Kicking off new campaign in Liberia

Wayne State University is a campus up in Michigan, and home to a Rotary Rotaract Club youth group. For those who do not know Rotary and Rotaract, in a short sentence, they are service organizations like Kiwanis, Lions, etc, that do a lot of great humanitarian service projects for their communities and internationally. Victor Helb is a young man from Liberia who was attending school at Wayne State when we met. He told me about a vision to help the people of his country learn to read and write, because more than 90% of the citizens were either illiterate, or well below elementary school reading ability. He wanted to change all that. One man wanting to change an entire country...what a concept!

Well, after we kicked some ideas around I left Michigan but reconnected with Victor on a few occasions over the next couple of years when he would call for advice. This year things are moving into action. Victor's aunt is the President of Liberia, and now, following years of civil unrest, Liberia has come under the wing of US help; doors are now open for programs like Victor's Liberian Book Project (see: http://www.liberianliteracyfoundation.org/news.html). Just having doors open would not be enough as such projects to provide millions of books, schools supplies, computers, teachers, and even electricity (most of the country is without a large enough electrical grid that the majority of the people do without). Also such grandiose projects require volunteers (lots of them), and much money.

Victor is now back with a request to put everything into motion, but has made the road smoother with years of working US college campus Rotaract Clubs to gain support. Most of what is needed now is to raising money and find a way to ship goods to Liberia on the cheap. As the volunteer Development Director working with the National Guard State Partnership Program, it is ironic that Michigan is the state partner of Liberia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Partnership_Program), home of this project, and perhaps we can use that mechanism to provide transportation when the time comes. As to fundraising, we just opened our new consultancy to assist non-profit service organizations develop fundraising programs. Victor's timing couldn't have been better to seek help. With their sights set on 2000 US college campuses the project is sure to gain momentum.

If others would like to help give us a call at (630) 440-7912 or simply click on to the Liberian Book Project website above. All are welcome

57 years after the fact Pfc. Johnson recognized for bravery

The battle for Outpost Harry is but a paragraph in the annals of military history. Those who were there have never forgotten the heroic efforts that many displayed throughout the eight-day battle, and Donald Dingee would not let the military forget the efforts of Pfc. Johnson. It took 57 years before Brigadier General Jeffrey Phillips, 3rd Infantry Division deputy commanding general-rear, presented Pfc. Charlie Johnson, posthumously, with the Silver Star, the nation's third-highest medal for valor in combat. The Silver Star is awarded for gallantry in action against an enemy of the United States. See the full story: http://www.veteranstoday.com/2011/05/18/105199/

“Private First Class Charlie Johnson, a Browning automatic rifleman with the 15th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, was killed in action June 12, 1953, after an eight-day battle at Outpost Harry, in the Choran Valley during the Korean War. During the battle, Pfc. Johnson placed himself between his comrades and the enemy, creating the conditions for their successful rescue”. God bless Pfc. Johnson.

Mission Accomplished

A combined effort of the Partnership for the Americas and the National Guard Bureau of International Affairs State Partnership was finally completed with the issuing of a donation check from Best Buy. Best Buy was one of many corporate and community sponsors of The Big Leagues Camp held last July in Stevens Point, WI (see: www.thebigleaguescamp.org), to raise money to transport two donated fire trucks to the Mayport Navel Facility to be shipped to Nicaraugua aboard the HSV 2 Swift.

In coordinating the effort, Ed Mattson stated, "Despite the month-long rain, the program went off with the city's help. They provided the local indoor hockey rink where kids learned the basics of "the Game" from some of baseballs greatest stars. Programs like this can be arranged for other projects. All folks have to do is ask".

Establishing NEW PROJECT... Warrior2Citizen

The past few month I have been involved with Gen John Owings (Ret) and Col. Michael Roberts (Ret), developing a new pilot program with the state of Georgia, the National Guard, and veterans groups, to address the record number of post traumatic stress disorder cases (PTSD) in the warriors returning from duty in Iraq and Afganhistan...18 suicides/day, broken marriages, substance abuse...caused by 3-4-5-6 deployments into the war zone. This is unlike anything we've ever seen.

