President Maureen Hartford's Tsunami Relief Letter to the Campus Community
January 18, 2005
Dear Friends,
As we continue to learn more about the enormous destruction caused by the recent earthquake and tsunami in Asia and Africa, we have all been shocked by the devastating aftermath. In true Meredith fashion, our campus community has already begun responding and thinking of creative ways to provide relief for the victims of this disaster. In the few short days since we have returned to campus, I have already witnessed an outpouring of ideas for providing meaningful aid to the survivors and a genuine desire to educate each other about the culture, needs and conditions of the people living in the areas of the world most affected by the disaster.
Although many of you have already made generous personal contributions to the relief effort, I have heard many requests to organize a Meredith-related relief effort. In the recent forums and conversations designed to shape Meredith's plan of action, two distinct themes emerged: 1) the desire for an immediate, campus-wide fundraising effort to a designated charitable organization and 2) the need for infrastructure and support to sustain a long-term relief effort.
I have asked Campus Minister Sam Carothers to lead a 10-member "A Tide of Hope" team, comprised of representatives from across the campus, to help coordinate both Meredith's immediate and long-range relief efforts. The team members are: Elizabeth Loftis, Lauren Byrd and Rebekah Meek (students); Nikki Curliss, Kristi Eaves-McLennan and Hillary Allen (staff); Betty Webb, Gail Kenyon and Bill Landis (faculty); John Rose (consultant).
Meredith's immediate efforts will focus on raising funds for Save the Children, an international, four-star charity founded in 1932. Save the Children is dedicated to helping some of this disaster's most innocent and powerless victims. Save the Children's current efforts are aimed at helping children and families in Indonesia and the coastal areas of India and Sri Linka. An estimated 400,000 children have been displaced in Sri Linka alone. Providing shelter and other protection services, reuniting children with family members and organizing activities to help restore a sense of normalcy are among Save the Children's current priorities in this area.
Sam's team also plans to create a "Meredith Responds" web site to help share news and information about the various tsunami relief fundraising, education and outreach efforts that will be held over the coming months. As student leaders, faculty and staff committees, clubs, organizations and other individuals and groups continue to plan efforts, please share this information with Sam or any other member of Meredith's "A Tide of Hope" team.
What can we, as individuals, do to help? Here are some options:
For immediate help through Save the Children, you can make out a check to Save the Children and give/send it to Sam Carothers who will send all Meredith community contributions on to this charity.
For a more specific project that Meredith's Sustaining the Tide of Hope team will coordinate over the next months, you can make a check out to Meredith College - Tsunami Relief Fund, or make a single or series of gifts through payroll deduction. I know that the team is looking at possibilities that range from helping to rebuild a school to buying a fishing boat for one of the affected villages. Sam Carothers will be the coordinator of gifts and will work with Bill Wade and our HR staff for payroll deductions.
You can get involved in groups that are planning specific fundraising projects (please look for the new web information for details).
The Meredith Community has long been known for its caring, compassionate response to the needs of others, and the people affected by this tragedy are in desperate need of the thoughtfulness, compassion and generosity that characterize our campus. Together, we will mount an inspirational effort to help our neighbors around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by this recent disaster.
Thank you for caring.
Maureen Hartford
