Pillars . 11 

By The Numbers 14 

EMERGENCY RESPONSES . 16 

Ukraine War . 18 

Hurricane Idalia 24 

Sudan Conflict 28 

Maui Wildfires. 32 

Türkiye-Syria Earthquake. 34 

Merced County Floods . 38 

Pakistan Floods. 40 

PROGRAMS 44 

Haiti . 46 

California. 50 

North Carolina. 52 

Georgia. 54 

India. 56 

Chicago. 58 

Kentucky . 60 

Our Partners. 62 

Staff & Culture . 66 

Media Highlights. 76 

Leadership. 80 

Ukraine

IMPACT REPORT 2023 | www.coreresponse.org 

Message from Our Founders 

Since inception, CORE’s disaster response efforts have always been designed 

to leave communities stronger. With increasing climate-fueled disasters and 

conflict greatly increasing humanitarian needs globally, empowering vulnerable 

communities for the long-term is more important than ever. 

This 2023 Impact Report underscores CORE’s commitment to community-building 

and serves as a reminder that we wouldn’t be the organization we are today 

without the support of our generous and passionate community of donors and 

partners. Throughout the year, CORE expanded our humanitarian programming 

in Ukraine, Haiti, Pakistan, India and across the US while responding to breaking 

emergencies in Sudan, Turkey, California, Georgia and Maui. No matter where, 

our strength has always been our ability to provide a range of assistance, from 

shelter to hygiene kits, cash support to families, to construction, mobile health 

screening and more. This range of skills and ability is built on our agility to provide 

what is most needed, and on a commitment to serving the marginalized and most 

vulnerable. 

Despite an alarming lack of attention and international funding for the conflict 

in Sudan, our donors and partners empowered CORE to respond to the largest 

global humanitarian disaster in the world currently* And we expanded our scope as 

climate change caused increasingly devastating emergencies worldwide including 

floods in Pakistan and Kentucky, Hurricane Idalia in Georgia, Hurricane Helene in 

Georgia and North Carolina (2024), Hurricane Milton in Florida (2024) and wildfires 

in Maui. All the while, we listened, learned, and acted swiftly to launch tailored 

emergency responses to meet the needs of vulnerable people all around the world. 

Since our inception, CORE has remained nimble and adaptable to spontaneously 

morph into serving the nuanced needs in our areas of operation. At times, this 

has made the organization difficult to define, but not its impacts, the tangibility of 

which has maintained donor support and kept us afloat. Yet, we have set in place 

new strategies for continued growth and established the following pillars to guide 

us as we look to the future: Emergency Response & Preparedness; Addressing 

Climate Change; and Health Access. Fundamentally, through every response and 

long-term program, Community Building has always been and will continue to be 

at the center of all of CORE’s work. 

In 2023, CORE set out an ambitious three-year strategic plan to expand into 

additional geographies, to hone our technical expertise in cash programming, 

shelter, climate, and health access, and to increase equitable access in 

humanitarian response. We optimized our organization’s ability to efficiently 

manage diverse grants simultaneously (government, institutional, and private) and 

invested heavily in refining our financial reporting and policies to ensure we are 

maximizing every dollar donated. We also hired exceptional leaders to manage 

key departments including Programs, Partnerships, Development, Measurement 

& Evaluation and Communications. Most importantly, we further bolstered our 

safeguarding and protection mechanisms including instituting an anonymous 

reporting system and hiring a world-class expert in safeguarding.** These efforts 

serve to ensure that our beneficiaries, partners and staff are safe and secure. 

And we handle our donors’ generous contributions with the highest level of 

care, prioritizing financial and internal controls to ensure every dollar is used with 

maximum efficiency to advance our mission. Our financial team and internal 

audit processes ensure real-time reporting, so funding is tracked and managed 

transparently. CORE will maintain a posture of continuous improvement across 

the organization, always seeking innovative ways that help us have greater impact, 

faster and more efficiently. 

Now, with greater experience, a clearer roadmap, and more resources, CORE 

can project our capabilities, fulfill our organizational mission in responding to 

more crises, and serve more people who need relief. Whether in response to 

natural disasters, conflict, food insecurity, disease outbreaks, climate change, 

or public health emergencies, CORE is incredibly proud to be led by local staff. 

And ultimately, by you, our faithful and generous donors and supporters. We are 

humbled and so grateful for the trust you place in us. Thank you for powering our 

mission and for impacting countless communities around the world. 

SEAN PENN 

CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRPERSON OF THE BOARD 

ANN LEE 

CO-FOUNDER & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER 

*In April 2023, violent conflict began to rapidly spread across Sudan displacing 

millions and resulting in the largest global humanitarian emergency today. 

**Director, Global Safety, Security & Safeguarding, Sheri Randazzo 

| 4 | | 5 |


Financials 

In 2023, CORE remained committed to fostering a culture of accountability, 

transparency, and operational excellence. Your trust is paramount to us, and 

we want you to feel confident that your generous donations are being utilized 

responsibly and effectively to achieve our mission. 

CORE regularly invites partner audits of our programs and conducts our annual 

financial audit. This rigorous process ensures that we are continuously assessing 

all areas of risk, including financial, regulatory, and internal controls. Each year, 

we proudly share our 990 tax filings and audited financial statements with our 

community. Our goal is not only to inform you of where your contributions 

are going but to demonstrate the profound impact they have on vulnerable 

communities around the world. Once again, we have received an “unqualified 

opinion” on our audit, signifying that our financial statements are presented fairly 

and in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). We 

are also pleased to report we’ve received the highest ratings from third-party 

evaluators Guidestar and Charity Navigator which affirm that your support is 

being managed with the utmost care and efficiency. 

CORE has made strategic investments in several key areas to enhance our 

operations and ensure the continued excellence and growth of our programs. 

We implemented the Sage Intacct platform, which enables real-time global 

monitoring of expenditures, and further developed our risk management 

processes. These improvements included establishing a compliance committee 

and instituting over a dozen new policies to manage risk effectively. In the face 

of economic challenges and inflationary pressures that have impacted many 

nonprofits, we are proud to report that CORE’s revenue growth has remained 

steady. We have maintained over a $15 million operating reserve, allowing our 

teams to continue delivering our critical programs without interruption. 

Our work would not be possible without your belief in our mission and the trust 

you place in us. We take our responsibility to you, our donors, very seriously 

and strive to maintain the highest standards in all that we do. Enclosed, you 

will find our 2023 financial audit statement, which reflects our dedication to 

strengthening our financial reporting systems. 

Should you have any questions or require further information, please do not 

hesitate to contact us at development@coreresponse.org. 

Thank you for your continued support. 

AUDITED FINANCIALS 

Revenue 

Government Contracts 17,056,549 

Contributions and Grants 14,596,332 

TOTAL 31,652,881 

Expenses 

Program 33,126,493 

Management & General 13,253,527 

Fundraising 3,568,373 

TOTAL 49,948,393 

Change in Net Assets –18,295,512 

Total Assets 32,091,854 

Total Liabilities 13,720,238 

Net Assets 18,371,616 

Haiti 

| 6 | | 7 |


MISSION 

We empower 

communities 

in and beyond 

crisis. 

Türkiye 

| 8 | | 9 |


Our Work | OVERVIEW 

Since our inception in 2010, CORE has scaled exponentially as a global 

humanitarian organization working to meet the growing needs of vulnerable 

communities worldwide. We’ve become adept at responding to a variety of 

humanitarian emergencies, prioritizing community building at every turn. 

Today, CORE’s programs focus on Emergency Response and Preparedness, 

Addressing Climate Change, and Health Access. These three strategic pillars 

guide us as we tackle the increasingly frequent and severe nature of global 

crises brought on by climate change, deepening social inequalities, and 

escalating geo-political conflict. What’s more, the pillars reflect our unwavering 

commitment to community empowerment as we continue working to 

strengthen communities from within and build resilience to future crises. 

Community building is our north star. Whether in Haiti after the devastating 2010 

earthquake, Pakistan after the 2022 floods, or Ukraine throughout the ongoing 

war, all our work—from acute emergency responses to longstanding communitybuilding 

programs—is a testament to the trust and close collaboration between 

local staff, partners, leaders, and community members. With their feedback, we 

adapt our programs to the dynamic needs of communities as they evolve in and 

beyond crisis. Each one takes us a step closer toward realizing our vision where 

communities are empowered and equipped with the knowledge and tools to 

thrive and respond to disasters from within. 

STRATEGIC PILLARS 

With COMMUNITY-BUILDING as our north star, our STRATEGIC PILLARS are: 

Emergency 

Response 

& Preparedness 

Addressing 

Climate Change 

Health Access 

OUR PILLARS 

Emergency Response and 

Preparedness 

Emergency response is foundational 

at CORE, dating back to the 2010 Haiti 

earthquake, and more recently, to the 

COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine. 

What sets CORE apart is our nimble 

and innovative response capacity—our 

humanitarian experts continuously assess 

risk while rapidly mobilizing to respond 

without getting caught up in bureaucratic 

hurdles. Today, we stand ready to deploy 

in the face of natural and man-made 

disasters—from climate change-fueled 

floods and wildfires to conflict and dire 

public health crises—and we remain 

committed to delivering immediate relief and 

recovery solutions to impacted communities. 