In Vietnam it was one deployment, R&R, and return home unless you volunteered for additional deployment; Granada, a one time deployment; Kosovo, Gulf I, one time deployment. This is different. Veterans know we cannot look the other way or abandon their family's hope that a warrior can make that successful transition back to being a normal civilian. It is not an easy transition to make without help. We will not let them down!

Starting 1 January 2011, you will hear more about our efforts which, following some initial grant monies from the State of Georgia and DOD, we will be in a fundraising mode which leads to sustainable funding so that we can provide the services these heros need. We will be filling the Internet with referrals back to our website (when completed), showing ways we can all help. We hope our email campaigns to veterans groups, and other organizations will not fall on deaf and blind citizens as we are all safe and our country stays strong because "They go when others won't...they do what others can't". God Bless America and Semper Fi!

New Ultrasound Units

December 9, 2010

The Pregnancy Resource Center of Northeastern Ohio, became the proud owner of a new Mindray Model DP 6600. Pro-Life Center Director, Jill Taylor, traveled with Ed up to Cleveland, OH to get a firsthand view of this new and compact ultrasound which weighs a remarkable 22 lbs. Priced exactly where it can do the most good and with its TWO-YEAR FACTORY WARRANTY, it will surely revolutionize the ultrasound services which can be provided at Pro-Life centers across the country which have always had to look toward "hand-me-downs" and refurbished units. Priced NEW AT LESS THAN $10,000, any center can now become far more effective in unplanned pregnancy counseling.

According to Jill Taylor, "This is one of the most remarkable systyems we've seen. With multiple centers in Northeastern Ohio, ultrasounds have become a big challenge, and even though we have purchased much larger and more expensive units in the past, the DP-6600, has, in some cases, almost identical capabilities at half the cost. And that 2-year warranty will save us $4000, which is the average annual warranty cost for other units". Jill goes on to say, "We are so glad we found Ed and his willingness to work with us with grant money and finding a better solution to our needs".

Visualize the Dream..... Do the Impossible...... Change the World

Relocated to Mooresville, NC (Charlotte area)

Irina

Cristofor

Relocating at any age can be challenging. Moving and relocating my family from the Republic of Moldova has been more than a challenge...more like pulling teeth without novocaine. Securing permanent legal status for my wife and youngest son was an expensive venture (doing it legally), which is why so many want to sneek across the border. It took more than five years and we still have our oldest son, Alex, and Mama to bring over.

We have made life-altering decisions to settle into the Charlotte area. I recently left The Humanitarian Network, which dates back to Rotary's World Community Service Resource Network founded by Past RI president, Cliff Dochterman, operating now as a consultant to source goods and services for international projects and disaster relief efforts, under the banner "Center-Point Consultants". We will be focusing on individual project consultation, fundraising development for major projects, source goods and services for those in need, and providing cutting edge cancer treatment information to healthcare practitioners and patients.

Reply from The Network

We are on top of this and we will have goods available for acquistion by noon today. Do we need to develop a fundraising program to pay for the product and get NGO's to help or are there funds currently available to acquire the units?

This AM we have a call scheduled for Project Handclasp over similar matters in a different State Partnership Program, but we will be discussing the next or even emergency shipping of goods to EUCOM countries. Additionally, with our strategic partner, Admiral Jeremiah Denton Foundation, we can probable airlift the equipment in very short order should you decide you want us to move forward. As we have a time difference of seven hours between the East Coast and Chisinau, please feel free to call us between 5AM-7PM EST today, once we send you details, or tomorrow.

NOTE: For those who don't know, Adm Jeremiah Denton Foundation is not the same as the Denton Foundation handled by USAID. The Denton Foundation split into two factions with the Jeremiah Denton Foundation becoming a strong supporter of The Humanitarian Network working with service clubs and faith-based groups. It is not "space available military transport", but uses regularly scheduled delivery flights.