Precisely a week ago from today, a major earthquake struck 10 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The earthquake was the largest ever recorded in the area, packing a magnitude of 7.0. Due to the size of the disaster city infrastructure is completely crushed, the death toll can still only be estimated, and Haitians who survived are suffering without food, water, or shelter.

In response to the tragedy, relief efforts have gone into full swing. President Obama has pledged $100 million in relief aid and “as of Monday [1/18/2010], charities had raised more than $210 million in donations for Haiti earthquake relief” (Source: CNN.com). These fundraising efforts are vital to the successful revitalization and rebuilding of Port-au-Prince because of the logistical nightmare the earth shaken city poses.

Although the idea of  a food drive or clothing drive may sound tempting to a student group, it would be inappropriate in this situation. Right now, for the public, monetary donations are the only way to give. For more details on why money will do more for relief efforts than food or toiletries check out this article: “Haiti: Help with money, not stuff” .

If you would like to give, feel free to reference these websites which offer links to agencies that are accepting donations:

-          CNN.com

-          Interaction.org

-          KUT.org

-          Google.com

For those affiliated with the University of Texas at Austin: On 1/21/2010, this Thursday, UT students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to participate in a Haiti Solidarity Rally from 11:30-1:30 on the West Mall. The rally will promote relief efforts by collecting donations to aid Haitian survivors and will include a moment of silence in dedication to the victims of the deadly earthquake.

Contact: email@mealsonwheelsandmore.org
Website: http://www.mealsonwheelsandmore.org/

The Big Picture/ Ultimate Goal

Founded here in Austin in 1972, Meals on Wheels and More (MOWAM) is an independently run non-profit that provides its clients with much more than solely food. The organization’s mission is “to nourish and enrich the lives of the homebound and other people in need through programs that promote dignity and independent living”. Through its array of programs, MOWAM truly strives to provide its clients with as many useful resources as possible. [Read more →]

A premeire collaborative campus event and Academic Service Learning course  

Contact:
Luanne Stovall, Lecturer for the Department of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Austin, luannestovall@yahoo.com
Dr. Nancy Kwallek, Program Coordinator, Interior Design, School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin, n.kwallek@mail.utexas.edu 
Website: http://www.harvestmandala.org/

The Big Picture

The Harvest Mandala is an annual multi-cultural harvest celebration food drive held in support of Capital Area Food Bank’s campaign to End Hunger and to honor the earth’s bounty. The Mandala is held on the University of Texas at Austin’s (UT) campus and is a project of UT’s Freshman Signature class, Living Color, an Academic Service Learning Initiative, taught by Dr. Nancy Kwallek, Program Coordinator, Interior Design, School of Architecture, and Luanne Stovall, the Mandala’s Event Coordinator and a Lecturer at the UT Department of Art and Art History.

The Mandala is a unique partnership between an Academic Service Learning class and its faculty, student organizations, and community organizations working in conjunction with one another to end hunger.

The event embraces the Sustainable Food Center’s vision to strengthen the local food system and improve access to nutritious, affordable food. All donations benefit the Capital Area Food Bank of Central Texas, which provides grocery products to 355 Partner Agencies in 21 Central Texas counties. See more about the goals and description of the Harvest Mandala below. [Read more →]

Check out this blog highlighted in the New York Times by Maira Kalman in the Opinion section. It is an artsy multimedia Thanksgiving piece on the idea of sustainble food reform.

Contact: http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/contactus.html
Website: http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/

Mission/ The Big Picture

Is the Sustainable Food Center (SFC) a food bank or a food pantry? Neither!

“SFC  [an Austin born local nonprofit] cultivates a healthy community by strengthening the local food system and improving access to nutritious, affordable food. SFC envisions a food secure community where all children and adults [do not rely on emergency food programs, but instead] grow, share, and prepare healthy, local food.” [Source: http://www.sustainablefoodcenter.org/] [Read more →]

Contact: http://www.ccctx.org/contact.php
Website: http://www.ccctx.org/ 

The Big Picture

 Catholic Charities of Central Texas is a nonprofit 501c3 certified organization which functions under the Catholic Diocese of Austin but maintains its own independent nonprofit status. The organization’s mission is “to work to strengthen individuals, families and communities through direct services, community collaboration and social justice advocacy” in Central Texas.

 Catholic Charities functions through the 5 key guiding principles of Love, meaning services are provided with empathy and respect; Service, meaning services are available to all in need without regard to race, religion, or income; Advocacy, with the promotion of social justice and systemic changes; Integrity, operating with high professional standards; and Stewardship, providing meaningful opportunities for individuals to give service to others. [Read more →]

Contact: communications@austinfoodbank.org
Website: http://www.austinfoodbank.org/ 

The Big Picture/Ultimate Goal

Capital Area Food Bank of Texas‘s (CAFB) mission is “to nourish hungry people and lead the community in ending hunger”.  CAFB has an enormous impact, providing food and grocery items to more than 300,000 hungry Central Texans every year. The Food Bank focuses on getting people who are food insecure* and hungry* out of the food line. To find out what hunger looks like in Central Texas, take a look at CAFB’s Hunger in Central Texas Fact Page and check out this link. [Read more →]

Contact: info@hopefoodpantryaustin.org
Website: http://www.hopefoodpantryaustin.org/

The Big Picture/Mission

Established in Austin in 2000, the mission of Hope Food Pantry Austin is “to help alleviate hunger by sustaining, strengthening, and educating disadvantaged families in our community.” The pantry gives groceries to families in need in the hope those families who are barely making ends meet can push through their hard times with the assistance of the food pantry. [Read more →]

Contact: http://www.manosdecristo.org/contact.html
Website: http://www.manosdecristo.org

The Big Picture

Founded in 1988, Manos de Cristo, an Austin non-profit organization, serves tens of thousands of underprivileged and working poor in the Greater Austin Community annually. The goal of Manos de Cristo is to enable its clients to be self-sufficient through a three pronged holistic approach addressing basic needs, health, and education.

The organization started out as a dental clinic serving the poor and homeless, and later developed basic needs and educational programs in an effort to increase its outreach capabilities. Sure enough, Manos de Cristo’s impact has succeeded in reaching more and more community members year after year, and in 2008 the organization provided services to 15,600 clients. [Read more →]

 Contact: http://caritasofaustin.org/contact_us/index.php 
Website: http://www.caritasofaustin.org/ 

The Big Picture and Ultimate Goal

“Caritas serves as an integral part of our community’s social services network and is Travis country’s largest source of non-governmental assistance. Our mission is to prove a service continuum for those experiencing poverty that begins with a safety net and links them to resources to achieve self-sufficiency. Caritas envisions a community where there is respect for all individuals, hope for those experiencing poverty and opportunities for self-reliance.” (Source: Caritas of Austin 2009 Fact Sheet)

The four main directives of Caritas are housing, food, education, and employment.
[Read more →]