Community Blogs - The Love Alliance

Candice in Haiti

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:50:57 -0500

During the late afternoon of January 12th, 2010, the Haitians of Port-Au-Prince weren’t concerned with having rice and beans again. Friends weren’t making plans to hang out, or children whining because it was bath night. Instead, days afterwards people still hadn’t eaten a meal, finding family members was more important then hanging out with friends, and children were lucky to be alive. On that Tuesday afternoon, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake forever changed the lives of the Haitian people.

On January 12th, I woke up in the late morning, like usual. I’ve long forgotten the mundane details, which only adds to how ordinary the day was. My life consisted of wanting to be someplace else (usually hours away visiting friends), drinking too much iced coffee and teas, and being an activist for social justice. Note, a regular job and college classes weren’t mentioned. While the earthquake tugged some emotional-strings, I never thought it’d be possible for me to go and serve in Haiti. Though my life wasn’t changed on the date of the earthquake, serving in Haiti from March 23rd through April 6th, my life will never be the same.

There were no pictures, news articles, stories, or smells that could prepare me for what the next two weeks were going to hold. Most people forget that Haiti was already the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. So on top of poverty like I’ve never seen, there was destruction like that of a war zone. We flew into Port-Au-Prince, the capital of Haiti, which was just 16 miles from the epicenter of the devastating earthquake. Though chaos was widespread, with the aid of foreigners and the spirit of the Haitians, you could see the slow progress of bringing order back to the city.

After traveling on some treacherous roads and hearing more horns blown then in New York City we arrived in Saint-Marc, a town an hour and a half north of the capital. Though Saint-Marc was spared from major destruction, it is now the home of thousands of displaced Haitians from Port-Au-Prince. Youth With A Mission Haiti, (YWAM) the organization I was volunteering with was taking care of these tent cities that formed, along with continual aid to the residents of Saint-Marc. Over the next two weeks I saw things I had never seen before. I did things I never thought I’d do.

The first week, though doing different jobs each day, I worked mostly at a medical clinic. A building that years ago was an abortion clinic, then became the city toilet, but in February post-quake turned into a medical clinic. Our job, as many teams before us job was to continually organize medical supplies that were being donated. If supplies weren’t organized, the medical volunteers wouldn’t know what they had, which could result in not treating someone in the best and/or safest way possible. Let me tell you, organizing thousands of syringes and needles by size in 90 degree heat with high humidity and little air flow is not a cup of tea. Then again neither is painting shelves with a type of paint that could only be taken off with gasoline. Arriving back at the base for lunch and supper breaks was much needed. And at night a foam pad on a bunk bed surrounded by a mosquito net never sounded better.

It was difficult flying down to Haiti without knowing what to expect, I sub-consciously created an agenda in mind (to help earthquake victims). And though ultimately that’s what I was doing, I didn’t really see, or feel it at that time. (Days later this mindset was changed by a profound appreciation for the Haitians, as well as the Haitians appreciation for us, which included learning some of their language.)

The second week was more organizing, cleaning, unloading and distributing. On base, there was a relief depot, which held an abundant amount of pudding (donated from the States because of a mislabeled order) clothes, shoes, hygiene products, toys and more. Again, organizing that was a big need because it showed what they had, and ultimately when they knew they had enough to distribute to the community. Being around the Haitians who went to school at the YWAM base was a lot of fun, and working with them was just as awesome. Unloading trailers, though one of the hardest jobs (think assembly line throwing 10lb boxes of peroxide to each other) was made fun by working with the Haitians as they sang and danced to American rap songs.

There’s a saying the Haitians have that we saw come into effect: “The white man comes to make us fight.” And though distribution of food went smoothly (displaced people have an ID card they had to show to receive aid) there were a couple of boxes of clothes we were going to hand out. So they were handed to a trusted Haitian, but within seconds were taken out of his hands and thrown about the crowd. A riot formed, unlike any other I’ve seen. Fighting for clothes (which could be used to cloth their families, or sell for profit to provide for their family) seemed like they were fighting for their lives. Kids were trampled, dogs barked, but in the end as we were sitting in the back of the trailer saying goodbye, smiles, laughs and gratitude showed in the eyes of the Haitian people.

