Highlighting the critical role of logistics in saving lives in times of natural disaster, the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN) just announced its second annual Humanitarian Logistics Awards.

“Last year, we launched these awards to honor the many individuals and companies who consistently go above and beyond to serve others,” said ALAN Executive Director Kathy Fulton, while presenting the awards at the CSCMP EDGE conference.  “This year, we’re pleased to welcome six more highly deserving individuals or organizations to the winners’ circle.”

Key honorees included:

• The Shippers Group, which received ALAN’s Outstanding Contribution Award, for donating space and labor in Dallas and Atlanta that helped non-profits provide comfort to families returning home after Hurricane Harvey and safely clean up Caribbean communities after hurricanes Irma and Maria.
• Estes Express Lines and The Home Depot, which received ALAN’s Employee Engagement Award, for teaming up to deliver cleaning supplies, food and hydration to the Florida Keys after Hurricane Irma.
• And MIT’s Humanitarian Supply Chain Lab and LIFT Non-Profit Logistics, which received ALAN’s Director’s Partnership Award, for their instrumental role in helping ALAN provide daily updates about the information and resources critical to restoration of private supply chains during hurricanes Lane And Florence – and for supplying expertise that directly contributed to everything from survivors’ safe evacuation to key deliveries of food, water and medicine in Puerto Rico after Hurricane Maria.

The awards also recognized Dr. Allison Thompson, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award, for founding Third Wave Volunteers, an organization whose work has touched more than 8 million people and encompassed every major disaster and humanitarian crisis over the past 20 years.

“Each of these recipients is living proof that humanitarianism isn’t just a one-time event – and that true service extends well beyond a single disaster,” Fulton said. “We’re grateful to them for the many contributions they have made, and we are proud to recognize them today.”

ALAN’s Humanitarian Logistics Awards recognize companies and individuals who exemplify the best that the supply chain has to offer by assuring that aid and comfort are rapidly delivered to communities in crisis.  Presented annually, they are open to any logistics professional, organization or department.  Previous winners have included The Performance Team, International Paper, Saddle Creek Logistics, Kane Is Able, States Logistics, the UPS Foundation and Jock Menzies.