Tag Archive for: hurricane maria

Facebook Shows Increase in Social Responsibility Efforts

With more than 2 billion users, Facebook certainly has its finger on the pulse of the world. In light of many recent natural disasters, the platform is looking for ways in which it can help those in need.

Puerto Rico

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook co-founder and CEO, made a post announcing that a team of representatives were on their way to Puerto Rico to help victims affected by hurricanes Maria and Irma.

The team will be working to make sure that emergency telecommunications are up and running. Zuckerberg stated that, “Communication is critical during a disaster.”

Such communication will be vital for victims in need of emergency services, as well as those looking for current information on loved ones that may have been affected by the hurricanes.

An article from Adweek also reports that the social networking giant will be donating $1.5 million to NetHope and the World Food Programme. These volunteer and monetary relief efforts from Facebook are sure to have a great impact on those in Puerto Rico and others around the globe.

India

Even without major propellants like hurricanes, Facebook is spreading positivity around the world. On October 1, India will be celebrating National Voluntary Blood Donation Day.

According to Adweek, a special message promoting the event will appear to each user in the country of India. Additional tools and capabilities are being developed inside of the platform to help bring attention to events like this one.

Hema Budaraju, product manager, and Ritesh Mehta, head of programs, explained the tools in greater detail by writing, “When a request is created, Facebook will automatically notify blood donors who may be nearby to help spread the word. Donors can then review the request and, if they wish to respond, contact the requestor directly through WhatsApp, Messenger or a phone call. The person who needs blood won’t be able to see any information about the donor unless the donor explicitly provides it when he/she reaches out to the person in need of blood.”