Six Weeks Later….Rebuilding Haiti Will Continue for Years to Come

Demonstrating Compassionate Action to Haiti’s Earthquake Victims

Thank you so much for your love and concern for the poor of Haiti.  We still don’t have much to report on the earthquake – communication is difficult because of phones aren’t working.  I’ve been in touch with Bette and Sister Maryann, who are safe.  The Clinic also appears fine.  Jeremie is about 100 miles from the epicenter of the earthquake – however, they DID feel it – the ground shook for about 20 seconds and there were aftershocks throughout the night.

Reports are still coming in – but we do know that buildings have been reported as damaged or destroyed, and it’s certain that the rickety housing of the poor has suffered – flimsy even in good weather -  however, we are just praying that there are no injuries or deaths.

We are trying to contact all of our staff and volunteers in Haiti – some of whom are in Port au Prince.  Nearly all have relatives and friends in Port au Prince, so they are all very worried.    I hope to be able to have some more news soon – please know that I have relayed the absolute love and concern that has been pouring out by email… We will we assessing injuries and damage, but it will take a while – we care for 225,000 people in 100 rural villages – some as far away as 18 hours by foot.

Communication is very difficult to the most rural areas.  We do ask for your continued support – if you would like to help, any donations towards our Earthquake Emergency Fund would be appreciated.  As I said, we are still assessing the problems, but we will be sure that your gifts go towards the most needy.  Thank you again,

Marilyn Lowney Haitian HealthFoundation

Here are some ways you can help:

Donate to CARE

This organization has extensive experience responding to disasters of this magnitude. Many of CARE’s staff in Haiti include emergency personnel who were part of the response to the devastating Hurricane Hanna in 2008. CARE began working in Haiti in 1954 to provide relief assistance after Hurricane Hazel. Today CARE’s work in Haiti includes projects in HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, maternal and child health, education, food security, and water and sanitation. CARE’s Haiti Emergency Response Fund will help address the immediate needs of the survivors of this unprecedented disaster.

Donate to the Haitian Health Foundation Earth Quake Fund (referenced in the letter above) .  This organization provides healthcare for the poor in rural Haiti.  HHF’s mission is to improve the health and well-being of the poor, the sick and the infirm of Jeremie, and to break the bonds of poverty, which tie so many Haitians to a life of great deprivation.

Donate to UNICEF’s Haitian relief effort

Donate to the Red Cross by going to their site or Text “HAITI” to “90999″ to donate $10 to the Red Cross (easy and fast).

I imagine as the days pass- there will be more to share; but please do whatever you can and remind your friends to help as well.

Please Remember and Stand By Our Veterans Today

If you are like me- you watch the news each evening and listen to the latest horrible news and absorb the images and sounds that are coming from the 2 overseas wars we are engaged in occurring in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It  does not feel right  for me to dismiss this conflict by turning off the TV or tossing away the newspaper articles from the comfort of my living room thousands of miles away.  I feel like paying attention is the very least that I can do- and to acknowledge what is happening.

The most difficult part is always watching the pictures of the promising young men and women who were killed while serving.  What gets me each time is looking at their ages- many of them not even old enough to purchase beer have made that ultimate sacrifice. And just this week- a horrible attack on our servicemen and women here on our very own soil in Fort Hood, Texas.   I have to believe this attack will really bring the deep psychological damage that is done to these men and women to the spotlight once again.

I choose to observe Veterans Day by asking readers to take a moment today and honor the tremendous sacrifices that our service men and women are making.  This is not a question of politics or whether you support the wars or not, it is about reaching out and making a connection to those who need loving support and gratitude more than ever.

Feed Your Eco is participating in the Bloggers Unite event, Who Will Stand to help raise awareness and support for various nonprofit organizations that support  U.S. Veterans that have returned from service with physical and/or psychological scars.

These nonprofit organizations were all included in the independent documentary, Who Will Stand:
The Soldier’s Project
Defending Freedom
Canines for Combat Wounded
Blue Star Mothers
Wounded Warrior Project

Organic Bug Joins with Piggy Paint to Support the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life

OrganicBug.com, an online retailer offering sustainable products that promote healthy lifestyles, announced today that it would take part in the fight against breast cancer by supporting the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, a 24 hour life-changing event that gives local communities a chance to celebrate the lives of people who have battled cancer, remember loved ones lost and fight back against the disease.

Inspired by the efforts of one of its favorite companies, Piggy Paint, Organic Bug will be donating 10 percent of its sales of Piggy Paint’s Fight Breast Cancer Gift Set to the local Relay for Life event that will happen in April of 2010 in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.

