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Delivery of aid to Haiti

Published by admin March 1st, 2010 in Other Sites, Mainpage and Featured. Closed

Haiti Your kindness made a difference! Our Haitian friends needed to know that they are not forgotten, and thanks to the kindness and sacrifice of so many of you, we were not only able to help them out right now, but we are able to help them begin to rebuild for a stronger future. Thank you for responding to those who need it most. We are honored to be able to deliver aid and compassion that was made possible by the friends of Absolute.

Timeline:

January 15 - We arrived in Port-au-Prince to assist the orphanages which we support. We spent ﬁve days helping and assessing the best ways we could be a support to both them and the families which they are now helping to survive.
January 21 - We reached out to our Absolute network to assist in helping those we are connected with in Port-au-Prince and you responded with compassion and love.
February 3 - We left for Port-au-prince with the first $10,000 raised for Haiti through Absolute. In The Dominican Republic we ﬁlled a commercial truck with approx. $8,000 worth of aid.
February 5th - We were delivering the aid to the orphanages and tent cities.

Aid supplies (approximately)

200 cases of water
400 packs of rice
400 bottles of oil
400 bags of ban
600 bars of soap
1000 pack of soup mix
900 roles of toilet paper
1000 packs of cookies and crackers
6 cases of milk
600 packs of pasta
400 small bags of detergent
300 cans of sardines
900 bags if corn mix
5 Large tarps
2 tents
6 Large boxes of medical supplies. (donated by servant heart min.)
4 boxes of clothes (donated by Servant’s Heart Ministries)
500 candles
2200 Honda generator

Other Giving and Expenses

$1600 went to support the orphanage (orphanage staff, orphanage vehicle maintenance, baby supplies and orphanage bills)
$400 went to pay translators, travel expenses, border fees, and other misc. items needed for this project

The Aid was divided into 4 different places: two different tent towns, the orphanage and a displacement camp.
Most of the tent towns we delivered aid to hadn’t seen any aid yet. Absolute is now preparing for our Hero Holiday in Haiti for May. We will also be working with participants on the boys orphanage, installing doors, building a kitchen and replacing a roof on the children’s school.

Chain Reaction of Hope - Starting Feb 2010 in Ontario

Published by admin January 29th, 2010 in FB, Student Zone and Featured. Closed

Chain Reaction of Hope

Hope for Haiti. Hope for another school. Hope for your school. All at the same time

Your school can start a chain-reaction of hope for Haitians! By giving 1 hour of your school’s time for a motivational benefit assembly you will be making a life-changing difference in 3 places: in Haiti, in your school, and in another school of your choice!

Here is how it works:

To start the chain, Absolute will contribute our Think Day assembly free of charge to your school.
What you might normally pay for such a presentation is instead used in a 100% charitable cause:
1. 50% or more (depending on size of donation) to help the Haitian people in an incredibly direct and tangible way (read about it here). If you have another charity that you would prefer to give money for Haiti to, we will still work with you!
2. 50% to “pay it forward”, relaying the impactful presentation to the next school (that you choose), thereby continuing the chain reaction.
You might also consider using this event in combination with, or to spearhead or wind up a school fundraising campaign! More fundraising will create a higher percentage of money for Haiti (as our touring costs will remain fixed).
Check our website to see how far your chain goes, and how much it raises!

Why you should participate:

Absolute’s Think Day is Canada’s leading motivational presentation and is unrivaled in relevancy and effectiveness. It features a live band, inspirational media, and motivational speakers in a concert level production. In addition to all the good that is being generated for Haiti, there will be a powerful message of hope and purpose for your students, and for the school that you pay it forward to.
Grass-roots efficiency. Money for Haiti goes directly to very tangible needs and effective projects - not to the potential bureaucracy of a large NGO. We will provide your school with direct reports and updates on how the money is being used for good, and will answer any question you have on it!
A simple and practical way for your school to feel that they are making a strategic response to one of the worst tragedies of our time.
Snowball Effect. Relaying this campaign to the next school, your school can track how much good is happening down the line!
Exponential Philanthropy! This is creating good for Haiti by doing something good for schools in your community. You can feel great about investing your school’s money or fundraising efforts to make a difference in 3 ways at once!

Why is Absolute doing this?
Absolute has been working alongside Haitians for over 5 years in our humanitarian work. Our hearts go out to many Haitian friends that have experienced unspeakable loss. We have seen the devastation ourselves, having volunteers on the ground within 2 days of the earthquake. It is worse than the media can even convey. This is our humble attempt to do what we can, with the resources we have (ie. a great motivational presentation), to help the people we love, in way that is actually going to get to them. We challenge you to join with us to start a Chain Reaction of Hope!

