Herbalists Without Borders (HWB) is a global nonprofit organization that provides disaster relief and humanitarian aid to communities impacted by natural disasters, conflicts, and crises. Our disaster response efforts are centered around a chapter-based mutual aid model and a dedicated donation distribution network, ensuring that support reaches those in need quickly, efficiently, and with respect to their cultural traditions.

Herbalists Without Borders (HWB) is dedicated to disaster relief and health justice through mutual aid models that empower communities in crisis. In the face of natural disasters, conflicts, and humanitarian emergencies, our approach prioritizes equitable access to care, focusing on those most in need. By mobilizing local chapters and global volunteers, HWB provides holistic health solutions, including herbal care, wellness supplies, and self-care resources, tailored to each community’s unique needs. Through mutual aid and grassroots collaboration, we are making a real impact, ensuring that relief efforts are driven by solidarity, compassion, and the preservation of cultural healing traditions.

Disaster Relief: Supporting Coordinators on the Ground

In the aftermath of a disaster, local HWB coordinators may face severe limitations such as power outages, lack of clean water, sanitation issues, or even a shortage of storage space for supplies. Recognizing these challenges, HWB uses a dedicated space to intake donated supplies, process them, and distribute exactly what is needed to support affected communities.

• Intake and Organize Donations: Herbal remedies, wellness products, first aid supplies, and other essentials are collected from donors and stored in a controlled environment to ensure quality and usability.
• Prepare and Label Products: We create and label products like tinctures, teas, salves, and self-care kits, following best practices to ensure everything is ready for immediate distribution. This process meets labeling standards and ensures consistency, safety, and quality.
• Ship Tailored Supplies: We communicate closely with coordinators to understand their immediate needs. Whether it’s herbal remedies, first aid supplies, or other wellness products, we ship exactly what they request and can use, ensuring no unnecessary items are sent. This reduces waste and ensures efficiency during a time when every resource matters.

Why This Model Matters

By handling the intake, preparation, and distribution of supplies in our dedicated space, HWB reduces the burden on local coordinators who may be facing overwhelming challenges. Instead of having to create products themselves, which may be impossible due to lack of resources, coordinators can focus on serving their communities directly.

This centralized support allows HWB to:

• Ensure Equitable Distribution: Supplies are distributed based on need, reaching the most impacted areas efficiently.
• Reduce Waste: We only send what is necessary, reducing the chance of oversupply or misdirected goods.
• Maintain Best Practices: Our dedicated space allows us to follow proper protocols for making, labeling, and shipping herbal and wellness products, meeting legal requirements and ensuring quality.

This model ensures that local HWB chapters can remain focused on providing direct care, whether through mobile and walk-in clinics, self-care stations, or other relief efforts. By supporting them from our dedicated space, HWB ensures that the right supplies get to the right places, allowing our teams on the ground to focus on the people they serve.

Herbalists Without Borders is committed to providing holistic, culturally respectful care through our chapter-based mutual aid model and donation distribution network. Join us in supporting these vital efforts and helping communities heal and rebuild after disaster strikes.

Donations go directly to support the disaster initiatives and response. We purchase containers, carrier oils, and supplies that we need but have not received in donated supplies. We purchase label refills. We purchase supplies needed when requested by Coordinators. We ship boxes weekly directly to Coordinators. And, we provide microgrants when possible to help get extra support as infrastructure returns. All disaster funds go directly to response and aid.

Interested in finding out more about how HWB responds to natural disasters and community impacts?

• Disaster Relief
• Community Herbalism & Aromatherapy
• US Donation Network
• US Donation Network Manual
• Donate Supplies!
• Donate Funds
• Shop Our Amazon Wish List
• Join as a Member – every membership supports relief and aid work in addition to all donated supplies and funds.
• Our Member portal has disaster relief and response information, manuals, downloads, and resources as well as a global feed and community forum where we discuss response and support groups supporting their communities after disasters. Join Now!