EWE Spirit Grant Recipient Story:
In the fall of 2022, as Category 4 Hurricane Ian raged toward the coast of Florida, Team Rubicon was already pre-staging teams to be ready to clear trees and debris from emergency routes in the immediate aftermath of the storm. The volunteers, called Greyshirts, continued work for weeks following Hurricane Ian, which was the deadliest to hit the state in 87 years. Team Rubicon, a veteran-led humanitarian organization, responded to the hurricane with seven operations in 46 cities, serving hundreds of individuals. The Greyshirts mucked out and gutted homes, tarped roofs, and removed downed trees and other debris, helping communities recover from the storm’s destruction.
Founded following the 2010 Haiti earthquake, Team Rubicon has launched more than 1,100 operations in response to crises and disasters like this around the world. In twelve years, the organization has grown to more than 150,000 volunteers across the United States. A collection of veterans, first responders and civilians, Team Rubicon mobilizes its volunteers’ unique skills, experience, and passion for serving others, creating one of the most powerful resources in our nation today. These experienced, can-do people provide relief to those devastated by earthquakes, floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and other severe weather events.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Team Rubicon’s emergency medical professionals traveled to the hardest hit regions of the country to help overwhelmed health care workers. One of these places was the Navajo Nation, in northeastern Arizona, northwestern New Mexico and southeastern Utah. In March 2020, the Navajo Nation’s per capita coronavirus infection rate was the highest in the country. With every life they saved, Team Rubicon volunteers helped to preserve the language, culture and history of the tribe.
The EWE Spirit Foundation was proud to grant $10,000 to Team Rubicon in October 2022. The humanitarian aid this organization provides to the most vulnerable among us in their greatest time of need fits our mission perfectly. We fully support these heroic men and women committed to “getting shit done.”
