Thanksgiving Life 2011

I hope everyone had a pleasant Thanksgiving.

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As I reflected on my life, I felt gratitude for my family and friends, and all the resources and opportunities we have living here in the United States.

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In other parts of the world, as you know, it can be a very different story, which is why I created, and you support, MicroAid—which stays focused on victims of disasters after the world’s attention has moved on. Thank you for that.

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I wanted to let you know that MicroAid has almost completed it’s fundraising for the Samoa projects. We are so close, in fact, that we are planning the recovery work there for March 2012. We will be delivering agricultural and fishing kits to tsunami affected families, and building canoes for one village, which is cut off from direct road access to the market and schools. Each village in Samoa is like an extended family and what benefits one benefits all.

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I feel we have a MicroAid family now, too. Reaching our goal of $30,000 was helped considerably when Robert Sherman made a donation though his family foundation of $10,000. That must have inspired our friends at Cantor Fitzgerald because they also donated $10,000, thanks to Edie and Howard Lutnick. The balance of the funds have come in generous donations from wonderful individuals—some began donating to MicroAid when it was only an idea in 2009. Since then, MicroAid has directly helped dozens of people in Sri Lanka, and now will positively impact hundreds more in Samoa.

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This fall, MicroAid was chosen by a Pepperdine University nonprofit leadership class to be one of their real-life charities to receive student-consultant advice. The team from the university is helping prepare a Peru disaster assessment, so we can help victims of the terrible flooding that has devastated the Cusco region in recent years.

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Hotels and buildings by the Vilcanota river after torrential rains in Machu Picchu.

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And through our work, MicroAid has garnered a formidable network of supporters in the field—including the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank, Mercy Corp, Direct Relief International, the Red Cross, Operation USA, Habitat for Humanity, USAID, WorldVision, Oxfam, Save the Children, and dozens of other private and governmental organizations.

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On the cyber-front, MicroAid is beefing up its social media presence. I will soon send out a specific email about following us on Twitter, friending us on Facebook, and connecting to me on LinkedIn. We already have pages and accounts set up, so if you use these tools please feel free to “follow,” “friend,” and “connect” with MicroAid International.

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So as we head into the holiday season, I want to wish you all the best, and to thank you for your support and encouragement for MicroAid.

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We have truly made a difference in people’s lives, and with your help, will continue to do so.

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Thank you.

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Sincerely,

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Jon