When a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, it left unthinkable devastation in its wake. More than 230,000 people lost their lives; an estimated 280,000 homes and businesses were demolished; and approximately 1.5 million people (equivalent to the entire population of Philadelphia) had nowhere to turn but overcrowded displacement camps.

  

Since the earthquake, PROJECT C.U.R.E. has delivered more than $6 million worth of medical supplies to Haiti. Thanks to the help of our partners on the ground - Department of Defense, Catholic Relief Services, Partners in Health, International Relief and Development, and several Haitian hospitals - these supplies were immediately mobilized and provided care to an estimated 324,000 hurting and injured people.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. is committed to rebuilding efforts and continues to provide medical supplies and equipment to our partners and Haitian hospitals as they become rehabilitated. You can help with these relief efforts by making a donation to PROJECT C.U.R.E. to help fund the delivery of desperately needed medical supplies.

Together, we can Deliver Health and Hope to Haiti.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. has learned of the safe arrival of a container of medical supplies and equipment to Podujeva, Kosovo. Thanks to the extensive support network of the container’s sponsor, Team Kosova, the process of delivering the container to first-time recipient Podujeva Main Family Medical Center went very smoothly. From the main facility, the contents of the container will be distributed to more than 20 other government clinics in the Podujeva district.
In Kosovo, one of the poorest countries in Europe, hospitals and clinics have very little funding, and patients often have to provide everything that will be used for their care (bandages, medications, etc.).  Facilities are typically small and sparsely furnished. PROJECT C.U.R.E.’s delivery contained an X-ray unit and emergency room monitors. Dozens of boxes of patient care supplies (bandages, disinfectants, etc.) were also provided. These items were identified during the needs assessment as the Podujeva medical facilities’ greatest needs. Special thanks to John and Ruth Chestnut of Team Kosova, who sponsored the needs assessment and arranged the funding for the container. The Rotary Club of Prishtina, Kosovo’s capitol, has expressed interest in providing support for the shipment of another container in the future.

Volunteers recently finished preparing a ninth load of medical relief supplies for Haiti. Three more will follow soon after.

Here are the details on all recent loads to Haiti. The value of materials delivered to the island so far exceeds $3.5 million.

1.    The first Haiti load* left Project C.U.R.E. Nashville on Friday, Jan. 15, on its way to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba where it was shuttled to the U.S.S. Comfort and transported to onsite medical aid groups in Haiti. This load was sponsored by Newmont Mining Corporation.

2.    The second load of Project C.U.R.E. medical relief left Denver via American Airlines on Monday, Jan. 18, from which it was flown to Miami and transferred to Catholic Relief Services for the organization’s workers in Haiti. This load was sponsored by MillerCoors.

3.    A third load left Denver via American Airlines on Monday, Jan. 18. Materials were received and distributed by the U.S. Military’s Southern Command to various aid organizations. This load was sponsored by Cameco Resources.

4.    A fourth contingent of supplies traveled from Project C.U.R.E.’s distribution center in Nashville, Tenn., to Norfolk, Va., where it was joined with the U.S.S. Sacagawea (a dry cargo ship) to be distributed by the U.S. Southern Command to various aid organizations. This load was sponsored by Apache Corporation.

5.    A load destined for Opa-locka, Fla. left Phoenix on Jan. 26. Rock-It Cargo, a private charter plane, transported it to Port-au-Prince on Jan. 30, where it was distributed to Partners in Health (PIH). PIH is operating the large Hôpital de l'Université d'état d'Haiti (HUEH), or University Hospital, in the capitol city.

6.    Project C.U.R.E. volunteers prepared a sixth load that left Nashville on Wednesday, Jan. 28 en route to Florida, then to Haiti. This load was received by Partners in Health and sponsored by Rock-It Cargo.

7.    Leaving Denver on Feb. 1, a load filled principally with first aid and hygiene supplies donated by community members then went to Florida, where it was repacked into a private charter plane provided by Rock-It Cargo, delivered to Haiti, and distributed to Partners in Health.

8.    The eighth load of Help for Haiti supplies left Houston on Feb. 1 en route to Florida, from which it was transported by Rock-It Cargo to Port-au-Prince to be received by Partners in Health.

9.    Leaving Nashville on Feb. 12, the ninth load carrying beds and other basic supplies is intended for Partners in Health. It will arrive on the island in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, then travel by truck to Port au Prince, Haiti.

