Interesting Article About Haiti

Wanted to share some interesting historical background on Haiti as well as the author's opinion on how to best make a difference. If you click on the article, it enlarges so you can read it. (Author's note: I wanted to share this with you earlier, but it got buried in a stack on my desk!)

Penny Blessings brings wheelchairs to Haiti

Recently, several individuals and organizations have requested our popular Penny Blessings coffee can labels to help raise money for Haiti. Some have even asked that we make a custom one specifically for our Wheelchair Promise Program. We were happy to oblige!

The Red Thread has been doing this for simple program for years. It is a fun way to get the whole family involved in fundraising. If you haven't heard of Penny Blessings, the concept is simple:

• Place an empty coffee can at home, work, church, or wherever you can.
• Collect pennies and other loose change.
• When the can is full, cash in the change and send a check to The Red Thread Promise.

This is a blessing that you, your family and friends can be a part of and is great fun for kids of all ages. It is amazing how much it adds up! Kids can get involved by counting the money and rolling the coins. Or, if time is tight, they can dump the can into the coin sorter at your local grocery or other store.

Here's what some people have said about the program:

“At first it seemed too small to matter—to impact anything—much less a child’s chance at a changed life. But we put a coffee can on the floor of the car and another can on the dresser. With the economy being so uncertain, we try to pay for everything with cash. Any change we get back from a purchase (gum, coffee at Starbuck’s, bananas) we toss in the Penny Blessing cans. In Hawaii, where we have no city or county recycling, we take our trash, plastics, aluminum and newspapers to be recycled. Any returned dollars go in the cans as well. At the end of each month, we roll coins, make a deposit and write TRTP a check. On a monthly basis, it has ranged between $20 - $60...surprisingly so, it just adds up! And we don’t miss a penny of it… it’s extra and easy to toss in the cans. We are making a difference.” ~ Kevin and Victoria (Kamuela, Hawaii)

"Our elementary school is in it's second year collecting change for The Red Thread Promise. The children are so enthusiastic about the Penny Blessings project. Knowing that they are helping other children who are in need creates a sense of caring about others, especially on a global level." ~ Susan (Middletown, Ohio)

If you would like one of our coffee can labels, please send an email to kathy@redthreadpromise.org. You can specify generic or wheelchair. Happy coin collecting and thank you for your support.

First Wheelchair Donations

St. Paul's Episcopal Church-Lakeview in New Orleans voted to support the Wheelchair Promise Program this past Sunday. ECW (Episcopal Church Women) have already donated $650 which will allow us to purchase our first 2 wheelchairs and 2 repair kits! Upon the receipt of funding for an entire container of 95 wheelchairs, it will be shipped to Mountain Top Ministries for distribution.

St. Paul's Haiti relief task force meets this weekend with members of St. Paul's, The Red Thread Promise and the greater community to strategize on how best to make a difference to the people of Haiti. The ECW group will be introducing the wheelchair program to other ECW groups, Episcopal schools, community groups and those that might want to team with TRTP and St. Paul's. We are so grateful for their support!

We'd love to hear the creative ways people are putting their compassion in action. If your church, school, family, group is doing something to support The Red Thread Promise, please contact Kathy with your story.

kathy@redthreadpromise.org

Haiti trip

You may have noticed that the posts this week are still coming from the US. Our trip to Gramothe, Haiti, was originally planned for January 30 - February 5 to complete our second week of the ESL program. However, due to the unrest in Haiti following the earthquake, our hosts at Mountain Top Ministries (MTM) requested that we wait a few more weeks before visiting.

In the words of Willem and Beth: At this time, Haiti is far too volatile and MTM cannot guarantee provisions nor security for our groups [visitors]. WE STILL NEED YOU! Please, we ask that you stand ready to come and that you would stand with us in prayer to make wise decisions about Mountain Top Ministries teams that travel to Haiti.

In a short while, all of the aid will leave Haiti, but the people will continue to desperately need your care and assistance. There will still be much work to do.

• Please, do what you can where you are at to keep people praying for Haiti and giving toward the purchase of medical supplies, food and building materials. Encourage Red Thread supporters to do the same. MTM is totally engaged in relief aid at this time. Again, we must all be busy doing what we can, where we are.
• Please, pray, pray, pray and pray some more for this little country. We are confident that God is in control. We can never encompass the scope of His plan, but we trust that He has one and we will continue to be obedient to what He has called us to do.

Thank you for your faithfulness to this ministry, we can't do it without you. We deeply appreciate your friendship as well as your partnership for the glory of God in Haiti.

And that's just what The Red Thread Promise has been doing: praying, coordinating Christopher's care, helping to identify potential adoptive families for Rivers of Hope's orphans, collecting much needed supplies that we will hand carry in suitcases when we travel to Haiti, and (of course) raising money to send to MTM and ROH. We have already sent over $6,000 to Willem, Beth and Rachoul so they can purchase the supplies they need for Mountain Top Ministries and Rivers of Hope orphanage. And the donations keep coming.

Please take heed to Willem and Beth's request and continue to support Haiti through your prayers and donations to The Red Thread Promise. Our plan prior to the earthquake was to create a long-term relationship with the country of Haiti. This plan has not changed. Our support of the Haitian people will not wane with time, when the earthquake is no longer a top news story. Rest assured, we will be there, on the ground, working with the orphans, providing medical care and teaching English for many years to come.