As much as eating rice and beans got old, I loved their rice. Showers though cold, never felt better after a long day of work. Our language barrier, between English and French/Creole made me slip into an Italian way of speaking and exaggerated expressions. Playing with kids who had lost everyone and everything was an experience I can’t yet put into words. Having days off to hike and swim at the beach was wonderful. I was able to adjust to the heat and the smell after only a few days. Adjusting to their culture and way of life though, I may never be able to adjust to - having free reign to whip children, or seeing people throwing rocks at each other over a simple accusation. Just as much as seeing people who have absolutely nothing left to live for, smile just because they are alive. The simplicity of everything, because of what I have and the country in which I live I don’t know if I’d ever be able to achieve.

As I continue to reflect on my Haiti outreach trip, I am able to see in my everyday life how blessed I am. Sure there are innumerable things to complain about in America, but if you are going to complain, take action to counteract your complaints. Though an English speaking twenty year old girl, who just organized, painted and distributed things, I was able to make a difference in Haiti. If you’re thinking, ‘that’s awesome, but I can’t go to Haiti,’ you don’t have to. I encourage you to take a look at your own community. Instead of seeing the things that you don’t like and finding fault in, do something to make it a better place. You can be the change you wish to see in the world; don’t let anyone or yourself tell you different.

Thanks for reading!
Candice
www.ywamhaiti.org

TLA Melbourne Children Helping Children

Thu, 11 Feb 2010 09:36:08 -0500

The students at No Limits Academy (a local school for physically disabled children ages 6 to 21, who are involved with the TLA Group) collected a box of 776 cards to send off to the St Jude's Ranch for Children fundraiser. If you want to buy a recycled card from the ranch some day here is the online store address. http://www.stjudesranch.org/store/ I looked around the store. They have cards organized by type. I was amazed to see that the 19 students at NLA doubled the "in stock" number of cards in the "general Christmas" category plus 1! I think this is so cool! We are a small group of people who did a big thing for others this week! The total number of cards is 776! A special thanks to the youth and members at MCC for your support and donations too!

Hugs and prayers of thanks,
Marjie Wolfe

PS the box of 776 cards weighs unofficially 15 pounds! I will let you know if it is more at the post office! haha!

The Love Alliance http://www.thelovealliance.net/
No Limits Academy. http://nolimitsacademy.com/
St Jude's card project. http://www.stjudesranch.org/help_card.php

Summer Tour Recap

Fri, 04 Sep 2009 10:23:35 -0500

Sometimes I think people doubt their ability to make a difference.

This summer was an eye-opener for many as more people became aware of the injustices going on around them. With that awareness birthed an activation to want to make a difference. After all, that is what The Love Alliance was created for.

One of the most exciting things to see at a festival is someone come up to the booth, unaware of the issues we represent, but leave with the desire to know and do more to counteract these injustices. We had the honor of talking with numerous people, some of whom didn’t even know what “social justice” was. Others who were more informed shared their hearts about certain issues and the ways they were contributing to make a difference in their community.

At Creation East in Pennsylvania, I got to talk to a man who was currently living in a homeless shelter. After a series of bad decisions and unfortunate events he finally found himself getting back on his feet. I watched him as he read our new “Remember the Homeless” information card, with such enthusiasm like someone looking for their name in a newspaper article. He couldn’t wait to bring the card, along with our other information cards back home to inform his friends about the issues The Love Alliance represents. It was humbling to see his excitement. Though he might not have much, he still has the ability to educate others and to make a difference.

This summer we had the privilege to hand out over 60,000 informational fliers like the ones that man took home. The fliers that have “Remember the (Poor, Homeless, Thirsty, Sick or Enslaved)” on the front also have statistics and a few ways to get involved with that particular issue on the back. It was neat to see what cards people picked up first. For each person an issue may speak louder than another. Though normally when one picked up their first card and skimmed the back, they wanted to read what the other cards had to say as well. We are also proud to announce over 10 new groups that have started since our Summer Tour. We now have over 50 groups in 4 different countries participating in our monthly action projects along with coming up with their own ways to get involved with their community. For more ways to get involved with The Love Alliance and the issues we represent visit our website: www.thelovealliance.net.