Following humanitarian emergencies, our 

team strategically assesses CORE’s capacity 

to reach underserved populations, including 

those who are displaced, low-income, 

women and children, or otherwise socially 

vulnerable. We deploy an emergency 

response team to listen, learn, and then act— 

because local communities know best what 

their needs are. This locally led approach 

ensures that no two responses are the same. 

No matter the emergency, we always strive 

to empower communities and equip them 

with resources to effectively respond to 

future crises from within. 

Georgia 

| 10 | | 11 |


Health Access 

Accessing essential health services remains a significant global challenge. 

This was evident in 2020 when CORE rapidly mobilized in response to the 

COVID-19 pandemic and developed innovative ways to support the equitable 

distribution of lifesaving resources, reaching some of the most marginalized 

communities worldwide. Today, CORE is committed to building more inclusive 

health systems and programs that foster community-wide resilience to future 

public health crises, ensuring that no community is left behind. 

Addressing Climate Change 

Southern California 

Through collaboration with local government, community-based 

organizations, and community members, we strive to dismantle barriers to 

healthcare and empower individuals through education, resource allocation, 

and advocacy. We equip communities with tools to address their physical 

and mental health and supplement these initiatives with ongoing resource 

coordination, benefits navigation, and case management services that directly 

address the factors that contribute to their social vulnerability. Our health 

access programs have engaged underserved populations—including youth, 

women and mothers, rural and Indigenous communities, and refugees and 

internally displaced people (IDPs)—and empowered them with sustainable 

relief and recovery solutions. 

Since our early days, CORE has been responding to some of the world’s 

worst climate disasters. Whether it’s unprecedented flooding, hurricanes, or 

wildfires, people worldwide are grappling with the worsening effects of climate 

change; and we’ve seen firsthand the disproportionate devastation it is having 

on marginalized and low-income communities, which already are vulnerable 

to disasters due to systemic inequality. This pillar is all about helping these 

communities mitigate, adapt, and prepare for the ongoing and future impacts 

of climate change. CORE develops and strengthens grassroots projects that 

promote the environmental resilience of communities facing or vulnerable to 

dire climate crises. Together with our partners, we have provided education 

about sustainable farming and fishing, cleared fuel and created fire breaks in 

wildfire-prone areas, distributed emergency planning resources, supported 

community gardens, and carried out innovative solutions to make communities 

more flood resilient. 

Georgia 

| 12 | | 13 |


By The Numbers In 2023 

Since our inception, CORE’s humanitarian 

programs have reached 11.8 million 

people across 14 countries. We have 

a footprint on five continents, where 

we continue to serve marginalized and 

vulnerable communities impacted 

by natural and man-made disasters 

worldwide. 

1.8 MILLION 

people reached 

9 COUNTRIES and 

4 CONTINENTS served 

110,000 PEOPLE 

supported in strengthening 

resilience and preparedness 

to climate change 

370,000 PEOPLE 

equipped with health 

resources and services 

(incl. vaccines & opioid 

education) 

Pakistan 

| 14 | | 15 |


Our Work | EMERGENCY RESPONSE 

Increasing climate-fueled disasters, deepening social inequalities, and escalating 

geo-political conflicts are intensifying the frequency and severity of global 

emergencies, and marginalized communities continue to be disproportionately 

impacted. In 2023, our emergency response teams rapidly deployed after a 

variety of crises, including catastrophic wildfires, earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, 

devastating conflicts, and consequent humanitarian crises. True to our ethos, 

we connected with local partners and community members to develop tailored 

responses that brought equitable relief to those who needed it most. We 

approached each response strategically and with resilience building in mind, 

adapting to the expressed needs of the people we served. 

Ukraine War 

(Ukraine, Poland, Romania) 

Maui Wildfires 

(Hawaii) 

Merced County Floods 

(California) 

03 

Hurricane Idalia 

(Georgia) 

Türkiye-Syria Earthquake 

(Southern Türkiye) 

Sudan Conflict 

Pakistan Floods 

CORE RELIEF 

HEALTH LIVELIHOODS SHELTER FOOD 

WATER, SANITATION & 

HYGIENE (WASH) 

NON-FOOD ITEMS (NFI) 

CASH & VOUCHER 

ASSISTANCE (CVA) 

Ukraine 

| 16 | | 17 |


Ukraine War 

Relentless attacks on critical 

infrastructure, homes, hospitals, and 

schools in 2023 deepened the already 

severe humanitarian crisis brought on 

by the Russian occupation and war. 

Millions of people living along the 

front line lacked access to safe and 

adequate shelter, fuel to heat their 

homes and cook, and water and basic 

health supplies. Displaced Ukrainians 

who fled west or relocated to Poland 

and Romania required significant social 

and economic support as they began 

rebuilding their lives away from home. 

In 2023, our remarkable local teams 

worked tirelessly to reach 1.2 million 

Ukrainians across the region. In close 

coordination with local government and 

our dedicated partners, we developed 

tailored solutions to improve the quality 

of life of vulnerable Ukrainians and help 

them restore their safety, autonomy, 

and community. 

1.2 million 

PEOPLE REACHED 

500,000 

REFUGEES SUPPORTED 

21 

PARTNERS ENGAGED 

970 people supported with 

$417,500 in rental assistance 

66 shelters supported 

60,000 liters of fuel distributed to 

farmers 

700,000 tons of heating materials 

(coal, firewood, sunflower 

briquettes) provided 

35,000 trees planted 

EMERGENCY 

Humanitarian Crisis, War in Ukraine 

CORE’S RESPONSE 

Feb. 2022 – present 

LOCATION(S) 

Ukraine, Poland, Romania 

PROGRAMS 

Shelter, NFI, Food, Water, Winterization, 

Livelihoods, CVA 

UKRAINE 

| 18 | | 19 | 

Ukraine


CORE’s Response 

Throughout 2023, CORE’s programs adapted to the evolving needs of Ukrainians 

across the region, all of whom sought stability as the war stretched into its second, 

brutal year. We worked with 21 partners, including Global Sae-A Co. Ltd., UN Ukraine 

Humanitarian Fund, and American Red Cross, to rehabilitate homes and vital 

infrastructure, provide food and other critical relief, and help displaced families 

integrate into new communities and regain economic stability. 

UKRAINE 

Rental assistance: Providing displaced families and individuals with 

money to cover the cost of six months of rent and utilities in partnership 

with the UN Ukraine Humanitarian Fund. With living expenses covered, 

recipients could redirect their financial resources to restore their stability, 

including medical costs, finding a job, or enrolling their children in local 

schools. 

Window repairs: Constant shelling and shockwaves blew out windows in 

hundreds of homes in frontline regions. Repairing windows helped protect 

residents from frigid winters and made their homes livable again. 

Water towers: Restoring water towers and ensuring water supply was 

critical as residents returned to destroyed communities. 

Gas restoration: Restoring gas infrastructure allowed vulnerable residents 

in frontline regions to heat their homes, cook hot food, and access hot 

water. 

Hygiene kits: Distributing hygiene kits to vulnerable communities on the 

frontline, including elderly people and those with disabilities, was a lifeline 

for many, as some suppliers and humanitarian organizations avoided the 

area due to increasingly dangerous conditions. 

Planting trees: Engaging community members to plant trees in Western 

Ukraine helped to improve the environment and newly arrived people into 

the community. 

“The can-do approach, reliability, flexibility and quality 

execution made CORE a partner of choice throughout the 

American Red Cross response to the crisis in Ukraine and 

impacted countries. Thank you.” 

- Robert Kaufman, American Red Cross 

Ukraine 

Fuel distribution: Distributing fuel to farmers from frontline communities 

ensured they could harvest their crops on time and provided food security 

in the region. 

Social integration: Supporting community centers and shelters for 

refugees, including families with young children, to provide basic needs 

like fresh food and social activities like daycare and art classes. 

| 20 | | 21 |


HALYNA’S STORY 

Halyna, a sweet grandmother and life-long music teacher, lived in the 

Mykolaiv region of Ukraine with her daughter’s family, including her young 

granddaughter. At the onset of the war, frantic neighbors woke them up as the 

shelling started. The family ran for safety, luckily escaping the attack unharmed. 

In their flight, they witnessed extreme violence, were left traumatized, and even 

experienced temporary deafness from the bombings. 

Halyna’s family eventually left Ukraine for the safety of Poland. But Halyna stayed 

behind—like many elders, she could not leave due to health issues. Instead, she 

boarded a train to Lviv, where she did not know anyone, to escape the ongoing 

bombardment. 

“I am so grateful to 

Iryna and to CORE 

for placing me in 

this apartment. For 

helping me.” 

- Halyna, Mykolaiv resident forced to relocate during 

the war in Ukraine 

There, she met like-minded, retired people in a collective center who were kind. 

But living there was incredibly uncomfortable. It was very loud, and at times, she 

had to sleep on the floor. With the war waging on for two years, Halyna found 

this situation untenable. 

Eventually, she connected with CORE, which, in partnership with the UN Ukraine 

Humanitarian Fund, placed her in a comfortable and private one-bedroom 

apartment and gave her six months of much-needed rental assistance. The 

new space made her feel safe and independent, and, with the support of CORE 

staffer Iryna, she found opportunities to make money doing her favorite activity 

of all: teaching music. 

