BBF was founded in 1958 by Dr. Robert Hingson to provide vaccinations and inoculations to underserved communities around the world.  Today, these efforts include regularly scheduled relief shipments and programmatic work under the H.I.D.E. umbrella of Healthcare, Infrastructure, Disaster Response, and Education.  Our geographic area of work includes countries in the Americas, Africa, Europe and Asia, in collaboration with partners on the ground.

The Healthcare Program consists of three complementary areas, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies, and med-surg trips. Since 1972, BBF has received pharmaceuticals directly from pharmaceutical manufacturers.  We work with our partners on the ground in developing countries to donate this much-needed medicine to their patients. The medical supplies and equipment component centers around collecting medical equipment and supplies from hospitals and other donor partners.  We send these donations (often along with pharmaceuticals) to medical facilities around the globe.  The scarcity of these resources make them (especially PPE as of late) useful to help treat patients in hospitals and clinics.  The med-surg trip component focuses on supporting physician-led teams, who give of their time and expertise to help patients in various countries.

The Infrastructure Program focuses on the areas of solar power and WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene).  BBF has been working with partners to help install solar panel systems wince early 2013.  By the end of 2019, BBF has worked with partners to equip over 50 clinics and hospitals in Sub-Saharan Africa and Puerto Rico.  The WASH component is a new BBF initiative and is currently working with volunteers to sew washable feminine hygiene pads for primarily school-age girls.  BBF works with a local Pittsburgh organization to help provide these pads for schoolgirls in Latin American countries.

The Disaster Response Program includes the sourcing and staging of resources, creating partnerships with transportation networks, and working with local partners and other voluntary organizations active in disaster (VOADs), and engagement with volunteers to sort and send disaster relief supplies.  In 2019 BBF helped with humanitarian response and recovery efforts to Hurricanes Dorian (North and South Carolina, The Bahamas), Florence (North and South Carolina), Harvey (Texas, Florida, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico), Irma(Texas, Florida, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico) , Isaias (The Bahamas), Laura (Louisiana, Texas, and Puerto Rico) and Michael (Florida), Cyclone Idai (Zimbabwe and Malawi), Typhoon Phanfone (Philippines), earthquake (Puerto Rico), California wildfires, the Venezuelan humanitarian crisis (Venezuela and Colombia), the Sri Lanka bombings and tornados in Alabama and Tennessee.

Prior to 2019, BBF has responded to disasters and humanitarian crises in collaboration with its partners in connection with the tsunami of 2005, Hurricanes Katrina and Matthew, the Ebola outbreaks in Liberia and Sierra Leone, as well as projects in Afghanistan, Armenia, Bosnia, Croatia, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Hungary, India, Iran, Iraq, Japan, Lithuania, Nepal, Nicaragua, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Romania, Russia, Syria, turkey and the Ukraine.

The Education Program works with donor partners to provide educational material and books to recipient partners in various areas of the world.  The program has grown to working with local communities to help repair schools damaged by hurricanes and other natural calamaties, such as earthquakes.  BBF has also provided solar panels for a school in Malawi and is working with local communities to provide refurbished computers along with educational software to students, with the overall objective being to help positively impact the educational development of children worldwide.