How to participate:

Email us at bookings@absolute.org or call our office at 1-866-432-4464 and talk to Mandy, our Bookings Coordinator, and we will help you get started.

Update on Haiti

Published by christal January 17th, 2010 in Featured. Closed

Hey Everyone

Just wanted to let you know that our Absolute people who are on the ground in Port au Prince, Haiti have confirmed that our friends at the orphanages we work with are in fact, all alive and accounted for. However, they have all suffered much loss as they have lost friends and family in the rubble around them, not to mention lack of proper shelter, etc.

Today, our Absolute members helped people who were still trying desperately to reach their family members who had been buried deep beneath the rubble. There is little hope of any survival at this point, but one can always hope for a miracle. We have two nurses from our Hero Holiday arm that have taken it upon themselves to get there and are now on the ground, helping out where they can.

Our hearts are grieving with all of our friends who have lost those closest to them. Frantzo, one of our Hero Holiday Dominican Republic translators has lost 5 members alone and yet he is beside our team, helping to dig through the rubble. This is what it is to be the hands and feet of compassion and we are honored to work alongside of so many Haitian people such as him.

There is great need for tarps, mosquito nets and basic needs of survival for thousands upon thousands of people. If you want to help us, you can go to our homepage and donate at www.absolute.org/donate.

We are also encouraging people to give to the Red Cross, World Vision and St. Joseph’s Home for Boys.

We will continue to keep you updated as we much as we are able to. Thanks for your support, encouragement and prayers.

Absolute in Haiti

Published by absolute January 14th, 2010 in FB, Dominican Republic, Student Zone, Mainpage and Featured. 1 Comment

I am sure you have all heard, in some form or another, about the great tragedy that has occurred in Haiti. Many of you, including myself, probably thought to yourself, “Really! This is the last thing this country needs!” It is true, parts of Port-au-Prince had looked like a 7.0 earthquake already hit it before January 12th and we can only imagine the state it is in now.

I have been quite impressed by the volumes of messages and emails I have been receiving from people who want to do something to help. Everyone’s heart is broken for this nation and no one wants to sit by and let the people of Haiti deal with this disaster by themselves. Absolute has been directly involved with an orphanage of 60+ children in Port-au-Prince run by a man we know and love named David. You can read all about him in our 52 blog: http://52.absolute.org/2009/04/19/what-do-you-do-with-a-lost-pearl/. Currently, we have not been able to contact David or anyone connected to his orphanage. Some volunteers of Absolute have decided to jump into action and travel directly to where the orphanage is (or once was…) to make sure that all the children are safe and taken care of. Once this is done they will assess if there is something that Absolute can do to take care of our extended family. We will keep you posted on the progress of the team and will let you know if there is anything you can do to help.

Please keep an eye on our website and facebook page (absolute.org) for more updates. Thank you for your concern and desire to help. To give towards this pressing need please contact our office, or donate online here.

Hero Holiday is traveling to Haiti in May 2010. Check out the trip details on our website: http://heroholiday.absolute.org/haiti

Check out our 52 story on the earthquake: http://52.absolute.org/2010/01/14/but-a-breath/

**UPDATE: Absolute has received word that the children at the orphanage are all safe and accounted for. This is great news! We are going to hear from our volunteers as to how their homes are but will keep you informed.

Change is Possible!

Published by admin December 4th, 2009 in FB, Other Sites, Mainpage and Featured. Closed

Hello! 2009 is coming to a close, and for us here at Absolute, it has been an incredible year of growth, change and warm memories. Through the course of our year we have spoken to hundreds of thousands of Canadian youth through our Think Day presentations and have had over 450 participants join us on our Hero Holiday trips around the world. Cory was one of the students that joined us in Mexico on Hero Holiday this year, and his story reminds me of why we do what we do.

When he was 13, Cory’s dad was killed in a tragic accident. Lost and hurting, Cory began to drift and alienate himself from his family and friends, falling into the abyss of alcohol and drug abuse. When he was 16, in desperation Cory’s mom talked him into joining Absolute on a Hero Holiday to Mexico for his spring break. He reluctantly agreed, not yet fully understanding what was about to happen.