Organic Bug is proud to offer Piggy Paint’s Fight Breast Cancer Gift Set, which contains two bottles of polish that arrive sweetly placed among a nest of pink shredded paper in a pink frosted TO GO box. Piggy Paint Kid-Friendly Nail Polish is the safest nail polish available for children and adults. It is specially formulated using natural ingredients and dries to a hard, durable finish. Piggy Paint polishes have no harsh, smelly, toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, biphenyl A, ethyl acetate or acetone. It’s as ‘natural as mud’ in the sense that every ingredient is biodegradable with no residues left behind to harm the environment.

Piggy Paint already donates a portion of every purchase of the gift set directly to Susan G. Komen for the Cure in addition to donating a bottle of nail polish to a woman currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer. Organic Bug has now sweetened the deal for its customers by adding a free bottle of nail polish remover and offering free shipping for each purchase of a gift set.

“Breast cancer is one of the most common cancers affecting women today,” said Peggy English, co-founder of Organic Bug. “We were inspired by the actions of Piggy Paint and are happy to add our own contribution to supporting breast cancer survivors and the fight for a cure.”

Consumers interested in purchasing the Piggy Paint Fight Breast Cancer Gift Set are invited to learn more about the product on the home page of OrganicBug.com.

About Organic Bug

Organic Bug was born to nurture the relationship we all have with the Earth, each other and our own inner beings. The spirit of Organic Bug is to build a successful business with a focus on the environment, social justice, personal development and sustainable living. OrganicBug.com is a destination where consumers discover a diverse assortment of goods produced to create a positive and lasting effect.

Media Contact:

Crystal Vilkaitis

media@organicbug.com

International Day of Peace Observed Throughout the World Today

Did you know that the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution in 2001 declaring September 21 of each year as the International Day of Peace?  Their mission:

To encourage the observation of a worldwide, grassroots 24-hour vigil for peace and nonviolence on the International Day of Peace, 21 September, in every house of worship and place of spiritual practice, by all religious and spiritually based groups and individuals, and by all men, women and children who seek peace in the world.

Here are a few exciting Peace Day initiatives!

Global Minute of Silence at Noon: Since its inception, the minute of silence has been the universal observance that allows all of humanity to participate on this special day.  An inspirational musical slide show is also available that will help inspire the global community.  Please invite your community to the minute of silence.

Peace Concert in Cuba: Colombian superstar Juanes will bring the “Peace Without Borders” concert to Havana’s Plaza de la Revolucion, joined by Spanish singer-songwriter Miguel Bose and Puerto Rican merengue artist Olga Tañon! Cubans such as singer-songwriter Silvio Rodriguez and salsa stars Los Van Van also are scheduled to perform.

“Million Minutes for Peace” Campaign Online and on Hallmark Channel
Odyssey Networks, the nation’s largest interfaith coalition of groups dedicated to building bridges of understanding through media, has created a multimedia campaign in support of the International Day of Peace, Sept 21.

The centerpiece of the campaign — “A Million Minutes for Peace” — is an online invitation to pause for one minute at noon on September 21 and pray for peace. Odyssey intends to collect a million pledges and to present a list of the signatories to the UN. Please take the pledge and inform people and organizations on your email list about the campaign. Encourage them to take the pledge at (www.odysseynetworks.org)—it requires only a few minutes.

How Will You Observe International Literacy Day?

I recently read these words by a fellow blogger,  “Literacy is a human right”, and I believe that to be true.  Some 774 million adults lack minimum literacy skills; one in five adults is still not literate and two-thirds of them are women; 72.1 million children are out-of-school and many more attend irregularly or drop out.

The International Reading Association recently the following literacy facts from various studies:

• The per capita income in countries with a literacy rate less than 55% averages about $600.
• Teaching mothers to read can lead to a decrease in infant mortality of up to 50%.
• 98% of all non-literates live in developing countries.

• American business currently spends more than $60 billion each year on employee training, much of that for remedial reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Annual health care costs in the U.S. are four times higher for individuals with low literacy skills than they are for individuals with high level literacy skills.
•  One-half of all adults in U.S. federal and state correctional institutions cannot read or write at all; 85% of juvenile offenders have reading problems.

From ProLiteracy Worldwide: Facts about Literacy, www.proliteracy.org

The importance of literacy to individuals, communities and societies is undeniable.  The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) proclaimed September 8 to be International Literacy Day and has been observed each year since 1967.  It is a day for the international community to reflect on the status of literacy and education opportunities globally and to promote learning.

On International Literacy Day, individuals, organizations, and countries throughout the world renew their efforts to promote literacy and demonstrate their commitment to providing education for all.   I encourage you to ask yourself what you can do to bring attention to this importance cause?

Make a donation to a local school or library, volunteer your time to teach adults and/or children how to read, visit the UNESCO Webpage to learn more about what they are doing to promote education in underserved and economically disadvantaged areas.

