Eblen Center for Social Enterprise Program Teams with Mission Hospital and    Others to  Save Lives of Forgotten Orphans of Haiti

It has been more than a year since  NBA legend and NASCAR analyst Brad Daugherty took the stage with the Vinyl Brothers Band at the Orange Peel in downtown Asheville to raise funds for those  devastated by the hurricanes in Haiti. Time has passed since we all first saw those horrific scenes across our television screens which now may seem to be a distant and fading memory, but the ramifications of that terrible event still remain at the forefront of thousands of lives.

The need for food, medication, and other life sustaining essentials are as prevalent as ever, especially for the thousands of children left without their parents, families, and homes.But this past week more than 7,000 meals have been provided to the orphaned children of Haiti now living in the Dominican Republic, thanks to the kindness and vision of Carol McKown of Legacy Global Charities and the Fallen Sparrow Foundation; Brad Daugherty; Bruce Thorsen of the Mission Hospital; and the commitment and innovation of Milkco, Eblen Charities board member George Suggs, Mission Hospital, the Eblen Center of Social Enterprise’s Beyond all Borders program and CitiHope.

The 7,000 meals are going to feed the children of the island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) one of the most impoverished areas of Dominican Republic.  Despite the wonderful work of those caring for the children, at least five have died from malnutrition and thirty or so were severely malnourished.

But thanks to this unique and what may seem unlikely partnership these children will not only have hope but the food they so desperately need as well.

“It is very easy to forget these children whose lives have been so harshly changed by the events in Haiti more than a year ago once the media coverage has moved on to other things. But these children’s faces and plight has never escaped my thoughts,” states Brad Daugherty. “ So when Carol McKown came to us with this wonderful opportunity to be able to reach out to so many in need our decision was easy…lets go.”

“But of course this couldn’t have been done without the wonderful partnership with Bruce Thorsen, Mission Hospital, Legacy Global Charities, and CitiHope. And even though we had the food and everything was in place, this project would never have happened without the efforts of the Eblen Center for Social Enterprise’s Beyond All Borders program and that of George Suggs and Milkco who put together the transportation to ensure that this half-ton of food would actually get to these children in the Dominican Republic. Thanks to them our shipping costs were reduced to $450 and no local funds were used. It is important for everyone to know that the funds that Eblen Charities and the Brad Daugherty Foundation raise locally stays in our community and special projects such as this come from donors across the county and the world,” continues Daugherty.

“Eblen Charities and Mission Healthcare Foundation have once again partnered on a special project. Eblen arranged with Milkco locally and CitiHope  in the Dominican Republic  o help direct supplies to an orphanage Milkco locally. Mission Foundation and Mission Children’s Hospital have operated a local chapter of the Kids Against Hunger international program for the past two years. Area youth groups, church groups and adults regularly package nutritious dry meals here in Asheville that are shipped all over the world” states Bruce Thorsen, president and CEO of Mission Healthcare Foundation.

“The packages hold six meals containing high protein soy, vitamins and minerals mixed with rice which is a universally-accepted food in all cultures.  All that is needed to reconstitute the meals is boiling water. Mission’s Kids Against Hunger chapter donated a pallet of this food which is over 7,000 meals packed in easy-to-move boxes so it can be distributed by mule, llama or small motorized vehicles anywhere in the world.” Thorsen continued.

Our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who joined us in this wonderful opportunity in providing food and reaching so many forgotten children who are fighting for their lives.

For more information on Beyond All Borders and the Brad Daugherty Foundation please contact Bill Murdock at 828-242-2848, eblenfound@aol.com, or visit www.eblencharities.org. For more information on Mission Hospitals Kids Against Hunger please visit www.missionhospitals.org/hunger.  And for information on the Fallen Sparrow Foundation please visit www.fallensparrow.org