By Ozzy Samad

Through disasters man-made and natural, shipments of medications and supplies to far off lands, addressing healthcare needs for underserved communities in our own backyard, providing solar panels to schools and remote clinics, along with water wells, computers and education material for students, your donations and support helped make 2022 one of the most impactful years in BBF’s history of working to assist those in need.

In addition to expanding our shipments of medications and medical supplies that form the core of our relief work, the start of the year focused on BBF’s response to the year-end 2021 tornadoes in Kentucky followed by the crisis in Ukraine.  The response in Kentucky helped bring relief to so many whose lives were completely upended by the devastation caused by a deadly natural calamity – in sharp contrast to the man-made crisis in Ukraine. Our ongoing response there includes supplying critically needed medications, medical supplies, and humanitarian relief to those impacted in Ukraine itself and to refugees in Poland. Through your generosity, we have flown over 400 pallets (equal to 20 shipping containers) of relief supplies to Ukraine, provided generators to five hospitals near the front lines, supported mental health efforts for first responders and the general public, and are working to set-up a prosthetics clinic in the country. 


As the work outlined above continued in earnest, the spring thaw saw BBF’s vision and diabetes mobile health clinic (MHC) van being delivered to us in early April. Working in collaboration with BBF’s partners, the MHC’s focus is to provide screening to members of our local underserved community. An enthusiastic early supporter of the program was Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey who mentioned his own prediabetic condition during a visit to our facilities.

  Late summer and fall saw BBF responding to natural disasters including Hurricane Ian which caused catastrophic damage in the State of Florida, Hurricane Fiona which led to massive flooding in Puerto Rico, storms that caused tremendous flood damage in both Mississippi and Kentucky, flooding in Pakistan that displaced over 30 million people and caused over 1,700 deaths, followed by Hurricane Nicole, on Florida’s eastern coastline.  These efforts included supporting foodbanks and other relief agencies, along with shipments of medical supplies, water, hygiene kits, cleaning supplies, tarps, and hard hats, to assist those impacted by the storms.    

On the home front, we inaugurated BBF’s Solar Panels project funded by Green Mountain Energy Sun Club, and welcomed Diane Farrell, Deputy Under Secretary for International Trade at the Commerce Department.  The solar project will save BBF approximately twenty thousand dollars per year in electricity costs & includes six EV chargers at our facilities – four of which can be accessed by the general public. The event was attended by State and local government officials and the Council of the City of Pittsburgh subsequently passed a Proclamation recognizing BBF for its work here at home and around the world.

As always, thank you for your invaluable support! We are but an extension of your thoughtfulness, generosity and kindness towards helping those in need.