Something I’ve really taken home from this summer is the ability to make a difference. I opened this up with a bold statement, but a statement gained from people’s inaction. More and more I’m realizing there is a social justice trend in our generation. Most people think you need to send money to a foreign country or to purchase a shirt to make a difference (half the time not even knowing where your money is going). And though sending your money away and purchasing shirts aren’t a bad thing, there are numerous ways you can get involved in your own community to make a difference. Most of the monthly action projects we put in our newsletters a child, an elder and anyone in between can do. August’s action project was collecting school supplies for students who are unable to purchase the items their school requests they need. How is that making a difference? Ultimately you could help a student in your community stay in school and get the education they need, just by collecting simple school supplies for them. You can make that simple difference in their lives. See, it’s not that hard. Find out how you can be an asset to your community by volunteering and doing your part to make a difference.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

With much hope and excitement for the new season to come,

Candice
www.thelovealliance.net

Summer Tour Blog 2 Alive

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 17:30:48 -0500

Hey Everyone,

Brian Morgante here! Along with Candice, I am the other intern out on the road the first leg of this tour, and I couldn’t be happier to be working alongside David and Lauren and The Love Alliance this summer! We just wrapped up Alive Festival in Canton, Ohio, and just wanted to fill you in on some of our adventures. I wasn't able to make it out. But the rest of the tour team was able to visit Stump Hill Farms Animal Rescue in Massilon OH. They were able to play with baby tigers, bears etc. We posted some pictures from that on our Flickr. Be sure to check back soon for videos of that and many more tour videos.

For those of you who were present at the fest, the unpredictability of the weather left us all holding onto the edge of our seats, (or the corners of the tents) to see what was going to happen next! From super humid and beautiful days, to tornado warnings, mud pits and high winds, we had a little bit of everything! In the vendor tents we were having some flooding, but the great people at the Alive staff were able to get us cleaned up, moved out of harm’s way, and able to sell in a dry envir onment, haha.

Every day at the fest seemed to really bring a lot of different people to the table, some old friends and familiar faces from past festivals that we’ve been partnering with for some time now, as well as many new faces, ready and eager to learn about the basis of The Love Alliance, and even how they could get involved in their own area! We were proud to say we handed out over 7,000 of our information fliers to people ready to read, ready to learn, and ready to make a difference in their communities!

People were really interested in a lot of our designs and the products we had to offer, and even had me making custom v-necks right at the table as we were selling out of them! Seems like the DIY style was becoming popular by the end of the festival, and I’m sure we’ll be cutting many more by the end of the tour!

We are traveling with our good friends in Stand True. The founder of the organization, Bryan Kemper spoke one of the days, and was kind enough to rock one of our shirts, as well as let us hand out some of our “Remember the Enslaved” cards going along with their informational cards. Our friend Aaron Newberry from Sons Of God was playing guitar for Spoken, and wore one of our shirts during their rainy performance down on the beach stage, and we also made a new friend, little guy by the name of John Reuben! After his performance, he was Emcee-ing the main stage the entire last day of the fest, and also rocked a Love Alliance shirt on stage for us, thanks so much John!

All in all, the festival was a success! So many new friends, and we got a lot of pictures of people proudly wearing their new t-shirts that will be up on the website. If you’re coming out to any of the other festivals this summer, be sure to come back to the booth with your shirts on so we can take some pictures together and get them up on here for you to share with your friends!

We’re in Troy, OH now at the Stand True headquarters for a few days until Creation Festival begins out in PA. We may be sweaty, exhausted, and still a little mud-caked from Alive, but we’re excited for what’s in store for the rest of the summer! See you all soon, and more updates on the way!

- Brian

www.thelovealliance.net

To view photos from our summer tour visit our Flickr page. To stay up to date on our summer tour check back here frequently and add us on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

Summer Tour Blog 1 Ichthus Adventures

Thu, 18 Jun 2009 23:09:08 -0500

[Note: This was written at 3 a.m.] After packing the Explorer Lauren and I hit the highway for Wilmore, KY with a stop in North Carolina for the night. After many hours, some insane storms, and beautiful landscapes we arrived at Ichthus festival in one piece.

Our hopes of setting up our booth the night before the festival were crushed due to tent evacuations and thunderstorm warnings. We were prepared to get up early and have a great first festival day the following morning. But we didn’t get to load in until 24 hours after we were supposed to of have. We ended up spending the day looking for rain boots, and what a great day it was.

