Reflecting on 24 Years of Crisis Care at Direct Relief

Reflecting on 24 Years of
Crisis Care at Direct Relief

Thomas Tighe Leaving Santa Barbara–Based,
Globally Impactful Nonprofit Aid Agency

By Matt Kettmann | December 19, 2024

Origin stories don’t get any more pure of intention than that of Direct Relief, which was started in 1948 by an Estonian immigrant named William Zimdin. After escaping Hitler’s clutches during World War II, he settled in Santa Barbara and started sending Eastern Europeans food, clothing, and medicine from his own pantry so they could rebuild their lives.

When he died three years later, his friend, the Hungarian immigrant Dezso “Dennis” Karczag — also a survivor of the Nazi regime whom Zimdin rescued from a refugee camp — carried the mission forward, expanding efforts to help disaster and war zone survivors across the planet. By the time Karczag died at age 96 in the year 2000, Direct Relief was the nonprofit darling of nonprofit-saturated Santa Barbara, a globally significant organization molded by hometown grassroots. 

Today, a quarter-century later, Direct Relief — which opened its new headquarters by the airport five years ago — remains a Santa Barbara darling. But it’s risen up the reputation ranks considerably, and is now considered one of the nonprofit stars of the world.