As fate would have it, Cory ended up with a team that built a house for an incredible Mexican family. They were able to move from a shelter of tarpaulins, sticks, and cardboard, and were put into a beautiful new home with clean beds, warm blankets, and a dignity that comes with knowing you are safe. But this family had one thing in common with Cory that he wasn’t counting on: this family had recently lost their dad in an accident as well. As Cory stood outside their house that day, helping to present them with the keys to their new home that he had personally helped to construct, something changed in him. Hope took on a new perspective. Cory’s eyes were opened to what life can look like and to what he can be a part of. That day as that family was lifted out of some of the acute pains of poverty, Cory returned to Canada with a new resolve: to be a part of the change that can happen here at home. Today, Cory is a student in Absolute’s School of Leadership, traveling across Canada and sharing his experience to hundreds of thousands of Canadian youth, telling them that there is a hope and greater purpose to live for. Today, that Mexican family is still safe in their home, and still moving forward to build a better future.

Cory’s story reminds me that together, change is possible. Absolute is committed to bringing hope to a generation and helping them to realize the incredible power of their lives. This is only possible because of financial donors such as yourself. …. (continued on other side)

This holiday season, would you consider partnering with us to help us build more homes for families such as this one and help us to reach more “Corys” that are the future of our nation?

Your one time gift of $50 or $100 can help us to continue to commit to building safe, efficient homes for the families that desperately need it most. In the year ahead, with the help of our financial partners, we are hoping to reach many more students like Cory and build many more houses for families such as this one.
Would you consider a one time donation to our 2009 campaign in the name of a family or friend? The recipient of your gift will receive a post project report showing them the impact of their gift and you will receive a tax receipt for that you can apply to your 2009 tax return.
At the Absolute office we have recently launched a monthly partners program. A monthly contribution of $20, $30 or $50 is all that it takes to help us to continue to provide a safe and happy home for a family in need. Monthly partnership helps us to use each dollar to its maximum effectiveness throughout the year. To become a monthly partner, download our pdf form by clicking here, or sign up faster online by clicking here.
Please help us end the decade on a high note! Consider joining us on a Hero Holiday in the year ahead. For more information go to www.heroholiday.com.

Absolute has a unique approach to bringing hope and change to our global community, and our financial donors can be assured of the value of their contribution. Every dollar that is donated is essentially used for double effectiveness: the impact can be seen both here at home in a generation that is given hope, perspective, and life direction, and globally as we help to bring hope to the developing world through the houses and schools that we build for those who cannot do it themselves.

Like many other Canadian charities, we are dependant on our donors. We can’t do this alone, nor do we want to. But in Absolute, we truly believe that we are in this together, and that we need each other to succeed. This Christmas, please consider joining with us to make a difference and to give the gift of hope in a tangible way.

Thanks for your time. I hope you have an amazing 2010!

To donate, go to www.absolute.org/donate or call our office at (866) 432 4464.

Christal Earle

Co-founder, Absolute
I’d love to hear from you or answer any questions. Email me at: christal@absolute.org

2010 Calendar

Published by absolute November 6th, 2009 in FB, School of Leadership, Student Zone, Mainpage and Featured. Closed

We’re excited to announce our 2010 Hero Holiday Calendar, “Together”. This calendar is full of incredible photos taken on Hero Holidays around the world by some of our very own photographers. Included in the calendar are excerpts from our blog, “52″, as well as some great quotes and thoughts on how to make a difference.

The calendar costs $20 and proceeds from the sale of each calendar go towards Absolute and Hero Holiday’s charitable projects.

Shack’n It Up!

Published by absolute October 2nd, 2009 in FB, School of Leadership, Mexico, Student Zone and Featured. 3 Comments

Our Absolute School of Leadership students in Mexico get to do the coolest things: learn about world issues through our Social Justice Curriculum, help with our Hero Holidays, and work within a Mexican community of the most kindest and gracious people you will ever meet. We designed a practical lesson for our students called, The Shack Experience. This year, our 2009 students are living for one week in a shack they made with their own two hands! They will work and live the way the some Mexicans in their area do. This experience’s goal is to open their eyes to the suffering and day to day life of 2/3s of our world. Here is a bit of how their first few days have been written by Brett Dyrland, their “Jefe” (Spanish for Boss):

Life as a low income Mexican can be hard as the School of Leadership students are finding out. First, the students had to build a shack to live in. The rule of building the shack is that, it had to be made out of materials that were found on the street and free. They took the challenge, gathered supplies and started building. The two boys made a shack that was slightly larger than a dog house. (Have fun spooning boys!) The four girls on the other hand, wanted a larger, more spacious house. They soon realized that larger means more work. Especially after it big gust of wind blew it over. With a little assistance, they built a smaller shack with a structure that was more sturdy.

