Blockchain-based “Survivor Wallet” Streamlines Emergency Relief for Families Affected by Disasters in Tennessee and Florida

Platform built on Algorand Blockchain uses verifiable digital IDs to reduce wait times for supplies from months to days

ALEXANDRIA, Va., 3 May 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Algorand Foundationorganization focused on expanding the Algorand blockchain ecosystem, Disaster Services Corporation Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA (DSC SVDP-USA), a leading US disaster relief organization that delivers quality programs and services to families and communities affected by natural and man-made disasters, and national non-governmental organizations active in disaster (National VOAD), the national organization representing almost 10M volunteers across the United States and coordinated with more than 130 state and national organizations active in disaster relief, today announced the successful initial launch of the Kare Survivor Wallet. Launched with funding from the American Red Cross, this disaster relief resource platform uses blockchain technology to improve the speed, efficiency and transparency of managing aid.

DSC SVDP-USA leverages the Kare Survivor Wallet to facilitate the distribution of goods, from furniture to household items, to families i Tennessee and Florida which have been affected by recent disasters, with hundreds more families on board Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisianaand Mississippi. Using a mobile app, families verify their identity, receive an allocation of credits and redeem them for critical supplies directly from Amazon, in as little as 24 hours, compared to a traditional end-to-end process that can take up to several months .

Kare Survivor Wallet, developed in collaboration with Singapore technology company AID: Tech, leverages the security, reliability and scalability of the Algorand blockchain, combining a digital identity verification with utility payout. These families, referred by DSC SVDP-USA national and local partners, are the first beneficiaries of the new platform, with plans to expand to hundreds of families by late spring.

“This unique public-private partnership has brought together leading aid organizations with technologists who have sought to streamline the process by which families affected by natural disasters can access much-needed emergency assistance,” said Elizabeth Disco-Sherer, executive director of St. Vincent de Paul Disaster Services and chairman of the National VOAD. “The promising stories of these first families using the Kare Survivor Wallet are an early sign of how transformative this approach will truly be.”

“While the Algorand blockchain provides an unprecedented level of transparency, security and efficiency for the distribution of aid to those who need it most, the ability to do so in scale that’s the most promising feature,” said Matt Keller, Head of Impact at the Algorand Foundation. “We envision a future where blockchain-enabled identity verification will empower and empower a billion people, and this is just the beginning.”

“With the increased frequency and severity of natural disasters, we are not only looking for ways to gradually improve our ability to respond and recover, but we are investing in cutting-edge solutions that can leapfrog current methods,” said Trevor Riggen, president of humanitarian services at the American Red Cross. “We are proud to support this profound solution built on the Algorand blockchain, and to invest in its further deployment across multiple states through our partners.”

When a disaster strikes, emergency agencies can set up a form on the platform to collect information from applicants. A survivor can then submit an application to that event using their digital ID (DID). The agency will receive and review the applications and then release the funds to the applicant’s wallet, which can then be used to order supplies directly from Amazon for last-mile delivery.

Kare Survivor Wallet is available at Android and iOS.

About the Algorand Foundation
The Algorand blockchain — designed by MIT professor and Turing Award-winning cryptographer Silvio Micali — is uniquely capable of delivering on the promise of a borderless global economy. It achieves transaction throughputs at the speed of traditional finance, but with instant finality, near zero transaction costs, and on a 24/7 basis. Its carbon-neutral platform and unique pure proof-of-stake consensus mechanism solves the “blockchain trilemma” by achieving both security and scalability on a decentralized protocol, and without a second of downtime since its publication in 2019. For more information, visit https://algorand.foundation.

About national voluntary organizations active in disaster (VOAD)
National VOAD is a national membership organization that coordinates the activities of more than 130 voluntary organizations active in disaster relief. NVOAD brings in depth expertise in disaster relief throughout the United States and its territories and promotes collaboration, communication, coordination and collaboration to promote more effective delivery of services to communities affected by natural and man-made disasters.

About Disaster Services Corporation Society of St. Vincent de Paul USA
St. Vincent de Paul Disaster Services is a second responder and Catholic lay organization that provides person-to-person recovery services to families affected by man-made and natural disasters across the United States. In addition, local Vincentians (members) dedicate thousands of volunteer hours to helping families affected by natural disasters. The program will continue to focus community efforts on the long-term case management needs of affected individuals after all first-responder agencies have departed.

Media contacts:

Algorand Foundation:
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Disaster Services Corporation Society of St. Vincent De Paul Disaster Services:
[email protected]
[email protected]

National voluntary organizations active in disaster:
[email protected]

SOURCE Algorand Foundation