Now, while waiting for the day she can reunite with her family and see her 

country at peace, Halyna spends time sharing her love of music by teaching 

local children and residents how to play the bandura, a traditional Ukrainian 

string instrument she grew up playing. 

CORE’s rental assistance program has helped nearly 1,000 displaced Ukrainians 

like Halyna quickly rebuild their lives in a new city. With rental costs covered, 

UKRAINE 

families addressed other needs that helped restore their stability, such as 

finding a job, covering medical costs, or enrolling their children in school. 

Ukraine 

| 22 | | 23 |


Hurricane Idalia 

Hurricane Idalia made landfall as a Category 3 storm on Florida’s Gulf Coast in 

August 2023. The powerful storm was among the strongest on record to make 

landfall in the state’s Big Bend region in over 125 years*. Dangerous storm surges, 

high-sustained wind speeds, and heavy flooding severely impacted communities 

and infrastructure across Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas. While local, state, and 

federal actors mobilized quickly to support the hardest-hit areas in northern Florida, 

needs abounded in vulnerable communities in Southern Georgia, extending from 

essential resources and power restoration to debris removal and shelter repairs. 

*Source: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) 

EMERGENCY 

Hurricane 

CORE’S RESPONSE 

September 2023 

LOCATION(S) 

Southern Georgia 

PROGRAMS 

Food, WASH, Debris Cleanup, Resource 

Coordination 

GEORGIA 

CORE’s Response 

Given our extensive regional programs, local staff, and strong partnerships 

throughout the state, CORE rapidly identified impacted communities with 

particularly high social vulnerability in Southern Georgia to support. Our teams 

activated as soon the storm subsided, mobilizing amid ongoing power outages 

and a post-storm heatwave that exacerbated already urgent needs. In close 

coordination with local partners and government agencies, we provided critical 

relief to underserved communities in Lowndes County, including Valdosta, the 

Val Del mobile home community, and several Section 8 housing sites. 

Alongside fellow disaster response partners—including Lowndes County 

Emergency Management, World Central Kitchen, The Salvation Army, Georgia 

VOAD, Valdosta Fire Department, and others—we managed resource points 

of distribution (PODs) and conducted door-to-door deliveries throughout the 

county to provide water, hygiene kits, hot meals, and other essential items to 

thousands of community members, many of whom had received little to no 

relief since the storm passed through. We also helped community members 

apply for SNAP assistance, tapping into our historical expertise in resource 

coordination efforts. 

8,900 


15,000 

RESOURCES DISTRIBUTED 

12,420 water and hydration 

resources 

870 hot meals 

1,740 hygiene kits 

695 tarps and clean-up items 

Georgia 

Georgia 

24 | IMPACT REPORT 2022–23 

| 24 | | 25 |


LAURA’S STORY 

Laura is gracious and optimistic. But when Hurricane Idalia reached her 

community, Laura questioned whether she, her husband, and her home would 

survive the storm. 

She and her husband live in a mobile home community outside Valdosta, 

Georgia that was battered with high winds and heavy rain, uprooting trees and 

causing widespread power outages across the region. They weathered the 

storm from inside their mobile home, preparing for the very worst. 

While hard-hit areas in Florida received significant assistance from local 

organizations and state and federal agencies, the Val Del community and other 

communities in Southern Georgia saw little support, despite urgent needs for 

basic resources. 

They spent days struggling to preserve food and keep cool in the August 

summer heat, uncertain of when power would be restored. The couple sat in 

their car for a few hours a day to get air conditioning and recharge their phones. 

The dire circumstances brought Laura closer to her neighbors, many of whom 

she had barely spoken to before. “Before I knew it, we found one neighbor with 

a grill, and we all started pulling stuff out of our fridges and cooking and feeding 

everybody. And we did that until the food ran out.” 

With our partners, CORE delivered water, ice, hygiene kits, and hot meals 

directly to her home. After days without power, she was relieved to receive 

much-needed supplies. “We actually, in all honesty, got through all of this with 

your guys’ help and the Red Cross and the neighbors that came together,” Laura 

said. “We formed our own little community, and we pulled through it together.” 

CORE continued daily deliveries of supplies to Val Del until power was restored, 

GEORGIA 

nearly a week after the storm had passed. 

“You folks from CORE, you have been a godsend. To get 

supplies that we need from people who are kind and caring 

allowed us to have some light and brightness in such a 

dark, dark time. I hope you guys know how much we love 

you and how much we’ve appreciated you being here.” 

- Laura, Valdosta, Georgia resident affected by Hurricane Idalia 

Georgia 

| 26 | | 27 |


Sudan Conflict 

Violent conflict erupted in Sudan in April 2023 and quickly expanded across the 

country, resulting in widespread displacement, loss of life, and destruction of homes 

and public infrastructure. With more than 5.3 million people displaced by December, 

many of whom were women and children, access to food, shelter, healthcare, water, 

hygiene supplies, and protection from violence were among the most urgent needs. 

By the end of the year, 24.1 million people—almost half of the Sudanese population— 

needed humanitarian assistance*. 

*UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA; December 2023) 

EMERGENCY 

Humanitarian Crisis, Conflict in Sudan 

RESPONSE 

May 2023 – present 

LOCATION(S) 

In/around Khartoum 

PROGRAMS 

CVA, Food, Non-Food Items (NFI), Medicine, 

Medical Services, Gender-Based Violence 

CORE launched an immediate response 

in close partnership with Sudanese NGOs, 

NIDAA and SuDRO, to provide lifesaving 

assistance to those affected by the conflict 

and support locally led Community-Based 

Organizations (CBOs). 

SUDAN 

Our emergency response focused on: 

Cash and voucher assistance (CVA): Distributing CVA to impacted households 

(prioritizing pregnant/lactating women, infants, and children) to meet basic 

needs including food, hygiene supplies, rent, medicine and healthcare services 

Medical clinics: Supporting the operation of mobile health clinics in seven 

regions offering acute trauma services, health monitoring, and specialized care 

for pregnant women 

Community-Based Organizations: Delivering training and cash transfers 

to local, women-led safe havens to enable health, nutrition, protection, and 

psychosocial support for women and children 

CORE continues to provide essential relief to the most vulnerable people in 

Khartoum through NIDAA amid the devastating humanitarian crisis. 

10,000 


11 

CBOS SUPPORTED 

3,600 people able to meet basic 

nutrition and medical needs 

through multipurpose cash 

assistance 

1,225 people provided with 

protection and referral services 

7,000 people provided with health 

services through support of 7 

mobile medical clinics 

“ 

We thank you very much for 

the financial support, because 

I have a young son who is 3 

months old. We needed to buy 

milk, baby supplies, and food, 

and we bought some food, 

vegetables, flour, sugar, and 

oil from it.” 

- 32-year-old father, Khartoum, Sudan 

Sudan 

| 28 | | 29 |


Why Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) in Sudan? 

The severity of the war has driven millions of Sudanese people 

into a desperate and volatile reality. Many are in hiding to protect 

their families from the violence or constantly moving from 

location to location seeking safety, food (which has become 

extremely scarce), and other vital resources. People are having to 

sell their belongings for money, barely eating or rationing meals 

for their children, and are unable to access healthcare. 

In Khartoum, conflict is constant, electricity and communications 

are intermittent, and few markets remain functional. Safely 

distributing and accessing critical relief items and services has 

proven extremely difficult in the turbulent context. For these 

reasons, CORE is providing CVA because it offers flexibility. 

Recipients are empowered to make decisions about what their 

own family needs, including buying food or baby items, covering 

debts, or accessing lifesaving medical services. 

“ 

We benefited a lot from the amount of 

money, and we were in dire need of it 

with the cessation of work and the war 

conditions. We bought an electric stove 

due to the lack of cooking gas and the high 

prices of coal, and we bought flour, milk, 

sugar, onions, and some vegetables.” 

- 65-year-old widow, Khartoum, Sudan 

Without boots on the ground, identifying local, trusted partners 

was critical. CORE teamed up with the Sudanese organization, 

NIDAA, to determine various ways to safely and efficiently deliver 

MPCA to hard-to-reach communities, including via over-thecounter 

and e-wallet transfers. CORE trained over 70 members of 

Community-Based Organizations on administrative and technical 

aspects of CVA to safely distribute, minimize risk, and ensure 

assistance was inclusive and accessible for recipients. CORE 

aimed to safely and securely reach the most vulnerable and 

marginalized people, including women, children, and elders, with 

culturally relevant food, health, and other critical services. 

SUDAN 

Sudan 

| 30 | | 31 |


HAWAII 

Maui Wildfires 

At the tail end of summer 2023, 

unprecedented wildfires in Maui 

County devastated the historic 

town of Lahaina. The fires, which 

evolved from the intense winds 

of passing Hurricane Dora, 

destroyed thousands of homes 

and structures and resulted in 

97 fatalities, making this one 

of the worst natural disasters 

Hawaii has faced and among 

the top 10 deadliest fires in U.S. 

history. As families grappled with 

the tremendous loss, Lahaina 

received a national outpouring of 

support—but local organizations 

and community members 

remained at the heart of the initial 

response and recovery efforts. 

