Arizona State University Students Win National Contest

Natural disasters and crisis throughout the world have become all too frequent. Americans are generous and immediately step up to help, often gathering food and supplies for those in need. However, when it comes to helping surrounding disasters overseas, Cash is the Best way to help, otherwise new problems can be created trying to manage unneeded materials.

To help convey this message the USAID Center for International Disaster Information (USAID CIDI) conducted a national public service announcement contest called PSAid. College students developed public service announcements to spread the Cash is Best message.

Serval students from Arizona State University were selected as winners in the 2019 PSAid Contest!

Video

• Second Place: “Why Cash is Best,” Claudia Forero and Alexandra Estrella
• Third Place: “Anything, Anywhere, Anytime,” Lisa Trahin (in addition to her People’s Choice win)

Print

• Second Place: “Cash is Best,” Sarah Hermosillo
• Third Place: “moneybag,” Riley Padua

Digital Image

• First Place: “Let those in need decide,” Areia Worden
• Second Place: “Change Your Perspective,” Allie McGuffin

After decades of experience with donors, donations and disaster relief, USAID CIDI knows that monetary contributions to reliable relief agencies give the best support to people affected by natural disasters. CIDI relies on the generosity of publications such as yours to donate space for the PSAs to share this important message. When people donate materials, such as clothes, food and supplies, they require storage space, workers to sort through and organize and are often not what is actually needed, creating a second mini-crisis. When on-the-ground relief organizations are able to purchase needed supplies from the area that helps stimulate the local economy, serving as another way to help.