By Melyssa Allen

More than two years after a tsunami devastated Sri Lanka and other parts of Southeast Asia, Meredith College continues its "Tide of Hope" relief efforts.

Meredith College launched the relief effort just after the December 2004 storm. In the years that have followed, the Meredith community has raised more than $106,000. The funds have supported three projects: the Samanala Orphanage, the Pelena School, and the fishing villages of Lovigahawaththa and CGS. The College also donated $5,000 to Save the Children in the months immediately following the tsunami. Meredith's Muslim Student Association, in partnership with the "Tide of Hope" committee, has worked to raise funds to build a house for a Muslim family in Sri Lanka.

In March, Study Abroad Director Betty Webb and her husband, John Rose, returned from their fourth trip to the region since the tsunami. Webb reports that she went "expecting to find that things had improved for tsunami victims, but that is not the case for many. The tsunami may not be the disaster on the evening's news here - but it continues to be a disaster for those who survived it...we must not forget them."

Campus Chaplain Sam Carothers, chair of the "Tide of Hope" steering committee, reports that a critical need is the continued support for the Samanala Orphanage.

"We are hoping to send them another six months of support and are in need of additional funding to realize that goal," Carothers said. "A pledge of $30 per month will support one of the boys."

For background information on the "Tide of Hope" effort, visit www.meredith.edu/tsunamirelief/. To contribute, contact Carothers at carotherss@meredith.edu or (919) 760-8346.