10. Supplies requested by partner organization Catholic Relief Services were prepared for the 10^th load, which left Denver on Feb. 25.

11. For the 11^th load, volunteers in Nashville prepared a container on March 5 to be delivered to Partners in Health.

12.  The 12^th load, to be delivered to Yéle Haiti, will include supplies such as diapers, personal hygiene items, and disinfectants. The materials will be distributed to orphanages in Haiti.

A young boy in Nicaragua who received a second chance because of PROJECT C.U.R.E.		In Nicaragua, the second poorest country in Latin America, thousands of children are in need of heart surgery due to strep related complications and congenital heart failure. In 2008, PROJECT C.U.R.E. delivered a container, holding $640,000 in medical supplies and equipment, to Nicaragua, with 50% of the goods specifically designated for the treatment of heart disease in children. Over the next year, PROJECT C.U.R.E. will partner with the U.S. Navy and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to deliver health and hope, in the form of medical supplies and equipment, to eight countries in Central and South America as part of the U.S. Navy’s Operation Continuing Promise 2010.
Through this relationship, PROJECT C.U.R.E. will deliver medical relief to three countries in which it has not worked previously – Suriname, Guyana, and Costa Rica – and many others that have become long-standing partners with the organization in improving healthcare infrastructure and services. Of the eight countries on the 2010 itinerary, (Suriname, Guyana, Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Guatemala, Costa Rica, and Haiti) many are among the poorest on the planet.  In addition to the medical supplies that PROJECT C.U.R.E. plans to deliver, U.S. Navy and partner NGO medical personnel will conduct medical treatments and surgeries in their state-of-the-art facilities on-board the U.S. Naval Hospital Ship USNS Comfort. For Nicaragua, this means that more children will receive the heart surgeries they need, while PROJECT C.U.R.E. is able to help build the necessary infrastructure for the country’s doctors to save children well into the future.		Children in Guatemala who will benefit from PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s work.
		PROJECT C.U.R.E. is honored to participate in the U.S.’ ongoing commitment to help people in need in Central and South America. Each country presents PROJECT C.U.R.E. with new and exciting opportunities to provide much-needed assistance to doctors and nurses and the patients under their care. The organization looks forward to establishing and enhancing lasting relationships with the people of each country and is proud to work alongside other partner NGOs to deliver humanitarian aid and services that will make lasting impacts.

"Once again, thank you very much for your support to "Once again, thank you very much for your support to Ghana and Tepa," said Dr. Isaac Boateng of Tepa District Hospital. A PROJECT C.U.R.E. container of medical supplies and equipment recently arrived at the hospital earlier this week and was met with great appreciation from the community there. The container, sponsored by Newmont Mining Company, will support the continuation of the Hospital's treatment and care of people in the area. Newmont sponsored the container as part of its ongoing commitment to supporting communities in which it works.
		The arrival of the container meant greater mobility for one young boy. Living with paralysis in his lower limbs, he has not been able to move on his own. The wheelchair, provided by PROJECT C.U.R.E. with Newmont's assistance, will change that.

PROJECT C.U.R.E.’s founder and chairman emeritus, Dr. James W. Jackson, will be the welcoming speaker for the screening of the film: WATER FIRST: Reaching the Millennium Development Goals at the University of Denver on November 17, 2009. WATER FIRST draws the connection between clean water and all of the United Nation's Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Through the inspiring story of Charles Banda - a local fireman turned waterman who has drilled more than 800 fresh water wells for the people of Malawi - we see how clean water is a solution to many of the problems in sub-Saharan Africa and other impoverished regions.

In 2004, Banda completed a four-month marketing mentorship at PROJECT C.U.R.E. as part of a training program funded by Water for People’s Ware Fellowship Program. While PROJECT C.U.R.E. staff and volunteers helped Banda expand his marketing skills, he further educated them on the importance of access to fresh water in lowering instances of water-borne diseases, like diarrhea, dysentery and cholera. Both parties learned that water and healthcare infrastructure development are inextricably linked in the field of global health. “Charles Banda shares PROJECT C.U.R.E.’s passion and determination to save lives and to bring health and hope to the people of Malawi,” said Dr. James W. Jackson. “By collaborating with other local organizations to help build the capacity of the Malawi Freshwater Project, we can now see how Charles and his staff have multiplied the results a hundredfold in Malawi. He is truly an example of ‘goodness’ in global health.”