Day 1 was great! It began with a 5am rise for work day. The team had to take their make believe kids to school and meet the bus at the highway (about 1km away) for 7am. Their first adventure was off to the river bed to get a load of sand to finish off some work around one of the Hero Holiday yards. From all the groaning, seemed to me like they thought loading a truck with sand was hard work. They off loaded the truck at the yard into wheel barrows, placed the sand in designated areas, and leveled it all out. First load was done by 10:00am. Half way through off loading the second load, I heard some excuses saying they were done, but as any boss would do, I told them to put more sand on the sand until the truck is empty. By then it was only 12:30pm and I had to find more work for them. Six people can get a lot of work done quickly! It was easy finding more work for them: detail the truck, clean the yard, wax the truck, wash the bus, and shampoo the dogs. Each of my workers received $100 pesos (which is approximately $8.50 CAD) for the day of hard work. But then they had to pay rent, pay for their “children” to go to school, transportation to work and back and food for the whole family. So needless to say, there was not much is left for food and water, but they made it work some how.

The statement of the day is “Don’t ever say a Mexican is lazy.” Most of the students have never had labour jobs before and are not used to this type of work. Many of them found it hard, especially in this kind of heat. They all have a new respect for the term “A good days work”. I think a lot of them found it hard to stay motivated for only $8/day but that is what a lot of Mexicans have to deal with daily. At least the students have a hope of getting out of this, but many will know this for the rest of their lives.

I am look forward to the next couple days where they are able to do actual Mexican jobs. Jobs like clamming, field work and rock picking are all jobs we see often here. When the students go out to perform these jobs, all the proceeds from their days labor will go to help the people they are working with. They will be able to double or more the income of the person they are working for. This is such a great experience!

Its the Circle of our Lives

Published by meagan August 5th, 2009 in School of Leadership, FB, Staff Blogs, Think Day, Mainpage, Student Zone and Featured. Closed

Think Day, Hero Holiday, School of Leadership, ONE Book … Absolute.org has a variety of interesting programs, but are they related, tied together somehow? Absolute is like a ring, no no not the one ring…you know the one…”in the darkness bind them?” That’s not us, that’s some other guy. At Absolute.org every one of our programs support and lead into the other. Someone asked me today what I do for Absolute, in what capacity I work for them. The truth is that my job title is irrelevant. Each of our jobs support and are connected to each other’s. Absolute is a circle.

I just returned from a Hero Holiday trip in the Dominican Republic. I met some fantastic people. There are few things more surprising than how content the people of Dominican Republic really are, compared with someone living in a developed country. Even more surprising is the effervescent joy that overflows and spills onto us from the displaced people of Haiti living in Dominican Republic. There are too many stories to tell here and now. For more on Hero Holiday, please visit Hero Holiday’s site or subscribe to 52 Stories. What I’ve come to realize is that my job, my official job at Absolute, is incredibly tied into Hero Holiday. The members of Team 3, my Hero Holiday team, had students (and one mom) from all across our fine country. Almost every province was represented by Team 3’s members, and we even had a girl from the Yukon! Most of these participants were there because of Think Day, a multimedia motivational experience that visited their schools. That is my job, Think Day. I am a Road Team Manager, along with my husband JP. We travel with teams across Canada from September to June (we break for Christmas of course!) tirelessly (most days) driving, setting up, performing, speaking, running workshops, discussion groups, etc etc etc. We tell our stories to bring hope and courage to our listeners and to let our generation know that they have value, that their voice can be heard, and that we want to join our voice with theirs to change our world!

On my Hero Holiday trip I saw those values not only realized in the lives of our participants, but applied to a people who are considered regrettable and forgettable by a world who has done very little to better their situation. All year I talk, and I talk, and I talk about social justice and trips like Hero Holiday, telling Canadian students that they can do something about the injustices they see in their world, and that it is just that; THEIR WORLD. And here they were! All 19 of them on Team 3 asking the same question I asked myself over and over again this year. “Have I actually accomplished anything? What is it that I’ve really done?”

