>>MELANIE LAWSON: WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE. IT IS HURRICANE SEASON AND WHEN
DISASTERS HIT RESPONDING TO
THE VICTIMS IS VERY
COMPLICATED. WE’VE BEEN
FORTUNATE HERE LOCALLY. NO
REAL BIG STORMS HAVE AFFECTED
US. SO WHEN THAT HAPPENS IN
OTHER PLACES, WE’RE OFTEN IT
GING TO HELP OUT AND MAKE SOME
TYPE OF DONATION. BUT GET THIS
AROUND 60% OF DONATED GOODS
AREN’T EVEN NEEDED. STEVE
SMITH, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF
AIR LINK HELPS WITH THAT
COORDINATION. THANK YOU FOR
TALKING WITH US TODAY.
>> THANKS SO MUCH FOR HAVING
ME. IT’S GOOD TO BE HERE.
THANK YOU.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: YOU KNOW,
USUALLY RIGHT AFTER A
DISASTER, PEOPLE ARE LIKE,
WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP? BUT
HONESTLY, IT MIGHT BE BEST TO
WAIT AND SEE WHAT THE NEED
ACTUALLY IS.
>> YEAH, I THINK THAT’S YOU
KNOW, ONE, THE ONE THING
THAT’S A VERY INTERESTING TO
UNDERSTAND IS THAT, YOU KNOW,
ALL THE FUNDRAISING, ALL OF
THE MONEY THAT SUPPORTS A
DISASTER RESPONSE. 75% OF THAT
GOES TO SOME LEVEL LOGISTICS,
WHETHER IT’S PURCHASING GOODS
OR MOVING THOSE GOODS. AND WE
SEE ALL OF THE IN THE MEDIA
AND I THAT JUST STICKS
TRUCKING AND SHORTAGES. AND SO
THIS IS THIS IS A REALLY
IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS ON THE
RIGHT THINGS TO DO. YOU JUST
REFERENCED IN YOUR OPENING
REMARKS THAT 60% OF THE AID
THE ROW MADE OR IT SENT THE
WRONG TIME. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE
THE IMPACT THAT HAVE COMING
UP, SUPPLY CHAINS AND THE
IMPACT OF THE AS AS PEOPLE ARE
TRYING TO MOVE IN AND AND
RECOVER DISASTERS.
>>MELANIE LAWSON: WHAT IS THE
BEST KIND OF METHOD TO TAKE
WHEN THIS HAPPENS? BECAUSE,
GOSH, I MEAN, YOU SEE PEOPLE
THAT ARE HOMELESS CHILDREN,
AND YOU’RE LIKE, WHAT CAN I DO
TO HELP? I JUST WANT TO DO
SOMETHING WHILE IT’S ON THE
RADAR.
>> I THINK THE THING TO
UNDERSTAND IS THERE ARE A LOT
OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS THAT
COME IN AND SUPPORT AND HELP
PEOPLE RECOVER AND GET BACK ON
THEIR FEET. THOSE
ORGANIZATIONS OPERATE
YEAR-ROUND AND I’D ALREADY TO
RESPOND TO WHAT THEY NEED IS A
FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM AN
ONGOING BASIS. AND SO WE SAY,
YOU KNOW, CASH IS KING
SUPPORT. PROGRAMS ALREADY
EXIST THAT ARE READY TO
RESPOND. THAT KNOW THE THE
RIGHT TO BE ABLE SEND. YOU
KNOW, I KNOW WE’RE ALL AS
HUMANS WANT TO COME UP WITH
DONATIONS AND COLLECTIONS. BUT
OFTEN TIMES, YOU KNOW, WE
CERTAINLY FROM MY MY
ORGANIZATION GETS ALSO CALLS.
WE HAVE LOTS ELECTIONS AND HOW
CAN WE MOVE IT THERE? AND OF
COURSE, HAS NO SPECIFIC
RECIPIENTS. PEOPLE JUST WANT
TO HELP, WHICH IS BUT IT’S
MORE TARGETED. BE MORE
EFFECTIVE IF PEOPLE SUPPORT
ORGANIZATIONS ALREADY EXISTS.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: RIGHT. AND
YOU’RE YOU’RE SAYING, YOU
KNOW, DO THAT WITH MONEY
BECAUSE THEN YOU’RE ABLE TO.
FINAL IT WHERE IS MOST NEEDED.
>> YES, THAT’S RIGHT. I MEAN,
YOU REALLY, FOR LIKE THAT OR,
YOU KNOW, WE SUPPORT OVER 130
A DISASTER RESPONSE
ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE
WORLD. BUT THERE ARE MANY
ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REALLY
GOOD ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT,
YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON THE
STAND AND MAKE SURE THEY HAVE
GOOD OPERATION HISTORY THAT
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE GOOD
PROGRAMS AND THEY CAN BE
TRUSTED. BUT THERE ARE A LOT
OF PROGRAMS SUPPORT AND DO IT
WITH FINANCIAL DONATIONS AND
IT COULD YOU KNOW, ANY
ANYTHING, YOU YOU KNOW,
SUPPORTS THE STATE DOESN’T
HAVE TO BE MASSIVE MUCH, BUT
THAT’S THE MOST IMPACTFUL WAY
YOU CAN REALLY SUPPORTS A
KUDOS TO YOU. AN AIRLINE FOR
THE FOR THE WORK THAT YOU’RE
DOING. SKIES. THAT
COORDINATION IS SO KEY.
>> HOW WHAT ARE YOU THINKING
ABOUT THIS HURRICANE SEASON?
>> WELL, I THINK THAT, YOU
KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW,
PREDICTIONS IT FEELS LIKE
EVERY YEAR WHICH IS ARE OTHER
THINGS ARE LOOKING BECAUSE
THIS COULD BE A LOT OF
HURRICANES. BUT LIKE I SAID,
WE MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS WITH
OVER 142 IN PROFITS AROUND
THAT AROUND THE WORLD. SO, YOU
KNOW, A BIG FOCUS AREA FOR US
IS IS THAT HURRICANE SEASON.
AND SO WE WILL YOU KNOW,
DOZENS OF HBO’S READY TO
RESPOND AND WE WILL HELP EARLY
WILL HELP PROVIDE AIRLIFT FOR
THEIR PEOPLE. AND FOR A
SUPPLIES AS NEEDED TO GO INTO
2 RESPONSIBLE. WE DON’T JUST
DO IT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS
AFTER, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE
PROGRAMS, YOU KNOW, BACK FROM
COMMUNITY IS AGO, YOU KNOW,
HURRICANE HARVEY, WE WILL
STILL SUPPORTING THOSE
ORGANIZATIONS RESPONDING
PEOPLE PICK UP THEIR LIVES YOU
KNOW, ALMOST YEAR NOW, 2 YEARS
INTO RESPONSE BECAUSE IT GOES
A LONG TIME.
>> EVEN AFTER THE CAMERAS TURN
OFF, YOU KNOW, AT THIS. SO
IMPORTANT AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR
THE WORK THAT YOU’RE DOING AND
CHECK THEM OUT. DEFINITELY SAY
WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT WE’RE
DONATING IN THE RIGHT WAY. WE