Atlanta Residents to Blog about Water-Life-Hope in Haiti
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (Sept. 8, 2010) –Atlanta residents, Edward Buckley and John Beasley will travel to Haiti, Sept. 13-15, with the nonprofit Food For The Poor to visit remote communities in desperate need of clean, safe drinking water. During the trip, daily blog entries and photos will be posted online at http://www.waterlifehope.blogspot.com/.
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While in Haiti, the group will visit some of the water projects they have funded, tent cities that house those displaced by the earthquake, and fishing villages that have helped revitalize poor coastal communities. During Buckley’s five previous trips to Haiti with Food For The Poor, he witnessed how access to clean water is an unattainable luxury for many destitute families. Drinking contaminated water can cause disease, and in some cases, eventually lead to death.
“In our view, the right to clean drinking water is the most fundamental human right we have,” said Buckley. “The water wells that have already been installed in Haiti have made an extraordinary difference to the people in the communities they serve.”
“Safe drinking water is one of the single most important contributions we as individuals can make to our global community,” said Beasley, a partner at Buckley & Klein, LLP. “The efforts of those that have contributed to this project and the work of Food For The Poor have had tangible and immediate benefits to the people of Haiti – and we are very excited about continuing this important work.”
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For seven years, Buckley, Beasley and their supporters have raised money to drill and install lifesaving water wells throughout Jamaica and Haiti with the assistance of Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the United States. Recently, the group funded the construction of more than 100 artesian wells throughout Haiti. Each well provides an average of at least 5,000 people access to potable water.
“The installation of a water project is an answered prayer for thirsty villagers, and instantly improves the living conditions of residents within a several mile radius,” said Angel Aloma, Food For The Poor’s Executive Director. “Access to clean water is severely limited in developing countries. It is not uncommon for people to wash their clothes in the same water they use to bathe and cook. In Haiti, these water sources are shared with animals and are typically lined with trash that has accumulated over the years.”
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To provide a village in Haiti with the gift of water, please make checks payable to Food For The Poor and include the special source code “SC# 70245″ so the money can be tracked to the Water-Life-Hope initiative. Donations can be mailed to Food For The Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, FL 33073. All gifts are tax-deductible. Online donations can also be made through the charity’s secure Web site at www.foodforthepoor.org/portdepaix.
If you live near the Atlanta area, please plan to attend Food For The Poor’s third annual Atlanta fundraising event on Sept. 10 at The W Atlanta Buckhead. Guests will enjoy an elegant dining experience prepared by the Spice Market’s Executive Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. For additional event and ticket information, visit www.foodforthepoor.org/atlanta or call 888-404-4248.
Food For The Poor, the largest international relief and development organization in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry poor in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian agency provides emergency relief assistance, clean water, medicines, educational materials, homes, support for orphans and the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance, with more than 96 percent of all donations going directly to programs that help the poor.
For more information, please visit
www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Contact:
Jennifer Leigh Oates
Food For The Poor
954-427-2222 x 6054
[email protected]
