News Details (Posted: January 13, 2005):

Local Tsunami Volunteer Needs Your Help

Full Description:

My name is Alex Contreras. I've started a grass roots effort to help those who have been devastated by the recent Tsunami in Asia. I am going to Thailand (Phuket) with an organization called "United Volunteers"(.com) to assist in the humanitarian efforts and the rebuilding of vital structures. Working with the Thai government and local relief agencies there we will provide an enormous array of professional skills and services. Go to their website to gain more insight into what they do and how they do it.

What makes this organization different from others is that each volunteer is responsible for 100% of their own expenses. Also on this website if you go to the media section and click on the link next to "Geoff Fox-Tampa Tribune" it will take you to an article printed in the Tribune's Pasco section on 1-10-05.

The Laker also followed with a well written story of it's own about my efforts in the 1-12-05 issue. Another goal of mine is to create a portal where people here can donate supplies,not cash, directly to local relief agencies who are right now the most efficient and effective volunteers on the ground. Allowing the local relief agencies in the affected areas to create a wish-list of what they really need right now,then, ultimately that wish-list ends up here in our community, where groups, churches,schools and individuals can then ship the needed supplies to the organization directly.

The advantages to this form of assisting are many such as; a pair of underwear here are still a pair of underwear when they arrive there.... It teaches our children that there are no bounderies that they too can affect change,make a difference, when they unite and collaborate and how far reaching it can be. With conventional charities $1.00 donated here equates to $.50 to $.70 cents actually reaching its intended purpose. As someone already has pointed out to me, one of the disadvantages to giving this way is that people will have to actually go to the store and buy what these people need, then they will have to wrap that stuff up and go out again and ship the package. I can see how this would be a great inconvienence........NOT!! Fortunately not all people believe that writing a check and dropping it in the box makes you a humanitarian or there might not be anyone there helping. LOOK AT THE PICTURE of me at Ground Zero. As horrifying as the scene looks imagine how much more freightening it would look if no one was there searching. Imagine that everyone there left it to someone else. How much hope would you have had for our nation if on that day no one came to help. As you watched religiously the days following Sept 11th was it not those rescuers in NYC and Washington that offered hope, resiliance, determination and patriotism to our nation.

Someone must step up and it might even be you,the trick is to realize when it's your turn. The other picture is of people I assisted this past hurricane season. Lastly..., Ive earned thru my past endeavers "trust",the trust that donations are reaching their targets.I revere and will continue to uphold your trust and will never do anything to endanger that trust. That's it ..."trust". As a way of raising funds I've put up for sale 10 different historical pictures of Sept 11 2001. Enlarged, professionally matted and framed, signed and dated pictures taken from Sept 12-18th 2001. They vary in price range from $300.00 to $500.00. Please contact me to see a portfolio. This effort is in need of funds,medical supplies, camping gear, web sevices, services of a doctor and dentist, frequent flyer miles and volunteers.

A special thanks to those who have made contributions: