Island-Based Fundraising Efforts Bring Safe Drinking Water to Haiti

Thanks to several Daniel Island-based organizations – and the quick and generous response of island residents, businesses and employees – thousands of people in Haiti will soon have access to fresh, clean, safe water as they continue their plight to recover from the devastating earthquake that struck earlier this year. Separate fundraising efforts led by Providence Baptist Church and the Daniel Island Company combined raised more than $17,000, enough to fund a Living Water™ Treatment System from Charleston-based Water Missions International (WMI). The System will be shipped to Haiti later this week.

The initiatives began in the days following the January 12th earthquake. Island residents wanted to do something to help, and island-based Providence Baptist Church agreed to coordinate efforts by collecting funds on behalf of WMI. More than $7,000 was quickly raised.

Meanwhile, the Employee Advised Fund (EAF) of the Daniel Island Company chipped in by making a $10,000 contribution to WMI. The EAF is funded by employees of the Daniel Island Company, Daniel Island Club and Daniel Island Property Owners Association, along with employees and sales associates at Daniel Island Real Estate. Voluntary payroll deductions and contributions are matched dollar-for-dollar by the Daniel Island Company. The $10,000 contribution marks the remainder of a four-year, $20,000 pledge to WMI that was initiated in 2008.

Representatives from Providence Baptist Church and the Daniel Island Company and its subsidiaries visited the WMI facility this week, where they adorned the treatment system with notes and prayers of hope for the people of Haiti. One resident brought notes from the students in her daughter’s second grade class at the Daniel Island School, which will be shipped along with the unit.

“On behalf of Water Missions International and the people of Haiti, we so appreciate the generosity of the Daniel Island residents, the Daniel Island Company, and Providence Baptist Church to provide the financial resources to implement a safe water system capable of providing safe water to 5,000 people as part of our disaster relief efforts,” said Brad Reed, President and Chief Operating Officer of WMI. “The personal notes and prayers written to the people of Haiti are a welcomed and meaningful part of connecting donors with recipients. We’ve already received two personal Emails from leaders of the receiving communities in Haiti thanking Water Missions International and our donors for the life saving provision of a safe water system.”

When the unit arrives, it will immediately be installed and capable of producing enough water to serve the daily needs of approximately 5,000 people in disaster relief. Hopefully, the notes and prayers from the people of Daniel Island will also provide some sense of hope for the people of Haiti that they are not alone in their plight.