Marshallese Community of Hawaii, and Papa 

Ola Lōkahi—we distributed cash and voucher 

assistance (CVA) to vulnerable families, including 

those who were displaced, ineligible for federal 

aid, and whose primary source of income 

was severely impacted by the fires. With the 

money, families purchased baby formula, 

hygiene supplies, gas, clothing, school supplies, 

and other items that they needed amid such 

destabilizing circumstances. 

Additionally, CORE collaborated with local 

partners to manage a housing pilot program 

supporting seven families whose homes were 

lost in the fires. We partnered with host families 

to modify unused spaces into sustainable, longterm 

housing solutions for displaced families. 

490 


Over 100 

multigenerational 

households able to 

purchase basic necessities 

through $56,000 in CVA 

EMERGENCY 

Wildfires 

RESPONSE 

Aug. 2023 – Oct. 2023 

LOCATION(S) 

Maui County, Hawaii 

PROGRAMS 

CVA, Shelter 

Hawaii 

CORE promptly deployed to the 

island and connected with Hawaii 

Voluntary Organizations Active in 

Disaster (HIVOAD), local partners, 

and personal connections among 

staff and board members to meet 

with and understand the needs of 

those impacted by the wildfires. 

Working with local communitybased 

organizations—including 

Maui Rapid Response, Citizen 

Church, Roots Reborn, 

“ 

Maui’s Lahaina Fire was unlike any other disaster 

in its history. The unique and catastrophic 

circumstances...created delays in traditional 

response timelines, which in turn provided 

CORE more time and opportunity to understand 

the gaps in resources and build trust within the 

devastated local community...The resilience 

of this community remains unforgettable, 

and we are incredibly grateful for the trusting 

partnerships that have grown from this response.” 

- Sunny Lee, CORE, Emergency Response Programs Manager 

| 32 | | 33 |


Türkiye-Syria Earthquake 

In early February, catastrophic 7.8 and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes caused widespread 

devastation across Southern Türkiye and Northern Syria. In the immediate aftermath, 

over 24 million people were severely impacted, 3 million were displaced, and 50,000 

tragically lost their lives. Nearly 300,000 buildings were leveled. The destruction 

spanned eleven provinces in Türkiye, leaving many reeling from unimaginable loss, 

injury, trauma, and displacement and in dire need of humanitarian assistance. 

CORE deployed immediately and established critical partnerships with regional 

organizations, IhsanRD and YSYD. With operations spanning across Mersin, Gaziantep, 

Hatay, İslahiye, Kahramanmaraş, and Hassa, we worked tirelessly to supply impacted 

communities in need with vital food kits, hygiene packages, cash card vouchers, 

kitchen sets, and resource coordination support. 

Our local teams recognized that this unprecedented disaster left many people 

without access to income-generating activities and identified additional ways 

to support the community. CORE and YSYD initiated a program to supply grants 

to women-led greenhouses and a variety of small businesses, including textile, 

advertising, and a local coffee shop. In total, CORE provided more than $100,000 

to help owners purchase essential supplies and equipment to start or restart their 

businesses. The program also included skills-building and entrepreneurship training to 

further empower participants and help them regain their financial independence. 

23,600 


3,000 

INDIVIDUALS ABLE TO BUY BASIC 

NECESSITIES THROUGH RECEIPT OF 

CASH CARDS 

2,294 hygiene kits distributed 

with 2,294 Ready to Eat rations 

516 kitchen sets distributed 

77 small business and 

greenhouse owners supported 

with $100,000 in grants 

EMERGENCY 

Earthquake 

RESPONSE 

Feb. 2023 - Sept. 2023 

TÜRKIYE 

Türkiye 

LOCATION(S) 

Southern Türkiye 

PROGRAMS 

WASH, Food, NFI, CVA, Livelihoods 

Türkiye 

| 34 | | 35 |


MEET HAYDAR 

Haydar is a 31-year-old father, husband, 

and coffee shop owner whose life was 

upended when the 7.8 earthquake 

struck Hassa. Luckily, his family was 

safe, but his home and coffee shop 

were destroyed. Running the coffee 

shop was his passion, and it was a 

special place of joy and community for 

him and his neighbors, especially after 

enduring such a destabilizing disaster. 

TÜRKIYE 

The local government in Hassa granted 

Haydar a storefront to reestablish 

his shop. CORE and local partner 

YSYD provided him with flexible cash 

assistance to get it back up and 

running. He used the money to buy 

equipment and restock the shop, and 

more importantly, restore his livelihood. 

“ 

So, what you really gave us was 

support, a little ray of sunshine. 

We have figured out how to hold 

onto life again.” 

- Haydar, Small business owner impacted by the 

2023 earthquake 

Türkiye 

| 36 | | 37 |


CALIFORNIA 

Merced County Floods 

From December 2022 to January 2023, California experienced a series of severe 

winter storms that brought on substantial flooding and mudslides throughout 

much of the state. Many low-income and vulnerable communities, including 

those in Merced County, one of the state’s largest agricultural-producing 

counties, suffered significant damage to households and businesses stemming 

from the torrential rainfall. 

CORE worked alongside FEMA, CalOES, NorCal VOAD, and Merced EMA to 

provide critical disaster assistance to those affected. Our efforts focused 

on supporting hard-hit individuals and families with modular home gutting, 

information dissemination, and hygiene kit distribution. We also staffed a FEMA 

Disaster Recovery Center and canvassed the area to facilitate sign-ups for FEMA 

and other disaster recovery resources. 

“ 

CORE’s response to the Merced County Floods was driven by our 

commitment to listening and responding to community needs. We 

identified a flooded trailer park where residents were unaware of the 

extent of damage beneath their homes. By conducting moisture checks and 

clearing out hazardous materials, we addressed critical health and safety 

concerns. Through resource sharing and direct assistance, we served 

thousands of individuals, embodying our community-powered approach to 

disaster recovery and resilience.” 

EMERGENCY 

Floods 

RESPONSE 

January 2023 

LOCATION(S) 

Merced County, California 

PROGRAMS 

Muck and Gut/Debris Cleanup, WASH, 

Resource Coordination 

2,444 


490 

HYGIENE KITS DISTRIBUTED 

50 trailers and homes supported 

with gutting/moisture checking 

- George Hernandez Mejia, CORE, Director of Emergency Response 

Northern California 

Northern California 

| 38 | | 39 |


PAKISTAN 

Pakistan Floods 

In September 2022, monsoon rains and subsequent 

floods inundated Pakistan, submerging homes, vital 

crops, and farmland. This unprecedented climate 

catastrophe overwhelmed local infrastructure and 

flooded rural, low-lying villages, impacting roughly 33 

million people and killing at least 1,700. CORE rapidly 

mobilized alongside our local partner, Riverside 

Development Organization (RDO), to meet the urgent 

needs of 66,000 people in the Sindh province. 

These floods underscored Pakistan’s vulnerability 

to natural catastrophes, past and present, 

and highlighted the need for improved flood 

preparedness and mitigation initiatives. In addition 

to abounding recovery needs—such as repairing 

homes and restoring water supply—communities 

lacked proper warning systems and resilient 

infrastructure. 

In 2023, CORE and RDO expanded operations and 

worked together with community members in 

the Naushahro Feroze district to make the Dodha 

and Goth Hasham Chohan villages more resilient 

to future floods. We coordinated resources and 

employed local laborers to build new homes and 

repair those that were damaged. Additionally, we 

installed or reconditioned hand pumps and tanks to 

increase water accessibility and storage. To enhance 

these efforts, CORE and RDO constructed retaining 

(bund) walls and roads above the 2022 flood line 

and carefully increased the height of homes, toilets, 

animal shelters, and storage sheds. 

Pakistan 

Pakistan 

EMERGENCY 

Historic Flooding 

RESPONSE 

Sept. 2022 – Feb. 2024 

LOCATION(S) 

Sindh Province, Dodha and Goth Hasham Chohan 

villages 

PROGRAMS 

Construction, Shelter, Flood Mitigation 

20,200 


28 

HOMES REPAIRED 

23 homes built 

58 hand pumps and storage tanks 

installed 

821 meters of road constructed 

1 bund wall constructed 

Pakistan 

| 40 | | 41 |


PAKISTAN 

THE AZEEM FAMILY’S STORY 

In June 2022, Mohammad and Arifa Azeem and their 7-year-old 

daughter lost everything when rushing water swept through their 

home in the rural Pakistani village of Dodha. Mohammad recalls 

watching boats row down the flooded road to move through the 

village. The marsh-like body of water that remains is a constant 

reminder of the unprecedented environmental devastation the 

community faced. 

In the initial aftermath, the Azeem family connected with CORE and 

RDO, who provided them with essential food and hygiene items. 

Despite being grateful for the relief, the community was still at risk. 

The Azeem family was living through the sweltering and humid 

summer in a tent without proper ventilation. Opportunities for work 

were scarce or inaccessible. Sustainable sources for water, food, 

and protection for livestock were unavailable. Overall, Dodha lacked 

vital infrastructure to prevent catastrophic flood damage from 

occurring again. 

Over the next year and a half, both organizations remained 

committed to rebuilding Dodha and holistically addressing its 

vulnerabilities. Using local labor to ensure funds stayed within the 

community, CORE and RDO rebuilt large portions of the village, one 

property at a time, including the Azeems’ home. 