After the vending tent actually kicked off, it was a great festival. Along with Kentucky being a beautiful place, the people were so sweet. We handed out a ton of fliers, and made a lot of new friends. There were a few people who are really interested in starting a group in their local community. It’s so encouraging to see others get a hold of these injustices and desperately want to do something about them. I am looking forward to hearing about the groups from Ichthus festival and all that they will be doing to be a part of their communities. And to see them do their part in changing the world.

If you had the chance to be a part of Ichthus Festival, good for you. I sure hope you stopped by the booth and said hello. From accents to rain boots, to learning how to say the festival name and all the crazy things in between Ic hthus was a great time. If you didn’t get a chance to stop by our booth in KY make sure you catch us at a festival near (or not so near) you. We will be at Alive Festival in Ohio for this week, then Creation, Cornerstone, Lifest and so on (check our events calendar for all of the dates). It would make our day if you came out and said hello. Thanks so much for your support.

Take care,

Candice
www.thelovealliance.net

p.s. Krissee Danger wasn't able to make it on tour. But we are super excited that Brian Morgante will be coming out on the road with us!

To view photos from our summer tour visit our Flickr page. To stay up to date on our summer tour check back here frequently and add us on Facebook, Myspace and Twitter.

"Mission" John

Wed, 11 Mar 2009 12:31:26 -0500

This particular mission unknowingly started on Feb. 14 (Valentines Day) at First Pres. downtown. The second Saturday of every month members of First Pres. set up tables and hand out soup and sandwiches to the homeless. Everyone came through the line with the happy valentines greeting. I noticed a gentlemen sitting to himself eating his soup. He seemed to be more down and out than the others around him. I made my way over to him and introduced myself. We had small talk about the weather and how good the soup was that day. I finally asked him where he had been staying. In his well educated demeanor he stated that he had been at the Salvation Army for 3 months and that this would be his last night of eligibility at the shelter. You get up to 3 months a year John told me, so tomorrow night he would be sleeping on the streets. He nearly broke down as told me he feared for his life in abandoned buildings not knowing who would try to beat him up or rob him. Before he left, I gave him my number and told John to check in with me during the week.

The mission was was clear, give hope to the homeless. Get John a job and off the streets as quickly as possible.

During the week I met a lady named Patty and explained John and his situation to her. She graciously set up an appointment for him to interview for a warehouse inventory position at her place of employment. After hearing this news John had a glimmer of hope.

The day finally came and John had on the dress pants that he received at the lunch the day I met him. So I drove John to the interview feeling very hopeful and anxious. After 20-30 minutes he came out to the truck looking kind of disappointed. He explained that they didn't have any positions open immediately but would keep his name on file. So for him it would be back to the streets. I couldn't just let him go back without giving it one more shot.

At one of our speaking engagements I had the pleasure of meeting Bruce, owner of the best fast food restaurants in Albany. So I called Bruce just before dropping John back off at the library and explained the situation and he immediately set up an interview for 2:00 that same day. John was excited about the news but didn't want to get his hopes up to much.

At 1:50 we were sitting at the fast food restaurant waiting on an interview that could truly change Johns life. After about 10 minutes of talking to the manager, John climbed back inside the truck and busted out laughing. He said "I start next Wednesday". Chill bumps covered my body as he just sat there and laughed uncontrollably out of pure joy. If that wasn't enough, a good friend of ours has lined up a place for him to stay until he can save enough to get his own place. So next time you drive though Sonic on Westover Blvd. or South Slappey say hello to John. He'll be the one that can't stop smiling. Thank you Bruce and Cindy (mgr) for giving John a reason to live again.

This mission is officially labeled "Changed"

- Written by Todd Urick. Todd along with his wife La Donna started Mission:Change, an organization that seeks to raise awareness and funds for causes in Albany, GA through the sale of “mission” specific t-shirts and hand-painted necklaces. Todd and La Donna also run The Love Alliance Albany, GA Group.

MissionChange and Hope for the Hungry and Homeless

Thu, 26 Feb 2009 10:04:47 -0500

Mission:Change started in early 2008 as an organization that sought to raise awareness and funds for causes in our home community of Albany, GA through the sale of “mission” specific t-shirts and hand-painted necklaces.

