cookiesinheaven

Direct Relief International is responding to a 7.0-magnitude earthquake and its aftershocks that struck Haiti today. The earthquake, centered off Port-au-Prince, destroyed a hospital in Petionville and damaged other buildings; the number of injured is expected to be high. Emergency aid is being offered to all our partners in Haiti to support their response to the quake. Two shipping containers, a 40-foot and a 20-foot container of ongoing medical material aid, arrived in Port-au-Prince today destined for St. Damien Children's Hospital; it includes emergency aid as well.

....Founded in 1948, Direct Relief is a Santa Barbara, California-based nonprofit organization focused on improving quality of life by bringing critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. Direct Relief has provided more than $1 billion in privately funded humanitarian aid since 2000, including more than $150 million in assistance in the United States. It is one of two charities ranked by Forbes that received a perfect fundraising efficiency score for seven consecutive years and is ranked by the Chronicle of Philanthropy as California's largest international nonprofit organization based on private support. - Reuters

"Port-au-Prince is devastated, lot of deaths. SOS. SOS...," wrote Dr. Louise Ivers from Port-au-Prince, in an e-mail to the group's offices in Boston, Massachusetts. The clinical director of Partners In Health, which operates nine hospitals and health centers for poor people in Haiti, added: "Temporary field hospital ... needs supplies, pain meds, bandages. Please help us." - CNN

Organic Soup Kitchen of Santa Barbara, California served 1,000 people at its first annual Christmas Breakfast & Dinner, held at the Veterans Memorial Building on
Friday from 8am to 5pm.“Support for the event was truly a communitywide effort,” said founder Anthony Carroccio on Friday.

“I am honored and grateful to all of our volunteers, and the support we received from several public officials who graciously volunteered their time.” These officials included Congresswoman Lois Capps, Second District Supervisor Janet Wolf, Councilmember Grant House, Councilmember and State Assembly Candidate Das Williams, Santa Barbara County Planning Commission Chair and State Assembly Candidate Susan Jordan, and Carpinteria councilmember Kathleen Reddington. Organic Soup Kitchen also received the support of 180 volunteers from Santa Barbara and surrounding areas, and local businesses such as Lazy Acres and Whole Foods Market.

From 8:00am until 5:00pm, a steady stream of guests arrived to enjoy a hot, healthy meal. Breakfast included hot coffee, tea, eggs, bagels & assorted breads, and fruit. Dinner included roast beef, turkey, potatoes, green beans, corn, and various wholesome pies and cakes for dessert. Santa Claus handed out candy canes and welcomed both children and adults to hear holiday wishes and take photos. Beside him sat a brightly lit Christmas tree with gifts for everyone, including clothing and hygiene packs. Live music during the dinner session invited everyone to sing along, dance, or even get up onstage and perform. Santa Barbara has thousands of homeless individuals, as the downturn in the economy has forced many, particularly women and children, out of their homes and onto the streets.

A growing number of working poor are also forced to live in cars, trucks, or campers.

Organic Soup Kitchen, a non-profit organization that operates on 100% donations, hopes to develop a mobile organic food delivery service in addition to the Veterans Memorial Building it currently occupies.

Soup Kitchen is the brainchild of Anthony Carroccio, a businessman with a dream of serving organic, healthy food to help prevent nutritional deficiencies in homeless individuals.

http://www.organicsoupkitchen.org/

Labels: Donating, Organic, Soup Kitchen