Message from the president

This message was sent to me from Dan Shoemaker and is a solution to the drinking water problems that face Haiti and many other third world countries.

Dear SCP Coordinators,

An opportunity has arisen that I want to share with you.  Many of you have shared your concern for your Haitian brothers and sisters and the situation with their drinking water.  They often drink water that has not been purified thus causing them to have various gastrointestinal diseases, etc. that impact their life and the lives of their children.  This is the main cause of deaths in children in Haiti.

I have sought a good solution for many years.  This past year I have been in touch with a company that produces a product they call LifeStraws.  They have several products but what has most interested me is a product called the Family Life Straw.  It is a simple apparatus that filters water, enough for family use.   It looks very easy to use and filters a lot of water pretty quickly.

This is a product that I would like to try with our Sister Churches.  I feel this is quite possibly the answer I have been looking for to offer as the way to provide safe drinking water for our brethren there in Haiti. 

Here is the website address:  http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/lifestraw-f-claims.htm     Please look at this as soon as possible. 

PROBLEM:   We have to purchase them in units of 500.  The cost to order them is $25.00 each.  This does NOT include customs, delivery, etc.  I am estimating the actual cost will be around $35 each.

I would like to have 4 churches commit to 100 units each. I do have one church already that has committed to 100 units.  This would cost $3500 or $35 each unit.    They are shipped to Haiti, then we have to pay to get them out of customs (not sure what that will cost) and then deliver them with some training to the churches.  At this point I don’t think it will cost more than this per unit.  Since this will be the first time we have done this, some of the costs are unknown.   

WOULD YOU COMMITT TO 100 UNITS FOR YOUR CHURCH? The first 4 churches to commit, get them!   I want to place an order this month if possible.  Please let me know if this would be possible for you.  Email me or call me on my cell at 239-222-9793.  Thanks.

Building Forever Relationships together,

Dan Shoemaker