Safe Water Nexus in East Tennessee Provides Disaster Relief for Haiti

Safe Water Nexus in East Tennessee is on a mission to provide safer living, sustainable communities, and spiritual cultivation in countries around the world. This is something they do on a daily basis, but during times of great disaster their mission has to move into warp speed.

I had the opportunity to talk with Matt Chambers from Safe Water Nexus over the weekend about their efforts for Haiti.

Stacy: How has the public responded since the earthquake in Haiti?

Matt Chambers: Public response has been overwhelming. Completely unexpected - not because we didn't believe people would step up, but simply because we didn't think our small organization could make this kind of splash. We literally have thousands of people responding in Missouri, Kentucky, Georgia, West Virginia, Tennessee, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois and even British Columbia in Canada!

Stacy:You have a team that will be on the ground in Haiti on Monday. How many are in the team and what are the plans when you get there?

Matt Chambers: We are taking a team of six. Flying a charter jet into Santo Domingo, DR and driving our supplies across the border.

Stacy: What are you and your team going to be doing when you get to Haiti? Will you just be giving out supplies? Or do you all help in other areas as well?

Matt Chambers:We will be working in a major health clinic, distributing our supplies and working in a children's home. While we consider ourselves "delivery boys" and not necessarily first responders, we will of course invest ourselves in whatever they need us to do. Our main goal is to provide high need med supplies and water purification devices.

Stacy: I appreciate you taking the time to chat with me, Matt. Anything else you want to add before I let you get back to what I'm sure is a busy time right now?

Matt Chambers:Well, just make sure people understand that this is a long term project. While there are obviously immediate needs, the rebuilding will last long after the public eye finds something else. My challenge is for people to stay tuned in.

Monetary donations are great, but there are other items that are needed as well. Basic medical supplies like bandages, alcohol, neosporin, over-the-counter pain relievers, and surgical gloves can be donated. They also need things like diapers, canned foods, batteries of all sizes, blankets, and flashlights. You can view a complete list of items or make donations by going to the Safe Water Nexus website.

Sources:

Matt Chambers from SafeWaterNexus