Pedro Clean Up

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Drinking Water Distributed – Free for the Southeast and West

Pedro Zaragoza Vizcarra Foundation, Lucerne Milk BipGas, will join the Board of Municipal Water and Sanitation (JMAS) to distribute free water in the southern colonies (east and west of the city) that are currently not connected to such a facility.

Veronica Jimenez, director of the Foundation, said two trucks belonging to the enterprise will be distributed, on a schedule, as of today in 22 colonies.  She said that around 6,000 families will benefit from this, being the recipients of 800 liters of water on each distribution day.

Tankers have a capacity to charge between 15 thousand liters of water per trip. According to the schedule in the division, every Monday the trucks will go to Plazuela de Acuña, San Rafael, Plazuelita and Tarahumara. On Tuesday they will go to Golden Valley, Desert Farms and Eye of God. By Wednesday, the tour begins in Loma Blanca, then  Emiliano Zapata and will end in in San Isidro Extension. Thursday’s schedule will be in Lomas de Poleo Alto, Lomas de Poleo Low, Santa Elena Farm and New Millennium.  On Friday it will go to Polo Gamboa, Peasant, Villa Esperanza, United Farm Bello Horizonte.  The schedule will begin daily, at 10 am prompt.

The families concerned will be contacted by the Foundation which will also be in touch with the Bipgas and Lucerne Group to provide trucks, drivers’ salaries and water transfer.  It was also indicated that over the hot summer months, the high temperatures that affect our city impacts everyone but it is the children and low-income seniors who do not have the basic service of water in their homes, so are more exposed to health problems who are the most vulnerable.  Jimenez also pointed out that this program is activated each year by the Foundation and the Zaragoza group, generating very good results.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation seeks to “help all people lead healthy, productive lives.”  It firmly believes all lives have “equal value” and thus tries to provide the resources people are lacking to ensure they have enough food and live above the poverty line.  Health and (adequate) wealth are the foundation’s main aims.  In America, the charitable organization (headquartered in Seattle, Washington) works toward facilitating and enabling access to educational opportunities for all, leading to a greater chance of being successful in life. The foundation’s co-chair is William H. Gates Sr., CEO Jeff Raikes, and directed by Bill and Melinda Gates as well as Warren Buffet.  Their mission is to “increase opportunities for people in developing countries to overcome hunger and poverty.”

The three main areas the foundation works in are: Global Development, Global Health, and United States.  In the first, work is done to reach as many people as possible in the areas that have the most potential for “high-impact, sustainable solutions”; in the second, attempts are made for progression in science and technology to save lives in poor countries, focusing on health issues and in the third, the  United States Program work, is geared towards citizens achieving the best – and most – education possible.

Central Neighbourhood House

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The Central Neighbourhood House, is Toronto, Canada’s second oldest settlement house. For the past century, both staff and volunteers have been working together with the neighbourhood to find out what is missing in their lives and what the House can offer.  It has been working for this goal since 1911.  There are many gaps in society unfortunately, and this is what the CNH recognizes through its efforts. 

Therefore, we offer: childcare services; a variety of programs for children and youth; special club for women; stroke survivors club; in-home services; a program for vulnerable seniors; a community development program; a supportive housing initiative; street survivors initiative and more.

The CNH has been located in various different neighbourhoods throughout the last century due to economic concerns or to move to a bigger place so it could develop and offer more services.  Today the CNH can be found at 349 Ontario Street, where it has been for more than 40 years.

The House tries very hard to provide much needed services, but at the same time to offer extra-curricular activities for children so that it’s not all just about need, but fun too.  For example, there has been a music school; a dressmaking course and more.  The idea is that those in need should get more than just what they need; they should get what they want and enjoy too.

The Valerie Fund

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When nine-year old Valerie Goldstein passed away after a battle against cancer, her parents Ed and Sue didn’t want her death to be forgotten.  They thus established the Valerie Fund, back in 1976, in her memory.  The fund’s aim is to “provide support for the comprehensive health care of children with cancer and blood disorders.”

Thirty-five years after its founding, there are today, seven Valerie Fund Children’s Centers for Cancer and Blood Disorders located in tri-state hospitals which offer comprehensive health care to over five thousand children and their families every single year.  This makes up the biggest network of healthcare facilities for children with cancer and blood disorders throughout New Jersey, making it one of the largest in the country, with more than 25,000 patient visits annually.

The Valerie Fund seeks to treat the “whole patient” and the “whole family.”  This means that it focuses not just on the physical needs of the individual, but also their emotional needs.  And since cancer impacts the entire family as well, the Valerie Fund notes that and provides support and counseling for siblings and parents as well.

ThanksUSA Helps Military Families

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ThanksUSA evolved in quite an interesting way.  Two sisters, Rachel and Kelsi, were on a family vacation in August 2005 when they got the idea to help families of military troops.  While participating in a treasure hunt, they were inspired to think of creating some type of a treasure hunt program for soldiers.  ThanksUSA is short for “Treasure Hunt Aiding Needs of Kids and Spouses of those serving the United States of America.”

ThanksUSA is a non-partisan, charitable organization that mobilizes Americans to thank those in the armed forces.  They have two interconnected programs.  They have a national treasure hunt that raises awareness and funds for scholarship programs.  They use the money raised to provide need-based college, technical and vocational school scholarships for children and spouses of those who are serving.

This year, the 2011 Stephen Curry ThanksUSA Charity Golf Tournament will focus on ThanksUSA and benefit the organization.  Participants will include NBA star Stephen Curry and other sports and entertainment VIPs, local community leaders, military people and more.  The event will take place on September 26, 2011 at the Presidio Golf Club in San Francisco, California.