WATER FIRST Film Screening and Q&A with Charles Banda, Malawi Freshwater Project November 17, 2009, at 6:30 p.m. Lindsay Auditorium in Sturm Hall at the University of Denver 2000 E. Asbury Ave., Denver, 80210 Additional Speakers: Dr. James W. Jackson, Founder, PROJECT C.U.R.E. Ned Breslin, CEO, Water for People Katie Burke, Executive Director, Denver International Program RSVP to heidirickels@gmail.com.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. received news that a container of medical supplies and equipment recently arrived in Rukungiri, Uganda, at the North Kegezi Maternal Health and Child Clinic. Packed inside the container were infant incubators, patient beds, other pieces of equipment and various other consumable supplies. The container, valued at more than $400,000, was packed by volunteers in the Colorado C.U.R.E. Community on April 21, 2009. Mosaic Vision sponsored its delivery to Uganda.

A container for Regional Hospital Diego in Diego Suarez, Madagascar, also recently arrived and was greeted with celebration from the medical staff, the local community, and national government officials. As shown in the picture, the container inventory included infant scales, as well as other tools and supplies for maternal and infant care. The container was packed in Houston, Texas, on May 21, 2009. It was valued at more than $500,000.

Throughout the year, PROJECT C.U.R.E. organizes group volunteering sessions for companies and corporations small and large. Employee groups walk away from the experience knowing that they’ve helped to make a difference in global healthcare, typically without even leaving their home town. Also notable are the benefits for team-building and employee morale.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. would like to thank Intel and its employees for generously supporting its programs.

Over the last two years, groups of Intel employees in Phoenix have been volunteering at PROJECT C.U.R.E. Arizona at least once monthly. The Intel groups contribute to PROJECT C.U.R.E. by sorting donated medical supplies and loading containers. In October 2008, the company’s volunteers loaded an “anniversary container,” which was delivered to a clinic in Campinas, Brazil – the first facility to receive aid from the organization in 1987.

“We love working with Michael Medoro, Brooke Watson and the other staff members at PROJECT C.U.R.E. Arizona!” said Renee Levin, community relations manager for Intel. “We were thrilled to donate a vehicle as well as some medical equipment just recently.” This year, Intel donated a truck to PROJECT C.U.R.E. Arizona to use for procuring medical equipment and supplies in the Phoenix area. In recognition of its employees’ efforts, the company also donates $10 to PROJECT C.U.R.E. for every hour of service.

Intel volunteers help to sort donated medical supplies at PROJECT C.U.R.E. Arizona.

For more information about starting a volunteer program for your corporation or company, please send an e-mail to projectcureinfo@projectcure.org.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. would like to announce the beginning of a new partnership with Global Medical Brigades.

Throughout its years of operation, PROJECT C.U.R.E. has been working with various individuals, groups and organizations in order to expand and strengthen the reach of its programs across the globe. Recognizing the great opportunity to form stronger connections with individuals and groups who have previously delivered C.U.R.E. KITS, PROJECT C.U.R.E. has initiated a partnership with Global Medical Brigades in order to better provide teams with the necessary medical supplies used in their programs.

Global Medical Brigades is an international network of university clubs and volunteer organizations that focuses on providing communities in developing nations with sustainable health care solutions through short-term medical clinics. GMB is currently emphasizing its work in Honduras, where nearly 1,000 volunteers travel annually to deliver medical services in 40 communities.

PROJECT C.U.R.E. looks forward to improving its connection with Global Medical Brigades while working together to provide communities in developing nations with essential medical supplies, equipment and services.

Learn more about C.U.R.E. KITS and how you or your group can hand-deliver life-saving medical supplies and equipment into the hands of those who need them most.

For the last two years, employees from the Aspen Grove Banana Republic have been volunteering their time to sort medical supplies in PROJECT C.U.R.E.'s distribution and sorting center in Centennial, Colorado.

They recently produced a video to share their experiences with other Gap Inc. employees and the general public, which was entered into Gap Inc.'s The Ultimate Happy Hour contest. You can help Aspen Grove Banana Republic / PROJECT C.U.R.E. win the contest, and $10,000 to deliver medical relief around the world, by viewing the video, voting for it, and spreading the word to your friends and family to do the same.

View the video now.

Every time you watch the video between now and June 12, PROJECT C.U.R.E. receives one point and moves closer to winning $10,000. (One view per computer per day.) With the prize, PROJECT C.U.R.E. can deliver $200,000 in medical relief to people who need it most!

Thank you for your support!