HAITI RELIEF VIDEO ANNOUNCED!

"UPDATE"
$3,550 has been raised!
We couldn't be happier about the progress that has been made. Several individuals have chosen to stand alongside the people of Haiti in this particular endeavor. We are confident that this project will happen completely in the perfect timing. Now more than ever, these fellow human beings need our support. Special thanks to those who have chosen to contribute. To the rest of you, please be encouraged. No goal is too big for God. Please don't hesitate to make a difference. The sooner we raise the funds, the sooner we get to work! As of now, we are tentatively looking at the beginning of December for the journey. If there is any amount (big or small) that you can contribute, please do not hesitate. Time is running out.
***please read on for further updates (in red).

"In Recent History"
Haiti has been victim to the enormous tragedy left in the devastating wake of Hurricane Jeanne.

For a short while, immediately following the devastation, major news networks carried the story. By the time the disaster disappeared from the radar of our major news outlets, the numbers of dead and missing were still on the rise.

"Out of sight, out of mind"
You wouldn't know it now because no one is reporting it. As far as the USA is concerned, news about the Haitian tragedy is simply not newsworthy any longer. By now, some estimates report that over 3,000 lives have been lost in Haiti as a direct result of the hurricane or the disease left behind from debris, garbage, and decaying bodies.

That's more lives lost than the awful tragedy we suffered on September 11th, 2001.

"The inside track..."
According to our sources "...the U.N. rushed in to deliver fresh water and food to the victims (during the first week of flooding). Sadly, only 25,000 people received any supplies. The roads were nearly impassable, mob scenes threatened and gang robbery was rampant. Even the dead were not buried as there is simply not the infrastructure to handle such massive disaster. Consequently, infectious diseases could bring a second wave of tragedy."
***UPDATE - The fears of the UN forces seem to be coming true. The second wave of the tragedy is upon the people of Haiti. And while some progress has been made at restoration, mud... over 18 inches deep... still covers many of the streets of Gonaives. Most suspect that numerous bodies are still buried within the mud which literally blocks entrances to homes and makes traversing the streets in vehicles an impossibility in many spots.

"Rising to the challenge"
Fireside International is thrilled to rise to this challenge. While some humanitarian groups have pulled out of Haiti for the time being (due to safety concerns), others remain and are working hard to meet the day to day needs.

Suffice it to say, the needs are overwhelming and a depleted workforce makes that burden more difficult to bear.

"Doing unto others"
In an effort to assist in meeting the needs, Fireside International will be traveling to Haiti to document the severity of the needs and then report those needs back to the caring people of the United States. Essentially, we seek to be the "eyes" and "ears" on the ground and to give an account long after the news outlets have headed home.

"THE GOAL"
The goal is to create a current report, offer a means by which the viewer can assist, and then make that report available to churches, civic groups, web surfers, and more.

An initial run of 1,000 DVDs will be made (supplemented by more as needed) and will be made available free of charge to anyone who feels they can assist in generating support through the dissemination of the information.

In short, we hope to take the dollars that are donated to this initiative and grow them into substantially larger dollars that otherwise might not have been supplied (due to the lack of a real vision concerning the need).

"FUNDS NEEDED."
While Haiti always has plenty of needs, the timing by which we seek to create this piece is critical. To put it bluntly, the time is now.

The budget has been set at $4,700.
This amount includes everything needed, from traveling, to shooting and editing, to the manufacturing of the first 1,000 DVDs for dissemination.

Through simple newspaper exposure in a single readership populace (around Grand Rapids, MI), GLOW Ministries International managed to raise $50,000 toward their present disaster relief fund. It is our desire to at least TRIPLE this number through the broad dissemination of a piece such as this (through churches, civic groups, and the like). It will literally be a grass roots effort at presenting the need to the most caring among us.

Please Help
To make a TAX DEDUCTABLE DONATION to this project, please send your check or money order to:

ATTENTION: Haiti Relief
Morning Star Church
2867 N 200 E
Anderson, IN 46012-9614

or donate via Credit Card or Debit Card by clicking the "Make A Donation" button, above on our sidebar. If you do choose to donate via the postal service, please send us an E-mail us and tell us what we can expect to receive and when.

"The ball is in your court"
Literally, this project WILL NOT HAPPEN unless your dollars are received. Please search your heart or seek God's will in this matter.

On behalf of the suffering human beings who will directly benefit from your generosity, we say "thank you" and that we greatly appreciate your consideration in this matter.

May God truly bless whatever you can do.

In Christ's Service,
Luke and Adrian Renner