“ 

...We have benefitted much from this work, you have constructed 

houses for us - it is best for us poor people. It would have been 

impossible for us to build the house which you have constructed.” 

- Mohammad, Dodha village resident affected by the floods 

Mohammad and other workers elevated individual properties by 

placing feet of new soil above the 2022 flood line. They installed 

hand pumps and water storage tanks and built non-permeable 

4-foot-high bund walls around Dodha to keep future rising waters 

at bay. 

These interventions restored the community’s sense of ease and 

security, including for the Azeem family whose new elevated home 

relieved their concerns about surviving through another extreme 

weather season in a tent, especially as the effects of climate 

change continue to be felt globally. 

Pakistan 

42 | IMPACT REPORT 2022–23 

| 42 | | 43 |


Our Work | PROGRAMS 

Community empowerment guides all 

of CORE’s work—that’s why we have 

remained committed to working with 

communities beyond acute crises. 

In 2023, in a testament to our local 

partners and remarkable staff on the 

ground, we provided ongoing disaster 

recovery, equitable access to health 

services, and climate preparedness 

programs to marginalized or 

vulnerable communities worldwide. 

From overdose prevention and health 

outreach to wildfire mitigation and 

food distributions, CORE expanded 

deeper into communities to address 

inequities that drive them into crisis in 

the first place. 

02 

06 

03 

05 

04 

01. Haiti 

Community Building 

05. India 

Food Distribution 

02. California 

Disaster Preparedness 

06. Chicago 

Violence Prevention 

01 

03. North Carolina 

Opioid Overdose Prevention and 

Education 

07. Kentucky 

Disaster Case Management 

07 

04. Georgia 

Enduring Health Equity 

Haiti 

| 44 | | 45 |

Haiti 

HAITI 

Haiti 

School of Hope and Sunshine 

Region: Port-au-Prince 

Duration of Program: 2010 – present 

While the School of Hope and 

Sunshine originated as a K-6 school 

for displaced children in the confines 

of the Petionville Club Camp, it 

found a permanent home on CORE’s 

Community Development Campus. 

The school educates over 200 

students annually, provides them 

with daily meals, and is one of the 

only schools in the nation that offers 

inclusive education to students 

with disabilities. In 2023, we built 

two new classrooms, increasing 

the school’s enrollment to over 300 

children. We carried out a series of 

renovations, including building a 

new courtyard and a more spacious 

kitchen to prepare meals for a more 

comfortable learning environment 

in the vulnerable neighborhood of 

Delmas 32. Teachers and school 

administration were trained on PSEA 

(protection of sexual exploitation 

and abuse) and the implementation 

of a distance learning platform in 

2023. Outside of the School of Hope 

and Sunshine, CORE also supports a 

network of 25 schools in Haiti through 

a robust education program. 

Plezi Mizik 


Region: Delmas | Duration of Program: 2014 – present 

Through a strategic partnership with Music Heals International (MHI), CORE has 

been implementing the Plezi Mizik program since 2014. The program approaches 

music education as a transformative tool that inspires creativity and inclusion and 

builds resilience for school-aged youth, teens, and young adults. It is particularly 

critical for youth in Haiti who lack creative opportunities and pathways to relieve 

stress brought on by deepening violence and instability. In 2023, Plezi Mizik provided 

music education to over 385 students (172 girls, 213 boys) across eight teaching sites. 

Students showcased their talents at the annual summer music competition. The 

program also hosted a camp where children learned about music and embroidery 

and participated in a grand performance for the school community. 

Village Savings and Loan Association (VSLA) 

Region: Sud (South) Department | Duration of Program: 2023 

CORE worked across five communes to support women-led businesses through 

VSLA groups. Seventy-five women attended VSLA meetings to learn how to save 

money together and received grants to advance and grow their small businesses. 

Each grant amounted to $400, enabling participants to cover a range of start-up and 

development costs, from construction to purchase of essential supplies. Participants 

also received gender-based violence (GBV) training, contextualizing their economic 

empowerment through an increased understanding of personal autonomy. 

“ 

Many women’s businesses had decreased due 

to their economic situation [in Haiti]. With the 

presence of CORE their businesses have grown. 

Me, I have a growing drugstore... I can say that I 

almost have all the first aid equipment here, and 

that helps the community... CORE is essentially 

helping women to be autonomous.” 

- Laurette, Haiti-VSLA Program Participant 

| 46 | | 47 |


“ 

My greatest pride is the team I 

work with; it is a very dynamic 

team with a sense of mutual aid 

and works as a family. I feel that 

I am doing meaningful work in 

the community, watching the joy 

in faces of beneficiaries who call 

me all the time to express their 

satisfaction; it is a pleasure for 

me to give my all and my skills 

for the success of the program. 

Despite the rain, despite the 

riots, despite the situation in the 

country, the team is never too 

tired to try. When road access is 

difficult employees sometimes 

walk kilometers. Truly, there is 

soul in what we do.” 

HAITI 

Food, WASH, Agricultural Assistance (BHA) 

Region: Nippes Department | Duration of Program: September 2023 – present 

Through the USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), CORE launched urgent 

food security and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs to address the dire 

conditions of communities across five communes in Nippes. By enhancing agricultural 

production capacity, increasing labor opportunities, and improving inter-departmental 

travel between Grand’Anse and Sud Departments in Southern Haiti, the program 

effectively promotes community resilience and recovery. Ongoing activities include 

cash transfers, rehabilitation of water systems, cholera kits and hygiene awareness to 

mitigate the spread of disease, in-kind agricultural inputs and training to increase local 

production, and improved supply to market chain systems. By the end of 2023, the 

CORE-BHA alliance had already reached over 150,000 people. 

- Charline Charles, CORE Office Manager, Haiti 

Haiti 

Ecosystem Based Adaptation (EBA) 

Region: Nippes | Duration of Program: June 2023 – present 

With multiple rounds of funding from the Caribbean Biodiversity Fund (CBF), CORE 

has implemented a “ridge to reef” approach in Baradéres-Cayemites, Bondeau, 

Corail, and Pestel areas to protect and restore the watersheds and mangroves of 

protected coastal habitats. Through these programs, local farmers receive training 

to adopt sustainable cultivation methods and to encourage tree and shrub planting 

while fishers learn about alternative ways to improve fishing practices. In 2023, 

program leaders also engaged over 500 students from 47 schools, equipping 

them with the knowledge and tools to become active agents in preservation and 

restoration efforts. 

Haiti 

| 48 | | 49 |


California 

Listos California Disaster Preparedness 

CORE became known as a trusted source of 

information and service delivery in Los Angeles 

during the COVID-19 pandemic—and we’ve 

continued building relationships with community 

members, leaders and local partners to activate 

disaster responses and climate resilience programs 

in California. 

Through Listos California, a project funded by the 

California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES), 

CORE provides disaster response, mitigation, and 

preparedness training to communities in high-risk 

climate hazard areas in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, 

Siskiyou, and Alameda counties. Our team has 

hosted hundreds of events and emergency alert 

sign-ups and distributed emergency go-bags 

and guides, engaging over 26,000 community 

members across the state. We mobilized 2,500 

local volunteers to participate in flood and wildfire 

mitigation activities, including greening in urban 

neighborhoods and vegetative fuel reduction in the 

Angeles National Forest. Overall, the Listos program 

has equipped a diverse range of communities 

in CORE’s own backyard—including those with 

limited English proficiency, seniors, immigrants, 

unhoused people, and households without access 

to a vehicle or broadband—with the knowledge and 

tools necessary to face natural disasters in this new 

climate reality. 

CALIFORNIA 

“We are so grateful that the CalOES Listos grant program allows us to work 

closely within our own communities and those across southern California 

to help combat climate change. It’s a fact that extreme weather like intense 

storms, wildfires, floods, and heatwaves affect all of us, but some feel the 

worst of the impacts. Environmental injustices and systemic inequities 

in infrastructure and funding in vulnerable communities make it harder 

to bounce back from these weather-related disruptions. But by engaging 

all ages and all groups on the front lines of climate change, we will be 

stronger together.” 

- Nina Knierim, CORE Area Manager, California 

Southern California 

| 50 | | 51 |


North Carolina 

Opioid Overdose Prevention, Education, 

and Harm Reduction 

01 

The Native American population in North 

Carolina suffers from staggering and 

disproportionate overdose death rates 

while also experiencing substantial barriers 

to accessing life-saving measures. CORE 

collaborates with local partners—including N.C. 

Department of Public Health and UNC Chapel 

Hill School of Medicine—as well as leaders and 

members of the Lumbee Tribe in Robeson, 

Hoke, Scotland, and Cumberland Counties, to 

treat and address the root causes of the opioid 

epidemic in tribal communities. 

“ 

With a sense of gratitude and humility, I’ve been privileged to 

contribute to the community’s growing understanding of opioid 

addiction and commitment to supporting individuals experiencing 

opioid addiction in long-term recovery. Witnessing the transformative 

power of non-judgmental attitudes and Harm Reduction evidence-based 

strategies brings me joy and fulfillment. Knowing that my efforts have 

made a positive impact on many individuals’ journeys fills my heart 

with happiness and purpose.” 

