The Institute for Social Innovation (ISI) at Fielding is partnering with ShelterBox USA

Dr. Deborah Bucci

The Institute for Social Innovation (ISI) at Fielding Graduate University is partnering with ShelterBox USA to do research on the needs for emergency shelter relief in the United States, including assessing the needs after Hurricanes Helene and Milton damaged or destroyed hundreds of thousands of homes from Florida to the Carolinas.  ShelterBox USA (https://www.shelterboxusa.org/) provides displaced families with life-saving shelter and vital tools and supplies that will enable them to rebuild their homes and transform their lives after a disaster.

This research project is being led by ISI Fellow Dr. Deborah Bucci, a 2023 alumna of Fielding’s School of Leadership Studies, who has served as an emergency crisis nurse and as a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity post-Katrina, the Red Cross after Hurricane Irma in 2018, and the recovery efforts after the Montecito fire and mudslides in 2018. ISI’s Director, Dr. Charles McClintock, will support Dr. Bucci’s efforts in conducting the research to better understand the provision of shelter and emergency relief by various public and private agencies.

ShelterBox is thrilled to partner with The Institute for Social Innovation (ISI) at Fielding Graduate University to assess how catastrophic disasters here in the U.S. are affecting at-risk communities, the gaps within the emergency shelter space, and the approaches to prepare and respond effectively, said Kerri Murray, President of ShelterBox USA.

Dr. Bucci comments, “Our study aims to uncover the realities of how emergency shelters operate and the extent to which they meet the immediate and long-term needs of disaster-affected communities. By engaging with stakeholders and exploring archival data, this research will identify practical solutions and policy recommendations that enhance disaster response and recovery. My hope is this project will contribute to a more effective, equitable, and compassionate approach to disaster relief across the United States.”

Charles McClintock, Ph.D.

ISI’s Director Dr. Charles McClintock comments: “We are excited about the partnership on this study between Fielding and ShelterBox USA, both of which are headquartered in Santa Barbara, California with global reach. As a Fellow of Fielding’s Institute for Social Innovation, Dr. Bucci is ideally equipped to lead this important topic and apply its findings in areas of critical need now and in the future.”