Mission:Change Helps Bring Relief to Haiti

How YOU Can and ARE Helping!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

WAY TO GO Albany and Southwest Georgia!  Your involvement in bringing Hope to Haiti has been nothing short of amazing!  Because of your generosity, we were able to load three private planes with approximately 1,500 pounds of food and medical supplies, all of which was delivered to Haiti during the last week in January.  After dropping off the supplies that you contributed, the pilots your donations have supported (who, it should be noted, have graciously donated their own time) were able to deliver four thousand more pounds relief aid to the areas that are of most need.

Now is not the time for resting on our laurels, though.  This is just the beginning!  The needs are massive, especially in the outlying cities and islands that have been much neglected for the more publicized Haitian areas.  Mark Grimaldi, one of the pilots your generous donations sponsored, recorded videos of one such area - the island of La Gonave, sitting off the coast of Haiti and which normally relies on the mainland for food and other supplies.  After the earthquake, La Gonave has been all but cut off from the rest of the world, having not had a single shipment of supplies from the mainland since the tragic events of January 14, 2010.  Such was the scene Mark flew into on his first flight into La Gonave, touching down on a dirt runway about 1800 feet long and as wide as a pickup truck, his plane immediately surrounded by the residents of this forgotten island.

CNN happened to be doing a news piece on the island as Mark was delivering supplies, and briefly interviewed him about the situation.  Click here to view that video story.

Needless to say, we and the people of Haiti still need your support!  We are continuing to collect food, such as rice and dried beans, along with Ready-To-Use baby formula, as well as over the counter first aid supplies, such as bandages, gauze, tape, Neosporin, Tylenol, etc. at our collection facilities.  (For a list of drop-off sites, visit our Hope for Haiti page.)  Monetary donations are also greatly needed, with every penny going towards the cost of fuel to fly these supplies in to where they are most needed.  We are already working with the next group of pilots for another string of deliveries, and will continue with this mission as long as there is money for fuel and supplies to be delivered.  And remember, Mission:Change is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation, so 100% of your monetary donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Monday, January 19, 2010

How many times have you asked yourself since the horrible events took place in Haiti, “how can I help?”……well here is your chance to make a difference in the lives of those who are devastated, homeless, hungry, grieving and thirsty and waiting for you to take that step forward to make a difference.

Imagine for a moment that this had happened here, where we live, wouldn’t you be praying that someone, somewhere in the world would rally a network of people to bring comfort to your world; people that would make some small gesture to bring relief to what is total devastation?

Let’s be that part of the world, that community that pulls together and makes a difference!!

Mission:Change and the citizens of Albany have an open door to have a hands on impact on the relief efforts in Haiti through our partnership with Bahamas Methodist Habitat (BMH)!  BMH is the organization that Todd and LaDonna are missionaries with on Eleuthera, and they are coordinating the transporting of supplies and evacuees to and from available sites in Haiti.

With our original partnership with BMH established, Mission Change has also partnered with Hope to Haiti to help bring hope to those suffering in Haiti.  We have been blessed with a couple of pilots that will be flying the supplies that Mission Change collects to Nassau and then they will fly supplies into Cap Haitian, Les Cayes and Jeramie and fly evacuees back to Nassau.  These relief efforts are being focused on the outlying cities where people are fleeing to seek medical attention and ways out.

To date, over 23,000 lbs of supplies have been flown in and 35 evacuees flown out.  All monetary donations will go toward purchasing fuel for the volunteer’s planes.  It is costing around $1500 per round trip per plane and they do not want to get to the point of having planes, pilots and supplies sitting on the tarmac in Nassau with no funds to purchase fuel. 

The following businesses have generous enough to offer their locations as designated Mission:Change drop off sites These are:

- Albany Harley Davidson

- Tifton Harley Davidson

- Flint Community Bank

- SB&T - Albany and Lee Country Branches

- Goodie Two Shoes

- Albany Uniforms

- Byne Memorial Baptist Church

Here is a list of what is now needed and being requested: (clothes are no longer needed):

- rice

- dried beans

- cooking oil

- tomato sauce

- ready-to-use baby formula (not the powdered kind)

- over-the-country first aid supplies (bandages, gauze, medical tape, Neosporin, Tylenol, etc.)

- soap

- tarps

- tents

- water (preferably gallons - water cooler sized, also)

- monetary donations!

As mentioned above, every trip from Nassau to Haiti and back costs roughly $1,500. That is why 100% of the donated proceeds will go directly to fuel costs, helping our volunteer pilots distribute much needed medical and food supplies to the areas of greatest need in Haiti.

Mission Change
PO Box 834
Albany, GA  31702

Or you may donate online via PayPal: Donate Here

And remember, Mission Change is a 501(c)3 charitable organization and all donations are tax deductible.

For more information, please contact David Blackwell at Mission:Change: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or 229-886-1257

Please take a minute to visit our partners in this mission, Bahamas Methodist Habitat at http://www.methodisthabitat.org/.

Keep current with developments with Scott Bonnell’s Hope to Haiti mission: http://www.hopetohaiti.com/