- Linda Maynor Oxendine, CORE Area Manager, North Carolina 

North Carolina 

Since 2023, our local team has provided 

overdose education, naloxone administration, 

and stigma reduction training to hundreds of 

community members, including leaders of 

eight state-recognized tribes. To supplement 

this work, CORE distributes fentanyl test 

strips, medicine-safe lock boxes, and Narcan® 

(naloxone). 

CORE also hosts events to address regionwide 

health disparities, connecting people to 

addiction treatment and mental health services 

and other basic resources. Through this work, 

communities become equipped to cope with 

and build resilience to this ongoing public 

NORTH 

CAROLINA 

health crisis. 

| 52 | | 53 |


Georgia 

Emerging Out of COVID-19 Pandemic, Advancing Health Access 

Informed by our robust COVID-19 response, CORE has been working in Georgia 

to provide communities with equitable access to crucial immunizations, athome 

test kits, and state and federal health resources. Our programs support 

Georgians on a community level, reaching people who are often overlooked 

and/or disproportionately impacted by health crises. 

We have been collaborating with our partners and local community leaders 

on a series of initiatives aimed at fostering enduring health equity among 

marginalized and vulnerable communities. 

Our 2023 efforts included: 

10,850 

VACCINES ADMINISTERED (COVID-19, MPOX, FLU) 

414 

COMMUNITY PARTNERS ENGAGED 

1,924 vaccine sites operated 

13,350 test kits and resources 

distributed (HIV/STI, HIV, COVID-19, 

naloxone) 

1,900 people supported through all 

health outreach activities 

$359,250 in cash incentives provided 

Statewide immunizations programming (COVID-19, Flu, Mpox): Operated 

mobile units to administer vaccinations to vulnerable and hard-to-reach 

populations including rural communities and community members of color. 

Distributing HIV/STI/COVID-19 test kits and Narcan® (naloxone): 

Distributed at-home health services to empower people with resources to 

monitor their health. 

Cash incentives for COVID-19 vaccinations: Offered incentives for vaccines 

which increased vaccination rate and provided people with cash to cover 

food, gas, rent, and more. 

Health outreach (benefits navigation, resource coordination, and case 

management): Informed and connected community members to available 

health resources and services (such as SNAP, WIC, TANF), assisting them with 

relevant applications and providing supplemental educational materials. 

In commitment to promoting health access among all communities, we 

continue to work together with our government and community partners in 

GEORGIA 

Georgia. 

“Being a Health Outreach Coordinator is a vital link between our 

organization and our communities. My work means everything to me; 

helping individuals and families in crisis is my passion. This program 

is about much more than immediate crisis response. It encompasses a 

holistic approach to supporting human dignity, fostering community 

resilience, promoting sustainability, and driving positive change on both 

local and global scales.” 

- Myrline Newton, CORE Health Outreach Coordinator, Georgia 

Georgia 

| 54 | | 55 |

INDIA 

India 

Food Distribution 

In 2021, CORE implemented a robust COVID-19 awareness and vaccination campaign 

in India to protect the populations hit hardest by the pandemic, as the country 

suffered one of the most devastating surges recorded worldwide. 

To further support vulnerable communities throughout the country, CORE and 

American Red Cross launched a supplemental food distribution program targeting 

food-insecure communities in West Mumbai and Pune in 2023. The food kits, 

sourced from our local partner ANNADA (Association for Nutrition and Development 

Action), consisted of culturally relevant, ready-to-cook food items and could feed 

a family of five for 30 days. In total, we distributed 6,700 food kits that reached 

22,000 vulnerable residents, including waste management workers living in slum 

communities, migrant construction workers, and families of sex workers. 


“ 

I’m glad to work with CORE because 

it really supports marginalized 

people in terms of the rations and 

food kits, which otherwise they 

would have not got it.” 

- Sandesh Pawar, CORE consultant, India 

India 

| 56 | | 57 |


CHICAGO 

Chicago 

Uplifting Chicago Through Violence Prevention Program 

CORE laid its roots in Chicago at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, establishing 

key partnerships with the City of Chicago and the Community Safety Coordination 

Center (CSCC). Since then, we’ve connected with over 100 local community partners 

and deepened trusted relationships with residents in the city. Beyond our equitable 

vaccination programs, which have reached over 78,000 people, our Chicago team 

expanded its work to address deeper-rooted public health and safety issues affecting 

the community. 

From 2022 until 2023, CORE’s Community Mobilizers set out to neighborhoods 

around the city to listen to and address the community’s concerns about safety 

amid growing crime rates in Chicago. They worked closely with community-based 

organizations—Enlace and Violence Prevention Collaborative, Teamwork Englewood, 

and Rite to Wellness Collaborative—to engage and build rapport with locals. 

Community Mobilizers facilitated services to make people feel safer such as 

fixing streetlights, trimming overgrown trees, and restoring other public spaces 

previously abandoned due to their involvement in gun and gang violence. They also 

advocated on behalf of residents, liaising with key city actors like the Chicago Police 

Department. To further support CORE’s violence prevention work, we worked with a 

Crisis Intervention Specialist who supported people seeking mental health services, 

housing, employment, ride assistance, and more. 

“ 

Every day I am thankful to work directly in some 

of the Chicago communities that I grew up in 

and assist in getting resources to individuals that 

need them the most. I will always advocate and 

vocalize the needs of those that look like me to 

ensure barriers that impact their livelihood are 

addressed.” 

- Tarae Cain, CORE Area Manager, Chicago 

Chicago 

| 58 | | 59 |


ENTUCKY 

Kentucky 

Disaster Case Management 

CORE responded to 

devastating floods that hit 

eastern Kentucky in July 

2022. Our initial response 

included providing hygiene 

and cleaning supplies, food, 

and water, before evolving 

to ensure that those affected 

received ongoing support. 

CORE partnered with 

the Eastern Kentucky 

Concentrated Employment 

Program to hire and train 

a local team of disaster 

case managers, supporting 

community livelihoods and 

infusing over $800,000 

in salaries into the local 

economy. They have worked 

across four counties to help 

families apply for state and 

federal support programs. Our 

teams supported over 1,000 

cases—more than any other 

organization in the area—and 

provided people with access 

to FEMA awards, building 

materials, furniture, home 

goods, and even securing new 

homes until state funding was 

discontinued. 

I never dreamed that my son Jason and I would have a 

home with a porch. Kim Miles, the Letcher County CORE 

supervisor, never stopped working for me and Jason. 

Kim has been an angel sent to us.” 

“- Mr. William (Bill) Gross, Kentucky resident and new homeowner impacted by floods 

“ 

One of my greatest joys is knowing that 

when it is my turn to leave this earth, 

I will be leaving knowing that I made 

a difference, and CORE gave me that 

opportunity and I am forever grateful.” 

- Malva Gorman, CORE Area Manager, Kentucky 

Kentucky 

Kentucky 

| 60 | | 61 |


Our Partners 

CORE’s global humanitarian efforts are not possible without the trust and 

generosity of our international and local partners. Here, we recognize some 

of the many partners and donors whose unwavering support has enabled us 

to empower communities from within, whether on the frontlines of Ukraine, in 

rural Georgia, or in displacement camps in Sudan. We’re incredibly grateful for 

their shared commitment to advancing CORE’s mission. 

DONORS 

Ukraine 

Airlink 

American Red Cross (AMRC) 

Anthem Blue Cross 

Foundation, LLC 

Bay Area Community 

Resources 

Foundation of the Carolinas 

Fulton County Board of 

Health 

Georgia Department of Public 

Health 

Global SAE-A Co., Ltd. 

Robert and Joan Blackman 

Family Foundation 

Robert W. Woodruff 

Foundation 

Rolander Family Foundation 

Safer Foundation 

SUB-PARTNERS 

CALIFORNIA 

Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation Herald Christian Health Center Service Center Independent Life 

Big G Charitable Foundation 

California Governor’s Office 

of Emergency Services 

California Health Care 

Foundation (CHCF) 

Caribbean Biodiversity Fund 

(CBF) 

City of Chicago, Department 

of Health 

Curogram, Inc. 

DeKalb County Board of 

Health 

Department of Human and 

Health Services 

District of Columbia 

Department of Health 

Duke University 

Dunn Family Charitable 

Foundation 

East Kentucky Concentrated 

Employent Program (EKCEP) 

Elevance Health Foundation 

Glynn County Board of Health 

Goods360 

J.B. Fuqua Foundation 

Johnson and Johnson 

Foundation 

Kuchar & Kovrig Family 

Foundation 

Ladybug Foundation 

Microsoft Foundation 

Music Heals International 

(MHI) 

Myriad Canada 

NC Department of Health and 

Human Services, Division of 

Public Health 

Pacific Gas and Electric 

Company (PG&E) 

Public Health Foundation 

Enterprises, Inc. DBA Heluna 

Health 

R. Howard Dobbs Foundation 

Rising Communities 

Sierra Health Foundation 

State of California, Office of 

Planning and Research 

State of North Carolina, 

Office of the Governor 

The California Wellness 

Foundation 

The Genesis Prize Foundation 

The Giustra Foundation 

The Home Depot Foundation 

The Parker Foundation 

UN-OCHA, Ukraine 

Humanitarian Fund (UHF) 

United HealthCare Services 

United Nations High 

Commissioner for Refugees 

(UNHCR) 

USAID Bureau for 

Humanitarian Assistance 

(BHA) 

Walmart Foundation 

GEORGIA 

Community Health Alliance, 

PLLC 

FLORIDA 

Haitian Neighborhood Center, Sant La, Inc. 

