Why refugee aid startup NeedsList is launching today

Meeting the urgent supply needs of refugees is the driving mission of Philly-based social enterprise NeedsList, which goes live today in honor of World Refugee Day.

As part of its beta launch, three urgent supply needs (as sourced from vetted organizations on the ground) can be met by those wishing to donate. The first site where the platform will go live is located in Greece.

For #Worldrefugeeday2017 try meeting #refugee needs directly at https://t.co/xGNhUgGfGF and help #reshapeaid #Socialimpact #innovation pic.twitter.com/Tm1XSTo64X

— NeedsList (@NeedsList4Good) June 14, 2017

“I feel a mix of excitement and relief,” said cofounder and COO Amanda Levinson. “But also a llittle melancholy because something like this should have been available a long time ago.”

The company, currently at three full-timers along with a mix of contractors and interns, was selected to the Ben Franklin–Village Capital accelerator program and the Inquirer’s Project Liberty incubator.

“Our goal is to shine a light on how people can help — it’s something we hear from people over and over,” Levinson told our sister site Generocity ahead of the launch.