William Zimdin left a profound legacy of human compassion for refugees. An industrial mogul in Estonia before World War II, Zimdin fled to the United States after Hitler targeted him for refusing to fund the war. Stripped of the majority of his assets, he restarted life in Santa Barbara. Soon after, he funded the passage of Hungarian-born Dennis Karczag, who was being held at a war refugee camp, to Santa Barbara.
The two business partners received letters from friends and family who asked for help fleeing Eastern Europe and seeking shelter from the war. Zimdin’s supportive responses to their letters marked the beginning of a foundation run out of their pantry. Since its founding as the William Zimdin Foundation in August 1948, and after years of responding to post-war crises and health emergencies around the world, Direct Relief has become one of the largest nonprofits in the country.
“It’s an awesome story,” said Andrew MacCalla, Director of International Programs and Emergency Response for Direct Relief, “and extremely relevant today, when Direct Relief is responding to the largest refugee crisis since World War II.”