PUERTO RICO 

Go Gogo Foundation Corp. 

TEXAS AND MEXICO 

Abara Inc. 

TEXAS 

Hope Border Institute 

Community Health Alliance 

(MobileVax) 

Sacred Heart Church 

International Rescue 

Committee, Atlanta 

MobileVax, LLC 

| 62 | | 63 |


PAKISTAN 

ROMANIA 

Riverside Development Organization (RDO) 

Asociatia ANAID 

Casa Shalom 

MALVA 

VENEZUELA 

Wayuu Taya Foundation Inc. 

BAHAMAS 

Asociatia CARUSEL 

Asociatia Moaselor 

Independente 

Asociatia Sprijin pentru 

Comunitatea Ucraineana 

DAMEN 

Centrul Raze de Soare Ploiesti 

Fundatia Centrul Parteneriat 

pentru Egalitate 

Fundatia FARA 

Funky Citizens 

Primaria Sector 1 Bucuresti/ 

Centrul de cazare Scoala 6 

Primaria Sector 2 Bucuresti/ 

Centrul de cazare EDMUND 

Romexpo/Directia Generala de 

Asistenta Sociala Bucuresti 

Teneil Smith t/a T.S. Enterprises 

UKRAINE 

INDIA 

Center for Acquatic Livelihood-Jaljeevika 

TÜRKIYE 

İhsan İnsani Yardim Ve 

Dayanişma (IhsanRD) 

SUDAN 

Sudanese Development Call 

Organization (NIDAA) 

HAITI 

Multeciler ve Siginmacilarla 

Yardimlasma Dayanisma ve 

Destekleme Dernegi (MSYD) 

Sustainable Development 

Response Organization 

(SuDRO) 

BO BF Artdacha 

Charitable Foundation 

«Slavic Heart» 

Charitable Organization 

“Network 100 Percent of Life, 

Zaporizhzhya” 


“International Charitable 

Foundation “Ukrainian Soul” 


“Charitable Foundation 

“Enjoying life” 

Charitable organization 

“Charity fund “SPIVDIIA” 


“International Charitable Fund 

“Cultural Capital” 

CHARITABLE ORGANIZATION 

«INTERNATIONAL CHARITABLE 

FUND «SAVED» 

Charity organization “Charity 

fund “NAVKOLO” 

Civil Society Union “The Aspen 

Institute Kyiv” 

NGO “Center of the street 

culture” 

NGO Public Initiative Will Help 

Together 

NGO Shtuka 

NGO Southern Development 

Strategy 

NGO Zaporuka 

Non-Governmental 

Organization “Kharkiv Eco City” 

Non-governmental 

organization “Center of 

political education” (NGO CPE) 

Public Organisation “Nukraine” 

Public organization “ProLife 

Ukraine” 

Public Organization «Public 

Movement «Faith, Hope, Love» 

(FHL) 

Acceso Peanut Enterprise Corporation S.A. (Acceso Haiti) 

POLAND 

Creative Foundation 

Fundacja Via Vitae 

Open Heart (Barbara Slugocka) 

“At CORE, our incredible global network of partners and donors 

really brings our vision of empowering local communities 

to life. Thanks to their generous support, we’re able to build 

sustainable, community-centered programs that uplift people 

worldwide.” 

Fine Foundation 

Fundacja Open Heart (Barbara 

Slugocka) 

Fundacja Pomagam bo lubie 

(Magdalena Shelter) 

Fundacja Zustricz 

Heart to Heart World 

Foundation 

MY HOPE Fundacja 

Pomagam bo lubie (Magdalena 

Shelter) 

Via Vitae 

- Ann Lee, CORE Co-Founder and CEO 

| 64 | | 65 |


Staff and Culture 

CORE has scaled exponentially since our inception in Haiti in 2010, evolving and 

expanding our organization and capacity as we responded to the COVID-19 

pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the increasingly devastating climate disasters 

across the globe. Our dedicated staff, many of whom are local hires serving their 

own communities, have been a constant through it all. From Haiti and Ukraine to 

Georgia and California, our 400+ staff worldwide work tirelessly to advance our 

mission and meet the moment when crisis strikes the most vulnerable. 

CORE’s multisector humanitarian interventions would not be possible without 

intentionally fostering an environment of care, safety, and equity for our staff. 

Evidenced by our talented and experienced department heads and innovative 

approaches to humanitarian work, our Global People and Culture (GPC) team 

has continued to adapt our human resources processes to reflect the everevolving 

needs of communities in crisis. As CORE expands our programs in the 

U.S. and abroad, GPC ensures our growing workforce has the tools, protections, 

and support to take care of themselves and continue to serve vulnerable 

communities worldwide. 

True to our commitment to continuous improvement, CORE significantly 

strengthened our organization’s internal systems and processes in 2023. 

“CORE employees are a force! Everyone has 

so much passion and genuinely loves what 

they do. Their dedication makes me want to 

work even harder for them. I am very proud 

to work in an environment where taking 

care of communities is a priority and it’s 

done with so much heart!” 

- Jessica Martinez, Director, Employee Engagement & Strategy, 

Global People & Culture 

We built upon existing human resources policies, invested in training and 

development, and worked to establish new and improved initiatives, including: 

Enhancing our robust benefits package, inspired by CORE’s human-first 

mission and designed to take care of employees and their dependents. 

Implementing regular reviews of human resources files to ensure company 

compliance worldwide. CORE’s organizational documents have been 

translated to Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Ukrainian, French/Haitian Creole, 

and Turkish languages to support our growing international programs. 

Hiring dedicated GPC personnel to lead employee engagement and 

employee relations for regional programs. 

Continuing regular employee trainings, inclusive of cash and voucher 

assistance and regional and tiered harassment compliance trainings, through 

tracked software to keep personnel adequately trained for their roles and 

compliant will all local regulations and requirements. 

Continuously updating and streamlining a dynamic and comprehensive 

travel policy, tailored to save costs and keep staff as comfortable as possible 

when deploying to support complex programs worldwide. This includes 

investments in platforms like Concur and Prime Analytics to track and 

manage data surrounding travel. 

Chicago 

| 66 | | 67 |


George Hernandez Mejia 

Director, Emergency Operations 

George joined CORE with 

over a decade of experience 

in emergency response, 

including stints with the 

U.S. Forest Service and 

Americorps, before turning 

towards non-profit work. 

Throughout his career, he has 

led with a deep passion for 

being in service of vulnerable 

communities and helping 

them recover from disasters. 

Now as CORE’s Director of Emergency Operations, George 

has deployed across the United States and been our first 

boots on the ground during responses to hurricanes in the 

mid-Atlantic, floods in California, and fires in Maui. He leads a 

dedicated team of CORE staff who monitor weather events 

and disaster situations as they develop and are prepared to 

deploy to deliver critical relief at a moment’s notice. 

Climate change is an exacerbating and driving factor behind 

extreme weather events across the globe, making George’s 

role and expertise more critical than ever. His team aims to 

increase CORE’s emergency response capacity to include 

an active, robust roster of technical experts and volunteers 

and better serve communities in times of crisis. George is 

committed to seeing CORE’s community-led climate mission 

grow, empowering more people from all socio-economic 

backgrounds to be better prepared for when disaster strikes. 

“By engaging more people in 

emergency operations, we can give 

them the tools and experience needed 

to support their communities in the 

future. I want everyone trained to 

know what to do in an emergency 

and feel they have the resources and 

knowledge to lead their communities.” 

Georgia 

| 68 | | 69 |


Mathew Chandy 

VP, Humanitarian Response and Technical Services 

Before joining CORE, Mathew 

Chandy spent 25 years 

working as an urban planner 

and architect, promoting city 

growth and development, 

supporting affordable 

housing and urban renewal, 

and responding to disasters 

in 26 countries. 

The projects and programs 

Mathew’s worked to develop 

over the years have always revolved around serving the 

most vulnerable communities. From Asia to Africa, his work 

has spanned from partnering with local governments on 

issues related to good governance to developing multisector 

climate change action plans for investments with the World 

Bank and crafting community-based waste management 

strategies, creating affordable shelter solutions and enabling 

better habitats for at-risk populations. 

As Vice President of Humanitarian Response and Technical 

Services, Mathew heads all of CORE’s domestic and global 

humanitarian interventions. As CORE continues to respond 

to humanitarian emergencies, immediate-, medium-, and 

long-term strategies are implemented with the oversight of 

Mathew’s dedicated team of experts which includes data 

analysts, Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning 

(MEAL) specialists, a Senior Advisor Cash & Markets, and 

a Medical Director. His technical team works in tandem 

with the emergency response team to provide specialized 

support for CORE’s three pillars: emergency response 

and preparedness, addressing climate change and health 

access. 

For Mathew, it is important for CORE and peer organizations 

to provide relief to those in need in a manner that yields 

sustainable solutions, not dependence. Through technical 

experts’ support and guidance, CORE continues to improve 

the capacity of local actors to increasingly build their 

resilience to future crises. 