The answer to my question was in the 100+ students who participated in Hero Holiday Dominican Republic Week 1, and more directly in the 19 members of my team. Not all had been at the shows that I spoke at, but there were quite a few who had been, and most of them had seen an Absolute show or had known someone who did, and that was why they were there! Their experiences in Dominican Republic taught them, not just told them, that they matter to the world. They matter to that stateless Haitian child, or to that Dominican Grandmother. They are actually making a difference.

My purpose in Absolute was reflected in the eyes of a girl who had been given the power and opportunity to help when she thought she couldn’t. When she thought she was helpless to do anything about the situation she saw in front of her, I got to help her realize that we’re stronger together and that we really could help this life, this girl, this time.

Hero Holiday had changed my life before I had ever been on one and experienced it for myself, but now it’s not just stories, it’s real. I got to work alongside some people I had met briefly in a gym somewhere in Canada and had asked “Now that you know, what will you do?” and they showed up. That gives me 19 new reasons to keep going. To keep telling my stories, stories about myself, and about the people I have met and been inspired by. To keep touring, and driving, and setting up, and tearing down, and talking and talking and talking, because though you may not all come on a Hero Holiday, some of you may. Some of you will hear for the first time that you are valuable, that your life counts for something, and you will take that message with you wherever you go, including a Hero Holiday.

I will step out onto the road again with fresh perspective on what it is that I do. 19 faces and stories to keep me going, and this is the cycle, this is the circle: Think Day, School of Leadership, Hero Holiday, 52, One, Think Day, School of Leadership…

So watch for us this Fall. Are we coming to your school? If we’re not and you want us there, CLICK HERE .

Urgent Request for a Physician

Published by christal June 26th, 2009 in Mainpage and Featured. Closed

The developing world faces many challenges, but one of the greatest is the lack of access to health care. This summer, we hope to be a part of the solution. From August 15th-25th, we are returning to Dominican Republic with 50 Western-Fanshawe Collaborative BScN students and the Fanshawe College Practical Nursing students. In addition to some regular projects, we will be hosting medical and dental clinics in villages and communities, free of charge. Each day is an adventure, and each day is filled with incredible memories as a result. The trip, affectionately called “Danica’s Dream,” is named after a little girl who inspired the building of a clinic that we continue to support and partner with. However, we have an urgent need! We need another physician to accompany our medical supplies, to help with clinics, and to share their expertise and knowledge with those who need it most. Do you know anyone who can help us? Are you a medical professional who may know a doctor that would be willing to invest some of their time this August to be a part of the Hero Holiday experience? Would you be willing to approach your family physician or any doctors that you know, on our behalf? If you have any suggestions or questions, please contact our Hero Holiday department as soon as possible: nettie@heroholiday.com or call 1-866-432-4464 and ask to speak to the Hero Holiday department. Together, we can bring love, hope, and change!

Haitian Orphanage Emergency Project Part 2 - “The Orphan Diet”

Published by absolute June 9th, 2009 in Social Justice, Front Page, Fundraising, Dominican Republic and Featured. 0 Comments

Some of you may remember back in December 2008 when the Haitian Orphanage Emergency Project was initiated. Thanks to the generosity of many, this Orphanage in Port-au-Prince, Haiti was able to continue taking care of 68 little children who were in desperate need. Those finances helped to buy food (which was their biggest need at that time, and may arguably still be their biggest need), school supplies, wood to make beds and paid the rent for the building they are in.

Right now, “The Orphan Diet” is part two of a fundraising effort for the basic survival of these children. If you have not heard of the Orphan Diet, click here.

However, we have an exciting announcement to make about this upcoming project: we have a generous donor that is willing to match every dollar given towards the Orphan Diet, up to $15,000! We could turn $15,000 into $30,000! This amount of money will go a long way to getting these children the help they need.

We will be focusing on getting these children medical attention (many of whom have never seen a doctor in their lives), renovating and updating their facilities, buying some much needed food, and more school supplies. You can be a part of this! Within the next year, we are planning our first ever Hero Holiday Trip to Haiti! Please stay tuned to our website for applications, dates and pricing. This trip will be for anyone 18yrs of age and older.

To join the Haitian Orphanage Emergency Project facebook group page, click here.
To see the original video from the Haitian Orphanage Emergency Project, click here.

To donate to the Orphan Diet:

Mail Cheques and Money Orders to:
Suite 400, 44 Hughson St. North
Hamilton, ON
Canada
L8R 1G3

*Cheques are payable to ABSOLUTE (Please memo your cheques: ‘the orphan diet’)

By Credit Card (by telephone)
To make a donation via credit card, call toll free 1 866 432 4464

Hero Holiday