AmeriCaresHelps Disaster Victims Around The World

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AmeriCares is a disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization which gives immediate response to emergency medical needs. It also supports long-term health care projects for people in the United States and around the world.

One of the projects AmeriCares has been focusing on is  helping victims and refugees from the Darfur conflict. After the expulsion of aid organizations from Darfur, Sudan in March 2009, a massive group of refugees fled for safety to the neighboring country Chad. Families searched everywhere for water and food. They had no medical supplies or care.

In response to this continuing humanitarian crisis, AmeriCares continues its long-standing commitment to Darfur refugees and continues to deliver emergency aid valued at $800,000 per airlift. Americares’ supplies hospitals and clinics serving Darfur refugees in Chad desperately needed medical supplies.

The airlifts contain lifesaving medical supplies, including antibiotics and medicines to treat wide spread post-traumatic stress and depression. Sea shipments follow the airlifts. It supplies humanitarian relief and first aid items, such as blankets, bandages and ointment to treat wounds.

The supplies help care workers on the ground to provide immunizations, doctor’s visits, maternity care, children’s health services and emergency surgeries for victims of violence. Over 65,000 patients were helped in the last quarter of 2009.

After years of turmoil and war, refugees continue to suffer. During the last 3 months in 2009, nearly 100 babies were born in the Guereda Hospital which helps refugees in Chad. AmeriCares’ regularly sends prenatal vitamins to both Sudan and Chad to help moms-to-be and their unborn children. These airlifts contain approximately $150,000 worth of the critical vitamins to help improve the mothers’ and babies’ health.

Since 2004, AmeriCares has sent medicines, supplies and equipment to Darfur, Sudan and neighboring Chad. AmeriCares has undertaken 11 airlifts to Darfur, delivering over 175 tons of help valued at more than $6 million. By the end of 2009, AmeriCares had delivered seven shipments to Chad. These included over 50 tons of supplies and medicines valued at more than $4.4 million. The shipments of help bring AmeriCares’ total medical support for Darfur refugees to over $11.2 million.

Enterprise Community Partners

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Enterprise Community Partners assists in building and/or repairing affordable housing for low income families. They work to assist communities or to build new communities so that families can have the security and peace of mind. All of the units that they build are green, making sure to use water and electricity effectively and the additional costs of green construction are made up in cost savings in future years.

An example of Enterprise Community Partners in action followed the three hurricanes that swept the gulf coast. The levees along the coast line gave way and many homes along the shore were destroyed. These were mainly low income families’ homes. The main possession of these people was their homes. People had lived there for generations in these houses and now entire communities were destroyed.

Enterprise Community Partners (ECP) came in with four pronged strategy to save the situation.

First, ECP worked with all levels of government to support polices that would help recovery and would make building a priority.

Second, they formed partnerships to strengthen local organizations to help in the immediate recovery work and to steer ongoing building activities.

Third, ECP designed innovative housing designs and construction methods that would be appropriate for that region.

Fourth, ECP gave and raised capital for ongoing construction work that would be sustained after the initial emergency relief ended.  They committed to give up to 200 million dollars to repair and build up to 10,000 homes.

So far, ECP has invested $135 million and has repaired or built over 5,000 homes.

Enterprise Community Partners (ECP) helps in the following ten locations: Atlanta, Baltimore, Dallas, the Gulf Coast, Los Angeles, New York, Northern California, Ohio, The Pacific Northwest, and Washington D.C.

Thanks to ECP, many low income families have the peace of mind of living in decent homes.

American Library Association: Sponsors Banned Books Week

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The American Library Association (ALA) sponsored the banned books week; which protects the freedom to read and viability of the First amendment.

Banning Books week draws the public’s attention to book bannings across America by various types of organizations. Held at the end of September, banned books week emphasizes the importance of free access to information and underscores the harm of censorship by informing about attempted and actual book bannings throughout the United States.

Banned Books week is based on the preservation of intellectual freedom, even if the ideas and content are unorthodox or unpopular.  Many of the books are considered literature, such as To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee and Catcher in the Rye, by J.D. Salinger. These books and others were condemned for a variety of reasons such as drugs, homosexuality, nudity, offensive language, sexually explicit, suicide, and unsuited to the age group involved.

The Issue of freedom of speech, however, demands that we allow all books to be available because no one decide for others what they should not read.

The Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) is an organization with close ties to the American Library Association.  The Freedom to Read Foundation performs the legal work required to fight book bannings in the courts and to protect our freedom of speech right and our freedom to information.

Childfund: Helping Children Right Now

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Childfund is dedicated to helping children around the world. One great childfund program involves giving farm animals to needy families. For example, they give chickens, ducks, turkeys, goats, pigs or cows to needy families. These animals provide two benefits. First, the family can eat the eggs or drink the nutritious milk from these animals and so escape the ever present hunger and malnutrition in their lives. In addition, the animals multiply and can be sold for food or eaten, thereby helping the family support itself. Cows help with farming. By making the families self sufficient, the children don’t have to work all day and can spend some time in school, to make a better future for themselves and their children.

Childfund International helps children in the United States and in 31 other countries. Their programs in the U.S. reach some of the poorest counties in Mississippi, North and South Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas.

Their work is focused on improving the lives of deprived, excluded and vulnerable children. They believe that improving children’s well-being creates a better world for everyone. Childfund works to empower children to thrive throughout all stages of their lives and to become leaders of ongoing change.  Currently ChildFund International helps more than 15.2 million children and their families to break the cycle of poverty and to become healthy and productive citizens