“CORE, for its size, punches above its weight, 

and our ability to respond to new challenges 

is unparalleled,” shares Mathew. “I believe 

there are solutions for most challenges and 

the best responses come from within and 

through creating partnerships and value 

systems. This is our ethos.” 

| 70 | | 71 |


Bea Louis 

Senior Director, Domestic Programs 

Beatrice “Bea” Louis serves 

as CORE’s Senior Director of 

Domestic Programs and has 

overseen operations across five 

offices, including Washington 

D.C., North Carolina, Kentucky, 

Chicago, and New Orleans. 

Her work involves ensuring 

the efficient and consistent 

functionality of program 

processes, serving as a bridge 

between regional teams and 

headquarters, and advocating for area office needs while 

seamlessly implementing HQ policies. 

For Bea, CORE program teams are the heart and soul of our 

work. She works daily with her staff—most of whom are local 

hires deeply embedded in the communities they serve—to 

track program progress and identify and address growth 

opportunities tailored to the needs of their respective region. 

She’s watched as these teams tackle pressing climate and 

public health issues and empower their own communities with 

tools to address longstanding disparities and inequalities. This 

localized approach resonates with Bea, whose career trajectory 

is largely informed by her background as a Haitian-American. 

Before joining CORE, Bea spent most of her work experience 

within the international development sector in Haiti, where she 

and her family are from. There, for eleven and a half years, she 

worked in project management on USAID-funded projects with 

global development organizations such as DAI. 

“Although I had a modest upbringing, I was always humbled by how 

people lived on much less than us in Haiti. I deduced that that the 

difference between myself and my counterparts in Haiti was the 

opportunities I was afforded. I’ve received guidance, opportunities, 

and a helping hand from many who have helped me to achieve 

varying goals throughout my life and career, so there was always 

an underlying feeling that I wanted to pay it forward to provide 

opportunities to those who may not have otherwise. As someone who 

views themselves as a global citizen, my international development 

and humanitarian work is my contribution to making the world a 

better place.” 

Haiti 

| 72 | | 73 |


Virginia Chu 

Director, Program Data 

Virginia Chu began her 

journey with CORE at the 

height of the coronavirus 

pandemic. “I started as a 

mobile COVID-19 tester fresh 

out of graduate school and 

helped set the groundwork 

for our mobile vaccination 

rollout in Georgia. It felt 

great to be a part of public 

health action, especially in 

my community. Across the 

organization, we reached 

nearly 7 million with tests and nearly 3 million with vaccines 

from our COVID-19 programs.” 

impact most and why. She joined CORE looking to gain 

more hands-on skills to support vulnerable communities 

impacted by disaster in any way possible. 

As the Director of Program Data at CORE, Virginia plays a 

key role in demonstrating the numerical impact of CORE’s 

humanitarian work. As CORE delivers a broad range of 

programs and emergency responses in the U.S. and around 

the world, Virginia’s work is critical in ensuring the accurate 

collection and tracking of data from the field, as well as 

aggregating the organizational-level impact. Virginia and her 

team have been working hard to strengthen CORE’s internal 

processes of data collection, including providing training, 

templates, and program design solutions to empower the 

work of our field colleagues. For her, it is the context around 

data that gives numbers a story worth highlighting; the 

people and the narratives behind the data are essential in 

building out and maintaining effective programs. 

While the tragic Haiti earthquake in 2010 put CORE—a thennew 

and agile emergency response organization—on the 

map, the global COVID-19 pandemic highlighted our capacity 

to fill a massive worldwide gap in addressing community 

needs within existing healthcare systems and infrastructure. 

It was during this unprecedented crisis that CORE, 

comprised of hundreds of individuals like Virginia, decided to 

take this massive public health emergency head-on. And for 

Virginia, that meant leaning into numbers and data. 

With an educational background in public health, a PhD 

in Biomedical Science and an MSPH in Epidemiology, 

Virginia has always been drawn to the study of infectious 

diseases, wanting to better understand how they can infect 

indiscriminately and learn more about the communities they 

“I like working with numbers because it is 

something that I enjoy and is some small 

way that I can provide a complementary 

skill to our work that serves to help people. 

Humanitarian work is vastly complex. If I can 

take some things off the shoulders of those 

on the frontlines, working face-to-face during 

emergencies, that is fulfilling to me.” 

| 74 | | 75 |


Media Highlights 

PRESS HITS 

Variety | 9.13.23 

Sean Penn’s Crusade: Why He’s Risking It All for Ukraine 

Learn More 

Time | 9.29.23 

Famine in the 21st Century Must be a Red Line. Here’s 

What We Can Do | Opinion 

Learn More 

AP and Washington Post | 10.3.23 

Haitian students play drums and strum guitars to 

escape hunger and gang violence 

Learn More 

Haiti 

Philanthropy News Digest | 3.29.23 

As a Ukrainian woman directing humanitarian relief, I’m 

prioritizing women and girls 

Learn More 

PBS NewsHour | 4.20.23 

What the holy month means for Muslims in Turkey and 

Syria amid earthquake destruction 

Learn More 

Rolling Stone | 4.26.23 

UN and Coachella Artists Fight Climate-Induced Hunger 

Learn More 

Billboard | 4.27.23 

Musicians & UN Leaders Joined Forces to Fight Global 

Hunger During Coachella 

Learn More 

Philanthropy News Digest | 10.4.23 

We must prepare for climate catastrophes now to save 

lives later | Opinion 

Learn More 

Spin | 10.19.23 

We Are Small but Mighty and Have a Lot of Heart 

Learn More 

Nonprofit Leadership Podcast | 10.29.23 

How Nonprofits Can Successfully Collaborate With 

Government Agencies 

Learn More 

Do Good Better Podcast | 11.16.23 

CORE Co-Founder/CEO Ann Lee Talks Disaster Relief 

Learn More 

NY Daily News | 12.18.23 

CARIBBEAT 

Learn More 

Spectrum News | 6.1.23 

‘These are my people’: Rebuilding efforts continue in 

flood-ravaged eastern Kentucky 

Learn More 

Newsweek | 6.2.23 

Excessive Regulation on NGOs Amid Crises Cost Lives | 

Opinion 

Learn More 

Authority Magazine | 6.23.23 

Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How 

Ann Lee Of CORE Is Helping To Change Our World 

Learn More 

India 

Ukraine 

| 76 | | 77 |


SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 

USSOUTHCOM x Florida International 

University (FIU) NGO Conference 

CORE SPEAKER: Ann Lee (CEO) 

DATE: February 24, 2023 

LOCATION: Florida, USA 

TOPIC: Communications During Crisis 

2023 Community Solutions Program (CSP) 

Solutions Summit 

CORE SPEAKER: Linda Oxendine (Area Manager, 

North Carolina) 

DATE: April 5, 2023 

LOCATION: Bucharest, Romania 

TOPIC: Disaster Preparedness 

Brilliant Minds 

CORE SPEAKERS: Ann Lee (CEO), Sean Penn (COB) 

DATE: June 14, 2023 

LOCATION: Stockholm, Sweden 

TOPIC: CORE’s Ukraine Response 

NEXUS Global Summit 

CORE SPEAKER: Ann Lee (CEO) 

DATE: June 22-24, 2023 

LOCATION: New York, USA 


Milken Scholar Summit 

CORE SPEAKER: Yosef Jalil (Area Director, California) 

DATE: July 8, 2023 

LOCATION: Washington, D.C. 

TOPIC: Becoming Involved in Community Organized 

Relief Efforts to Advance a Thriving World 

32nd Economic Forum 

CORE SPEAKERS: Jan Willaert (Regional Director, 

Ukraine Response) 

DATE: September 5-7, 2023 

LOCATION: Karpacz, Poland 


Elevate Festival 

CORE SPEAKER: Dina Sharif (Director of Global 

Communications) 

DATE: September 27, 2023 

LOCATION: Toronto, Canada 

TOPIC: Global Responses, Disaster Relief, and Climate 

Change Solutions 

Aspen Institute Kyiv 

CORE SPEAKER: Liana Khorovytska (Country Director, 

Ukraine) 

DATE: December 12, 2023 

LOCATION: Kyiv, Ukraine 


CORE JOINS NATIONAL VOAD 

New York 

We are thrilled to have joined the National Voluntary 

Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) as part 

of a robust collection of over 125 non-profits and 

organizations dedicated to disaster relief and recovery. 

This partnership reinforces our commitment to rapid, effective collaboration in times of 

crisis and validates the years of hard work put in by thousands of CORE staff members and 

volunteers who have responded to natural disasters across the country. 

| 78 | | 79 |

Leadership 

Sean Penn 

Co-Founder & Chairperson of the Board 

Ann Lee 

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer 

2023 Board of Directors 

Bryan Lourd 

Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) 

Soleil Moon Frye 

Actor, Director & Author 

Fernando Sulichin 

Founder of New Element Media, Executive Producer 

LT General P.K. Ken Keen (Retired) 

Leadership Executive, Goizueta Business School at Emory University 

Gregory Milne 

Chief Executive Officer, Clinton Global Initiative at the Clinton Foundation 

Patricia Velásquez 

Actor, Model, Ambassador for Indigenous Peoples & 

Founder and President of The Wayuu Taya Foundation 

910 N Hill Los Angeles, CA 90012 

323.934.4400 

development@coreresponse.org 

@COREresponse 

www.COREresponse.org

Impact Report 2023

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