Wheelchair Promise Program

The Red Thread Promise is coming to the aid of those who have been immobilized by the loss of a limb from the earthquake by bringing all terrain wheelchairs to Haiti.

According to CNN, "Haiti's earthquake is creating 'a generation of amputees,' something that will pose a challenge for Haitian society for years to come... The number of amputees created by the disaster is hard to measure, but Handicap International estimates it is at least 2,000 and growing. Dr. Mitra Roses of the Pan American Healthy Organization said some hospitals were performing between 30 and 100 amputations a day after the earthquake... Amputations in Haiti are especially difficult for patients because so many people get around on foot or by bicycle. Sidewalks and roads are poor and wheelchairs, crutches and canes are few." (photo above is from CNN) Read more.

There is a major need for wheelchairs in Port au Prince and surrounding areas due to the rapid increase in amputees, especially in the mountainous areas. While beautiful, the mountains are a constant obstacle to impoverished children, adults and seniors attempting to maneuver through the rough terrain. All terrain wheelchairs can provide a life changing experience for these people. A bit about the chairs:

• Rugged all-purpose manually powered vehicle
• Suitable for a wide range of use; from hospitals to city streets to off-road terrain
• Heavy duty construction ideal for passage over rocks, potholes, bomb craters and steep ascents and descents characteristic of the road and path ways where it is most critically needed
• Easily disassembled and re-assembled for ease of transportation as well as repair
• Common bicycle wheels and other readily available parts are used as replacements
• Replaceable cushion reduces or eliminates body sores

It is our goal to send an entire 20 ft container of wheelchairs to Mountain Top Ministries (MTM). MTM has a well-equipped workshop at their facility and is eager to provide their expertise by training Haitians how to assemble and completely maintain the wheelchairs.

In order to meet this lofty goal, we need your support.

Each chair costs $250 for an adult or a child. Optional features include:

• Hand brake mounted on armrest: $25.00
• Speed governor set at 15 MPH: $35.00
• Lumbar profile accessory: $30.00
• Repair kit: $75.00
• 3-Year maintenance program: $225

Please consider donating to The Red Thread Promise to make this goal a reality for the disabled people of Haiti. Our mailing address, Global Giving and PayPal buttons are on the right in the sidebar. Mark your donation with "wheelchair" in the subject line.

ORPHAN UPDATE - Christopher

We are so grateful to all of you who have reached out to us to see how you can help the children of Rivers of Hope orphanage following the earthquake. Your support in prayers, email and donations has been astounding. It is amazing to see how a tragedy can really bring people together and bring out our own compassionate spirits. The silken red thread of destiny is indeed visible again.

At this time, we are particularly concerned about Christopher, the adorable two-year-old with sickle-cell disease. Previously, when Christopher would suffer a sickle-cell attack, the orphanage staff would take him to the hospital for emergency treatments. For obvious reasons, this isn't an option right now.

In late December / early January, we were working out the details with Tulane Hospital to bring Christopher to meet with sickle-cell specialists in New Orleans. The specialists have graciously agreed to access Christopher and prepare a more sustainable and preventative treatment plan, addressing his ongoing medical needs. In the midst of the planning process, the earthquake hit. If Christopher's treatment plan in his native country was difficult to accomplish prior to the earthquake, it is much more complex now, causing The Red Thread Promise to accelerate our plans to bring him to the United States.

In order to bring him to New Orleans, Rachoul, Rivers of Hope director, is working tirelessly to get Christopher a visa so we can expedite his trip. Thankfully she managed to secure his passport on January 29, 2010. Stateside, our mountain of paperwork is moving along as quickly as possible. One of the many things we have to do is prove to the Haitian government that we have been in contact with and worked with Christopher prior to the quake.

Please check in for more details in the coming weeks. In the meantime, if you want to make a real difference in the life of one needy Haitian orphan, please consider donating to help cover Christopher's expenses. Tulane has put together an incredibly generous package for his treatment, but we still need your help to cover travel and other expenses.

How Sweet is That?

For those of you who didn't grow up in Pennsylvania, you may not have heard of Wolfgang Candy. However, if you are from the York area (which is my old stomping ground), Wolfgang is a household name. They have been making fantastic sweets since 1921.

Wolfgang has been supporting The Red Thread Promise for years. Through a special program, Wolfgang donates 50% of all orders placed on their website that use TRTP's account during the checkout process. It is a fantastic way to earn money for your favorite charity while doing something nice for your Sweetie.

Simply point, click and purchase:

1. Visit www.wolfgangcandy.com and click on Wolfgang’s on-line SweetShoppe.
2. Order any of Wolfgang’s legendary chocolates.
3. Use our account (REDTHREAD) when prompted.
4. 50% of the purchase price will go to The Red Thread Promise!
5. Orders will be shipped directly to your door.

They have even made a special gift basket called Wolfgang's Red Thread Gift Basket, full of delectables that will make everyone smile.

Think about gifts for your family and clients or just treat yourself! And know that you are making a difference with every sweet bite.

(Author's note: Wolfgang's peanut butter marshmallows might quite possibly be the tastiest things on the planet!)