Since 2006 I have been working throughout North and Central America in the fields of education and development. Through these experiences I have seen both best and worst practices in development, aid, and charity. The experience that had the greatest impact on me was the death of a community member when I was living in rural Honduras. What made this news so difficult was learning that her death could have been prevented with a simple procedure at the local health center. However, the corrupt local government had drained all funds for their personal use, and the health center did not have the equipment necessary to conduct the $50 procedure. A life was lost because of greed.
It is because of this experience that I understand the importance of ensuring that funds reach those most in need and that due diligence is required when selecting an organization to work with or before a donation is made. The St. Luke Foundation is an organization that I believe in because of its commitment to the people of Haiti and financial transparency.
Through the great generosity of donors and friends, the staff at St. Luke Hospital has saved thousands of lives. St. Luke’s provides access to a wide range of care for Haiti’s lowest-income families who otherwise would have nowhere to turn.
Most of the hospitals crumbled in the 2010 earthquake, and all too frequently international NGOs bring in staff and volunteers who help, but fail to work with remaining local facilities and fail to leave a stronger system when their time in the country expires. Haiti is in need of both healthcare and economic development options. Haiti is in need of both healthcare and economic development options.
Starting Tuesday, June 30th I will start a cross-country bike ride from Columbus, Ohio to the Pacific Ocean to raise awareness and funds for the St. Luke Foundation. I am funding this with my own money, and thus far have taken zero donations to pay for the journey. I want all donors to know that 100 percent of donations go to Haitian Programs and Haitian People and that the St. Luke Foundation has zero stateside overhead, allowing every penny to go to patients, students, outreach, and salaries for our Haitian staff. The St. Luke Foundation is a 501(c)(3 ) tax exempt organization and donations are 100% tax deductible.
Thank you for your donation and for spreading the word among your, friends, families, churches, social networks, etc.
Sincerely,
John Schilder