We're working with our nonprofit partners to distribute solar lights and phone chargers to families without power following Hurricanes Irma, Harvey, and Maria as well as earthquakes in Mexico. We are also restocking depleted disaster relief aid supplies to ensure that emergency responders can respond whenever there is an urgent need. To date, over 50,000 lights have been sent for disaster relief to Puerto Rico, Mexico, the Virgin Islands, Texas, Florida, and communities across the Caribbean impacted by last summer's devastating hurricane season and unprecedented earthquakes.
Toyota pledged to match the contributions of our supporters, providing over 3,000 PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Chargers and 750 solar lanterns that were distributed to our charitable partners in the field.
During October 2017, Chicago-based Hanley Foundation and Invenergy matched Give Light sponsorships of LuminAID lights for relief in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean up to $10,000.
There are a number of ways you can help support disaster relief efforts, including sponsoring lights and donating directly to nonprofits working on the ground. Help us shine a light on rescue, relief, and recovery.
UPDATE: September 2018
This month marks 1 year since Hurricane Maria made landfall in Puerto Rico, leaving much of the island without power for months.
LuminAID's founders, Anna and Andrea, traveled to Puerto Rico following the hurricane last year. With the help of our humanitarian partner, Convoy of Hope, they were able to see firsthand just how important safe, rechargeable light and power is for families to carry out their day-to-day needs.
UPDATE: June 2018
We continue to work with community organizations and individuals in Puerto Rico to get safe light to families in need. By working with smaller organizations in addition to large humanitarian aid organizations, we're able to access a wider variety of communities in need.
UPDATE: March 2018
Solar phone chargers continue to have an important impact, even months after the initial disaster. Lack of mobile phone access continues to affect communities in Puerto Rico and around the Caribbean.
Solar energy provides an easy answer to this energy scarcity. Solar phone chargers require no fuel source (besides a healthy dose of sunlight) and generally require less upkeep than diesel generators. LuminAID has worked with non-profit Convoy of Hope to send 1000s of LuminAID solar phone chargers to those without power in Puerto Rico and around the world.
UPDATE: December 2017
After a devastating hurricane season, LuminAID partnered with local Chicago organizations to get more safe light to those in need. Through the Chicago4PR campaign, Chicagoans came together to raise additional solar lanterns for families without power in Puerto Rico. Thanks to the generosity of LuminAID supporters and Chicago organizations, more than 10,000 solar lanterns were pledged for disaster relief in Puerto Rico.
UPDATE: October 20, 2017
Co-founders Anna and Andrea distribute LuminAID solar chargers and lanterns to those in Puerto Rico without power. They brought hundreds of lights in their suitcases to supplement the lights on the ground, and worked with relief partner Convoy of Hope to distribute aid in the city of Bayamón.
Anna and Andrea recorded video diaries describing relief efforts there, and the continuing needs they saw on the island. They relied on LuminAID for phone charging and light in their AirBnB, and the volunteers they met said they also still didn't have power. The need for energy alternatives is huge, and we're continuing to send solar aid. Hear more about Anna and Andrea's trip here: Notes from the Field--Puerto Rico.
UPDATE: October 17, 2017
LuminAID co-founders Anna and Andrea are traveling to Puerto Rico to distribute solar phone chargers and lanterns. They will be working with disaster relief partner Convoy of Hope to get aid to those still without electricity. In order to expedite getting even more lights on the ground, the two of them stuffed hundreds of rechargeable lights and phone chargers into checked suitcases for the flight over.
Millions of Puerto Ricans still do not have access to electricity, and have difficulty lighting their homes at night or contacting loved ones. Anna and Andrea are looking forward to putting solar lights in the hands of people directly, and to speaking with Puerto Ricans about their continuing needs during the recovery process.
UPDATE: October 12, 2017
For the month of October, your Give Light sponsorships are worth double! The Hanley Foundation and Invenergy are matching all Give Light sponsorships for Puerto Rico up to $10,000. Thanks to this collective of Chicago clean energy organizations and nonprofit partners, and your support, we're sending even more solar lights and phone chargers to families without power in Puerto Rico.
One month after two devastating hurricanes hit the island, millions of Puerto Ricans still have no electricity. Experts estimate that it may take up to six months to fully restore power. In the meantime, families are left in the dark, with few options to charge phones to keep in contact with loved ones and emergency services. Will you join our mission to send renewable energy where it is needed most?
UPDATE: September 29, 2017
Over 22,000 lights + phone chargers have been pledged for relief efforts for distribution in Puerto Rico, Mexico, and across the Caribbean! With the power grid destroyed in Puerto Rico, our focus will be getting aid to islanders left in the dark. In the coming weeks, safe light and device charging will be critical for families there.
Our PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Charger will allow those in Puerto Rico to charge phones to contact family members, journalists, relief services and have safe rechargeable light after dark. This disaster relief map shows where lights are being distributed for those affected by the recent hurricanes and earthquakes. THANK YOU to all of our supporters who have made this happen!