During 2008 we had the opportunity to travel and share the ideas and vision of mission:change to groups in Georgia, Florida and Texas. One question that kept coming up was how could Mission:Change help local causes in other communities as well. After a bit of research, we found one social injustice or cause that all communities have in common and that is hunger and homelessness. This is a bigger issue than most people think. So in 2009 we added the "mission" Hope for the Hungry and Homeless. When you purchase a M:C necklace or T-shirt, proceeds will go directly to housing and feeding someone in need in your community.

What better way of kicking off this campaign than by coming together as a community to sleep-out for one night to experience a fraction of what some people experience for days, weeks or even years.

Over 200 people attended some portion of the sleep-out and 40 stayed the entire night in their make shift box shelter as temperatures dropped to a balmy 28 degrees. Current and former homeless people shared their stories and experiences while representatives from three local organizations, (Flint River Habitat for Humanity, Food Bank of Southwest GA and Albany Rescue Mission), explained their roles in the fight against hunger and homelessness and ways for the community to get involved with their organizations. A local church provided vegetable soup along with lots of hot chocolate for participants throughout the night. During the sleep-out we were able to raise awareness about hunger and homelessness, educate participants on common causes and break the stigma that everyone who is homeless chooses that lifestyle or is a drunk mentally unstable drug addict. Finally everyone was given the opportunity to take action by writing the local mayor and city commissioners asking them to adopt and implement The 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness published by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. These letters will be hand delivered to the next city commission meeting. As a result of the sleep-out, over $7,300 was raised and divided amongst the three organizations listed above along with boxes and boxes of clothing, blankets and canned food. As one “sleeper” was quoted, this wasn’t just an event, it’s the start of a movement in our city.”

For more info. on The 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness visit www.endhomelessness.org or to learn more about mission:change visit www.missionchange.com.

- Todd and La Donna Urick

Agua Viva for Colombian Refugees

Mon, 05 Jan 2009 08:47:29 -0500

Hey folks,

I'd like to share a little about a potable water project for a refugee community in Colombia that I've been involved in for the past half year, and to ask you each to consider being a part of the solution. Villa Clemen is a shanty-town of about 8,000 people, built of tarps and sticks and cinderblock, with no clean water, no waste or sewage system, and unreliable electricity. The number two killer for children worldwide is unsafe drinking water, and the current conditions in Villa Clemen are a slow pitch for bacteria and parasites, putting these children at great risk for serious illnesses and even death. A clean water solution is crucial, and we're nearly there. We have the first and most expensive phase finished, a deep bore-hole with a 6-7 liter per second flow. But we need to make that flow accessible by purchasing a pump, building a tank, and putting a distribution system in place, which we're hoping to do for around $15,000-20,000.

Thanks to a Christmas drive we had, we have now collected about half of that estimate. I appreciate the sacrifices that many have made in this tight economy, recognizing that the need we may feel is still far less acute than many of our global neighbors. A great piece of news I received just before coming to visit the US is that the community of Villa Clemen has now officially been recognized by the local city government, so this investment is of greater worth than ever, as it will now be part of a long-term solution. We hope to have the remaining funds raised soon and to inaugurate the water system in February, opening a door to share the meaning of Christ's living water with the community.

Those interested in giving may do so through YWAM, PO Box 3000, Garden Valley, TX 75771-3000. The checks should simply be made out to "YWAM" and a separate note should be included stating that it is for YWAM Medellin's water project. Also, please send an email notice of the amount and date sent to jon_captain at yahoo.com. Thanks so much for your consideration!

-Jon Captain

Christmas Tree

Tue, 30 Dec 2008 17:18:33 -0500

So David and I have decided to forgo a live Christmas tree this year to buy Chickens for families in 3rd world countries. Weird I know, but it is amazing how much of an impact it will have on lives. For the family living in poverty in most parts of the world, a rooster and hen are not pets. They are the source of up to 40 dozen eggs a year! When the pair produces chicks, a flock develops that will provide nourishment and income for years. You can order chickens or other animals for families in the 3rd world here: http://www.gfa.org/donation/from-the-stable.

Anyway all of this was to say, this is one way we are participating in Decembers Action Project this month. How are you all giving back this holiday season and into this next year? Be sure to post any links you have so if anyone is interested they can get hooked up with the ways you are giving back.