Take the time on September 8 to appreciate the opportunities you have been granted and how your education has impacted your life and the life of others.  Where would you be if you had not had the access to the teachers, the resources and the books that have enriched you and made you the person you are today?

How Plastic Pollution is Harming Our Oceans

I came across this alarming video recently that I wanted to share since this cause is very near and dear to our hearts.  Plastic pollution is one of the detrimental effects of global over-consumption. In June, World Oceans Day was observed and the Strategic Council on Plastic Pollution met for the first time to discuss this serious global threat. Many are not aware of how serious this problem has become- and unfortunately recycling alone is not enough to reverse the tragic effects.  It is important to be conscious of our disposable habits and work together to eliminate the mass consumption of throwaway plastics.  What can you do in your daily life to help?

Visit OCEAN REVOLUTION for more information.

Organic Bug Joins Bloggers Unite To Support Global Causes

Part of my reasoning for developing the Feed Your Eco blog is to stay true to the philosophy of Organic Bug- which is to promote a better world by supporting causes that are important to us such as social justice, personal development and sustainable living. This blog is an opportunity for us to help us share our ideals and connect with others who have similar goals.

I was thrilled to find, Bloggers Unite, a community that connects bloggers who want to use their voices to bring awareness on important global issues such as poverty, education, health, human rights and the environment. The community allows us to join or create an event that we are passionate about and gives us a vehicle to spread the word by encouraging other bloggers to add a badge promoting the cause to their blog and help spread the word. On the day of the event, bloggers write a blog post about the cause to spread awareness to others.

The idea came from Antony Berkman; CEO of BlogCatalog.com, a social network and blog directory. Here is a brief (and clever) animated clip that demonstrates the thought and reasoning behind developing this organization.

Be on the lookout for future posts that are inspired from these causes so we can use this blog as a platform to promote positive change in our world. Please get in touch with me via Facebook or Twitter to share your feedback!

Obama Administration Using Harlem Children’s Zone Project As Program Model

I accompanied my daughter, Jacquelyn, to New York City in May for her medical school interview at TouroCOM, which is located on West 125th Street in Harlem. Subsequently, she was accepted for admission and begins her studies this week!

Back to Harlem~I spent four or five hours the day of Jacquelyn’s interview attempting to read  and do some computer work at the Starbucks across the street from the college. And I wholeheartedly agree with a line on the Starbucks website that states, “There’s a lot going on inside at Starbucks.”

This particular day I ordered my Tall Capuccino and settled in at a table in the corner looking out the big picture window onto the street. People briskly walked by briefcase in hand obviously on the way to work or some important meeting. A couple of colorfully dressed characters spent the day with boom boxes perched on their shoulders weaving in and out of traffic dancing to the music. The police were called in, twice, to the Starbucks to evict drug addicts from the restroom.

I have to say with all that went on in those hours I felt like I had been transported to a movie set~it was all surreal to ME but normal in the lives of the people whose domain I had invaded. As I prepared to leave to meet Jacquelyn following her interview so we could be on our way to the airport, I felt so saddened. I felt like such a failure, I cried.

We use our business model at Organic Bug to promote positive change and we work really hard to help~help fight climate change, help people in developing countries, help to empower others through education and awareness. But, on this day, I did not feel empowered. It was a stark reminder of how much work there is to do in our own country, for our own people.

Then, this past weekend I read an uplifting article in the Washington Post by Staff Writer Robin Shulman. Geoffrey Canada knows first hand the vicious cycle of poverty that ensues when one is born into an underpriviledged set of circumstances in America and deprived of what the rest of us take for granted. He is from a poor, sometimes violent, neighborhood in the South Bronx.

Vowing to lift himself out of his presumed destiny, Geoffrey excelled academically, eventually earning a master’s degree in education from the Harvard School of Education. As an advocate for children and families in some of America’s most devastated communities, he has become nationally recognized through his work with Harlem Children’s Zone, an ambitious project targeting a specific geographic area in Central Harlem. The project starts at birth and follows children to college, combining educational, social and medical services, creating a safety net that is nearly impossible for children to slip through.

The Obama Administration is using this successful program model to launch its Promise Neighborhoods program in 20 cities across America and has set aside $10 million in the 2010 budget for planning. Read the full article…

Organic Living With Laura Klein

I have mentioned this before but we really love and appreciate Organic Authority.   The site is a valuable resource that contains a wealth of articles, tools, product reviews, recipes, tips, photos, video  to help people live a healthier lifestyle for themselves and for future generations.

The site belongs to Organic Living expert, Laura Klein who is also does a show called Better Living with Laura Klein.  The show is about green living, creating a healthy home and cooking with organic food. To show our support, we wanted to share her promo……hope you enjoy!

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