UPDATE: September 22, 2017
Following the devastating earthquakes in Mexico, we have expanded our disaster relief campaign to include rescue and relief operations in Mexico City and surrounding regions. The first shipment of lights is already on its way to Cruz Roja Mexicana (Mexican Red Cross).
Puerto Rico is now also a main focus for our relief efforts following the damage inflicted by Hurricane Maria. As of now, power is out for the entire island and all 3.5 million inhabitants. Safe light is more crucial than ever. Join our efforts to expand our impact and help families in Puerto Rico.
UPDATE: September 17, 2017
Wow! Over 10,000 solar lights and phone chargers have been pledged for hurricane relief! These solar devices are being sent to victims of Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Harvey. This region has been hard hit in the last month, and safe light and solar phone charging continues to be crucial.
Following Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Maria, our partners Convoy of Hope and ShelterBox are active in Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands, Turks & Caicos, Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, St. Kitts & Nevis, and the Dominican Republic. We are continuing to monitor conditions across the Caribbean and the Southern United States to direct resources where they are needed most. Together, we are brightening nights for thousands of families affected by the storms.
UPDATE: September 7, 2017
Help us provide families with light after disaster as we extend this campaign for long-term hurricane relief and recovery efforts. Our partner Toyota is matching your support! They have pledged to contribute 3,000 PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Chargers and 740 solar lanterns through our Give Light, Get Light Campaign.
In 2014, Toyota named LuminAID co-founders Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta "Mothers of Invention" at the Women in the World Conference. Fellow Mothers of Invention DayOne Response and WellAware are responding to the need for clean water following Hurricane Harvey. Learn more at ToyotaMOI.com #ToyotaMOI
UPDATE: September 5, 2017
With Hurricane Irma projected to be a Category 5 hurricane, we are expanding our Give Light, Get Light campaign to encompass Hurricane Irma and ensure sufficient stock of of lanterns and chargers will be at-the-ready for future disaster response. With your support, we have already shipped over 1,500 solar lanterns and phone chargers to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts, and will continue to respond to ongoing need.
Irma is projected to impact many nations and territories where communities could be without power for months, and LuminAID lights will provide impacted families with a source of safe, portable light that can be easily recharged for repeated use.
UPDATE: August 30, 2017
THANK YOU! We hit our goal of 1,000 lights in just 1 day. We have already sent close to this number to our partners in the field, and will continue to send more shipments of lanterns and phone chargers based on their needs. This will be a long recovery process, as many families are homeless or will be without power for some time, so please continue to contribute.
Our primary partner for in-kind relief in the field is Convoy of Hope. They have already sent over 1 million pounds of relief supplies to the people of Texas, with more on the way.
How You Can Help
1. Sponsor solar lights and phone chargers for the Bahamas
Give a Light or Give a Phone Charger for Disaster Relief, and we'll send the lights to our nonprofit partners who are responding to Hurricane Dorian.
Your purchase covers the cost of one light that will be sent to one of our charitable partners. Through the support of customers like you, LuminAID has sent more than 50,000 lights to be distributed across projects in more than 100 countries.
2. Nonprofit Subsidy Program
If you work for a nonprofit that is collecting and distributing relief aid supplies or are organizing your own response, you can apply for LuminAID's Nonprofit Subsidy Program. Through this program, we offer discounted rates for charitable use. You can apply here.
3. Large Quantity Distribution
If you or your company are interested in making a large quantity contribution, please email us at nonprofits@luminaid.com.
Our Partners
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based, nonprofit organization focused on children’s feeding initiatives, community outreach, and disaster response. They have served more than 80 million people to date. Convoy of Hope is consistently among the first to respond to disasters throughout the world, and are highly regarded for their scalable distribution model, Disaster Response teams, 6 international warehouses, and Mobile Command Center.
LuminAID has chosen to feature Convoy of Hope as our Give Light, Get Light Partner Charity for Hurricane Harvey relief because of their exemplary logistics capacities and experience responding to disasters worldwide. Lights sponsored through the Give Light, Get Light Program will be sent to Convoy of Hope's Springfield, MO distribution center for Hurricane Harvey relief and their other relief work around the world.
ShelterBox is made up of people who believe in shelter as a human right – that shelter from the chaos of disaster and conflict is vital. No ifs. No buts. ShelterBox is providing tents and solar lights for use in emergency shelters, and is coordinating with the FEMA and state agencies to determine urgent shelter and aid needs.
ShelterBox has been a long time partner of LuminAID in responding to relief efforts all over the world. We are honored to work with them again on efforts close to home. As they do not accept in-kind donations of goods, we are raising funds to donate to Shelterbox USA's dedicated Hurricane Harvey relief fund through the sale of a Limited-Edition PackLite Max USB Lantern.
The Cajun Navy is a group of citizen volunteers from Louisiana who are working in dangerous conditions to rescue people from Hurricane Harvey flooding. They let us know that some of the gear they need the most is waterproof phone chargers.
We are working with them to distribute LuminAID PackLite Max 2-in-1 Phone Chargers and lanterns as part of their boat rescue efforts. They're currently following the storm as it heads east from Houston to help people in east Texas and southwestern Louisiana as needed
