How Major League Baseball Supported 5,000+ People Affected by Haiti Earthquake

In mid-August, a 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti about 80 miles west of the nation’s capital, Port-au-Prince. The earthquake displaced thousands of people and exacerbated food insecurity across the country. Rise Against Hunger quickly began working with our six in-country partners to address the needs of those affected. Major League Baseball has played a key role in this work. We recently spoke with John Schwarz and April Brown from MLB about the league’s support.

MLB is committed to serving others, supporting efforts globally to address food insecurity, homelessness and more. “Baseball truly is an international game, and we have a commitment here at MLB to do right by the communities that watch our game, that play our game, and even those that don’t,” said John Schwarz, MLB’s Senior Coordinator, Community Affairs. Therefore, when an earthquake struck Haiti this August, MLB recognized the gravity of the crisis and sought to assist the affected communities during this critical time. As Rise Against Hunger had already begun working with our in-country partners to respond to the earthquake and provide food assistance for those impacted, MLB made a generous donation of $25,000 in support of our relief efforts in Haiti.

This donation was crucial to Rise Against Hunger’s work. As containers of Rise Against Hunger meals were en route to the country, MLB’s support enabled our organization to provide cash grants to our in-country partners for immediate assistance. Nutritious food baskets, cooking fuel and kitchenware were purchased with these grants, in addition to covering transportation costs, to ensure children and families in affected areas received the nutrition they needed. This work provided support for more than 5,400 people, including 300 children seeking refuge in the city of Jeremie. MLB’s partnership was truly instrumental in Rise Against Hunger’s work in the aftermath of this emergency.

This is also not the first time MLB has worked with Rise Against Hunger to address global food insecurity and respond to a crisis. When COVID-19 cases rose to a critical level in India earlier this year, MLB supported Rise Against Hunger India’s relief efforts. Their support at this time provided 26,000 meals to families. Additionally, since 2016, MLB has packaged over 45,000 Rise Against Hunger meals that have then been distributed to people facing hunger across the globe.

April Brown, Vice President of CSR/Community at MLB, captured the league’s strong commitment to helping end hunger, saying, “To be able to really put food and nourishment in the hands of mothers and children speaks to our social responsibility, not just here in the States, but globally. It’s a mission that aligns with how we care about our community at MLB.”

Thanks to MLB’s support, as well as support from donors and other partners, Rise Against Hunger has sent 11 containers, each containing hundreds of thousands of meals, to respond to the earthquake and growing food insecurity in Haiti. These meals have been distributed as hot meals or take-home rations in schools, orphanages and trade schools.

As we continue our response efforts in Haiti, donate today to help us support communities affected during this time.