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The H&FP Receives $30,000 Donation from Baby Bottle Company
In response to the recent devastation in Haiti, Green to Grow founders, Michael Ritterbrown and Shelley Aronoff, announced the company will donate $30,000 in BPA-free baby bottles to be air lifted into Jacmel, Haiti to Hands and Feet Project, an orphanage with two locations that has opened its doors to families seeking shelter and basic supplies for survival.
"Families have lost everything they own at the bottom of a pile of rubble. We have powdered milk and formula to give out, but we don't have anything to put it in," said Bob Herdman, Executive Director of Hands and Feet Project. "We will distribute the Green to Grow baby bottles to mothers and caretakers in Jacmel and in Grand Goave, where we have a second orphanage. This donation is critical to providing care for infants in these regions."
It was nearly a week before Green to Grow located an organization able to help deliver their donation to the right channels in Haiti. "I spent hours on the phone with larger non-profit organizations such as Save the Children and the American Red Cross. They were grateful for our offer, but had no way to accept durable goods at that time," said Green to Grow Vice President Shelley Aronoff. "Then I found Hands and Feet Project. They are working with over 100 volunteer pilots who are loading their personal planes with supplies and flying from Ft. Lauderdale, FL directly into Jacmel. Because there is no accessible airport, they are using cement and dirt roads as runways. A network of volunteers is scheduling and arranging the flights -- at least two per day into Jacmel -- and coordinating the donation of desperately needed supplies. Hands and Feet Project is at the heart of these efforts; their commitment, and that of their volunteers, reflects the very best of humanity."
Green to Grow's donation of over 2,000 BPA-free baby bottles and 10,000 silicone nipples will be departing Glendale, CA to Ft. Lauderdale, FL on Tuesday, January 26, and should arrive in Jacmel by the end of the week. The donation to Hands and Feet Project is part of Green to Grow's Bottles to Babies initiative, whose ongoing outreach gives back to those in need while helping to educate them about issues related to their families' health and the environment. Last year, through their Bottles to Babies initiative, Green to Grow donated over $52,000 of BPA-free feeding products to non-profit organizations that serve low-income families in the U.S. and abroad.
What a wake up call this morning!!!! Waking up to another earthquake this morning was NOT fun. We are all ok though... on edge, but ok. The 6.1 earthquake today was definitely felt here at the village. We don't know about how the town (of Jacmel) is yet. Drex has just taken some men to the airport so I am sure we will hear soon how things are.
Renee (at Grand-Goâve) wants everyone to know that "we survived the biggie again today. The office is still standing. The medical team is here and working in St. Etienne. Kevin and I are running around trying to coordinate things."