Mission: Global Links is a medical relief and development organization dedicated to supporting health improvement initiatives in resource-poor communities and promoting environmental stewardship in the US healthcare system.
Global Links’ collaborative efforts include:
-Redirecting still-useful materials away from US landfills to support public health programs in targeted communities throughout the Western Hemisphere
-Sharing expertise and technical knowledge with international and domestic partners
-Educating partners, volunteers, and the community on issues of global health and environmental stewardship
Results: Since 1989 Global Links has provided 100 countries with materials worth more than $186 million.
Target demographics: Global Links collaborates with officials, administrators and community leaders to ensure our programs support the work of skilled healthcare professionals and help improve the quality of care for their patients. We work with hospital staff in Western Pennsylvania and beyond to develop sustainable practices for surplus collection and recovery.
Direct beneficiaries per year: Thousands of patients who have access to higher quality medical care as a result of Global Links' strategic partnerships. 50+ healthcare facilities in the US with whom we partner to achieve more environmentally responsible operations.
Geographic areas served: Global Links supports health improvement initiatives in resource-poor communities, primarily in the Western Hemisphere. Global Links collaborates with US healthcare institutions and the community to recover hundreds of tons of high-quality surplus medical materials every year that would otherwise be sent to landfills.
Programs: Global Links’ International Medical Aid Program partners with public health authorities to strengthen health systems for measurable impact in the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Our Community Partners Program supports fellow nonprofit organizations in the US that benefit from our materials and experience. Our Environmental Stewardship in Healthcare Program educates a compassionate network of healthcare professionals who work to share surplus with colleagues in resource-poor communities and provides a socially and environmentally responsible alternative to sending still-useful surplus materials to landfills.
Global Links starts with a great model: take still-useful things from a place where they might have trouble getting used and share them in places where they can save lives. One of the distinguishing factors about their model is their attention to the needs of recipient facilities in recipient countries. For this organization, keeping useful things out of the landfill only starts the process; making sure there's a home for it where it will be used completes the circle. They make great use of volunteers on both a one-off and on-going basis.
I have followed the work of Global Links for several years, and am consistently impressed by their commitment to growing their impact while keeping administrative costs low. Because they share the stories of both the environmental and human impact of what they do so effectively, they are blessed with hundreds of volunteers who donate thousands of hours each year, and an ever-growing roster of hospital and community partners. They are also mindful of their role as ambassadors for those served by their donations of medical equipment and supplies. Global Links actively seek opportunities to engage and educate the community (including hospitals, businesses, corporations and the general public) about their work in order to draw attention to both the medical needs of those in resource poor countries, and to the many opportunities to be a part of Global Links' work. I also have noted their creativity in developing new ways for the general public to participate in collecting and redirecting materials.
