Direct Relief breaks ground on medical aid distribution hub

The nonprofit organization said Wednesday it broke ground on what will become the largest distribution hub for humanitarian medical aid in the United States.    Direct Relief said Wednesday it broke ground on what will become the largest distribution hub for humanitarian medical aid in the United States.
   Located on a 7.99-acre parcel purchased from the city of Santa Barbara, Calif., the new medical distribution center and headquarters will meet heightened federal requirements for security and storage of prescription medications and will also increase efficiency, Direct Relief said.
   The new 155,000-square-foot headquarters and distribution center will be nearly four times the size of Direct Relief’s main facility in Goleta.
   To complete and endow the new facility, Direct Relief today announced a $40 million fundraising campaign, for which it already has secured $25 million in private gifts and pledges from corporate partners such as FedEx, foundations such as the Zegar Family Foundation, and members of the community.
   Construction is projected to conclude by early 2018, at which point the organization will relocate its staff and consolidate its operations into the new facility.
   Founded in 1948, Direct Relief delivers lifesaving medical resources in 70 countries and all 50 U.S. states. Direct Relief said Forbes ranks it as the ninth-largest U.S. charity.