Written by Organic Valley and Dr. Bronner's, conveners of the Grassroots Aid Partnership

At GAP, we’re excited to announce our new partnerships gearing us up for ongoing climate and other disasters well ahead of hurricane season. Through the platform of Climate Day, we saw international leaders combating climate change with innovative company practices and leaders in mass care response to climate disasters in the same room—effectively tackling the problem from both ends!

On Climate Day, George Siemon of Organic Valley and David Bronner of Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soaps announced the formation of GAP. Throughout Expo, Organic Valley and Dr. Bronner’s also announced their three-year commitments of $25,000 each and Patagonia announced their $10,000 commitment as well. 

GAP is expanding its supportive role by forging partnerships with natural food and product suppliers, including compostable packaging suppliers, with the help of all the great companies who came to Expo West. Many industry leaders had some one-on-one time with GAP board members.

Grassroots Aid Partnership is a bold new model to expand disaster relief efforts in a time of expanding need. Rather than trying to control a linear approach of one organization collecting food and supplies, managing deployments, and corralling on-the-ground volunteers, GAP has a collective community-based approach. We collect products and donations from concerned companies and donors and create a “hub” that smaller more locally aligned disaster relief deployment groups can turn to for a scale of support that is often out of reach.

The types of support needed are as wide-ranging as the disasters and regions themselves, but the experienced members of GAP meet that challenge head on offering their expertise and shared food and supplies. Let’s get ready for another big year and do disaster relief better—using products that don’t contribute to more climate problems and methods that empower the communities we aid!

To learn more about GAP, please visit https://www.grassrootsaidpartnership.org/ or contact [email protected].