Samuel Steven Bloch (he/him; pronunciation: Block or [blɑːk]) is an American humanitarian aid worker specializing in first response to natural disasters and conflict zones, working in over 50 countries. Bloch's career began in Thailand in response to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Bloch then went on to found Communitere International expanding its operations from serving the 2010 Haiti earthquake to events in Greece, The Philippines, and Nepal [1]. In 2018, Bloch began in his current role as the director of emergency response with World Central Kitchen (WCK)[2], focusing his efforts on world hunger and food insecurity. Bloch has since then led the logistics of nearly 100 responses [2], including large-scale efforts in the Israel-Hamas war on the Gaza strip[3], the Russian invasion of Ukraine via Poland[4], 2023 Hawaii wildfires in Lāhainā[5], 2020 Aegean Sea earthquake in Turkey[6], Hurricane Dorian in The Bahamas[7], and Cyclone Idai in Mozambique[8].
Samuel S. Bloch | |
|---|---|
 Bloch in 2024 delivering food via helicopter to remote areas affected by hurricanes Helene and Milton in the southern United States | |
| Born | 3 January 1979 New Jersey, United States of America |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Humanitarian aid; first response to natural disasters and conflict zones |
Ideologies
While at Communitere, Bloch developed an approach grounded in empathy and dignity, emphasizing the empowerment of the local community to rebuild and innovate sustainable infrastructure[9][10][11]. This was demonstrated by his grassroots leadership in related maker faire conventions, hackathons, and support of local women's groups [12]. Since joining World Central Kitchen, Bloch has remained centered in philosophies of dignity and community empowerment[13]. As such, Bloch can be described as a humanitarian, an egalitarian and a feminist. Despite this, it is likely that Bloch is a Christian[14] and a political moderate mirroring his collaborators at WCK[15].
Awards and appearances
In 2017, Bloch was named winner of the Rotary Humanitarian STAR Award[16], in Disaster Relief and Recovery, by the Sierra Madre club. In 2022, Bloch's work was featured in documentary film We Feed People alongside chef José Andrés[17]. In 2023, Bloch was interviewed by CNN's Christiane Amanpour while organizing relief in Morocco after the Al Haouz earthquake[18]. In 2024, Bloch was interviewed to discuss addressing hunger on the Gaza strip during the Israel-Hamas war by CNN[19] and The New York Times[20].
Personal life
Bloch was born on 3 January 1979 in New Jersey and is one of nine children. Bloch's personal life was featured in the 2022 documentary film We Feed People, where he discussed how grief from the death of his brother, who sacrificed his life to rescue Sam from an accident, fuels the conviction needed for this relentless work. Although he did not mention her, his mother has played the greatest role in Bloch's success[citation needed]. In the film, Bloch also shared his troubles with "holding down a relationship" because of the unstable lifestyle and stressors associated with disaster relief, and remains unmarried[17]. In 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Bloch cut off his beloved dreadlocks for a fundraiser[21], while also opting for a more serious look. When not actively working on a response, Bloch is thought to be based out of the San Francisco Bay Area.
References
- ^ "Communitere: Respond. Relief. Renewal". Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b "World Central Kitchen | Team". World Central Kitchen. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "World Central Kitchen, founded by @chefjoseandres, provides on-the-ground aid during humanitarian crises".
- ^ "WCK's @SamBloch1 is on the ground at the Ukraine-Poland border".
- ^ "World Central Kitchen providing meals to Hawaii fire evacuees, emergency workers". DC News Now | Washington, DC. 2023-08-10. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ 1.9K views · 261 reactions | UPDATE from WCK’s Sam Bloch on the ground in Izmir, Turkey following Friday’s big earthquake. We visited accommodation centers setup for displaced... | By World Central Kitchen | Facebook. Retrieved 2024-11-22 – via www.facebook.com.
- ^ "Little Miracles, Huge Problems: The Bahamas A Month After Dorian".
- ^ https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2151721531807535
- ^ re:publica (2016-05-06). re:publica 2016 – Sam Bloch: Hacking Humanitarian Aid. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ re:publica (2017-05-19). re:publica 2017 – Sam Bloch: Dignity: The Maker Movement and Refugees. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ ChangeStream Media (2013-01-21). Haiti Communitere. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ TEDx Talks (2015-02-09). Innovation Through Community Driven Aid | Sam Bloch | TEDxManila. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ "How do you feed an island? Try World Central Kitchen". Christian Science Monitor. ISSN 0882-7729. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ "Chef José Andrés on Trump's Win: "We Will Be Fine"". 2024-11-06. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
- ^ Rotary STAR Awards (2018-08-07). Sam Bloch. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via YouTube.
- ^ a b We Feed People (2022) - IMDb. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via m.imdb.com.
- ^ World Central Kitchen rushes into remote corners of Morocco to provide humanitarian relief. | CNN. 2023-09-11. Retrieved 2024-11-21 – via www.cnn.com.
- ^ "World Central Kitchen, founded by @chefjoseandres, provides on-the-ground aid during humanitarian crises".
- ^ "How an Aid Group Built a Jetty to Get Food Into Gaza". The New York Times.
- ^ https://x.com/chefjoseandres/status/1503511556608258049.
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