For Immediate Release

International Association for Human Values
For immediate release

Contact: Uma Viswanathan ▪ (617) 645-1428 ▪ umav@artofliving.org

Miami K-12 and University Students Sending Relief Material to Haiti
International Association for Human Values Distributing Materials through Haitian Youth Leaders

MIAMI – Thirty nine elementary, middle and high schools across Miami-Dade County, students at Florida International University, and youth from the Full Gospel Tabernacle Church have partnered with the humanitarian organization, International Association for Human Values to help provide food and supplies to the victims of Hurricanes Gustav, Hannah, and Ike in Haiti. On Sunday, September 28 during the morning service, Full Gospel Tabernacle will honor IAHV and the youth volunteers.

"Our youth need to value what they have and by giving to others we are instilling values in our leaders of tomorrow," says Marina Gasteli, Teacher of the Gifted, Sunset Elementary School, Miami FL. "Our students feel a sense of pride, generosity, and accomplishment when they participate in projects such as these. They see themselves as a team working for a collaborative effort."

The Haiti Relief Drive was announced to Miami Dade Public Schools on Monday, September 15. By Friday, classrooms were overflowing. Within just just five days, children across Miami Dade County gathered five truckloads full of canned goods, bandaids, teddy bears, clothing, and other supplies. On Monday, September 22, FIU undergraduates and IAHV youth volunteers collected the food, clothing, and supplies schools across Miami Dade County. All day Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, these youth, along with members of the Full Gospel Tabernacle Youth Center, sorted, packed, and unloaded, many staying past midnight.

Alba Gosalbez, FIU student, is inspired by her association with the organization. "It was absolutely amazing, the amount of goods we were able to collect and pack, but even more so, the short time we were able to do it all," says Gosalbez. "This was will power and compassion at its best; a truly beautiful and humbling experience." Leonor Armas, president of FIU Yoga Club is equally inspired. "Whatever movement we set into motion is going to carry on to the next generation," says Armas. "There's no better time to start a movement than now, when we can grow with it as part of it, and have young people grow up thinking this is how things are supposed to be."

In Haiti, extreme poverty and lack of proper infrastructure make it difficult for humanitarian organizations to ensure that their supplies and services reach the people who need them most. The hands-on involvement of IAHV ensures that the materials Miami students collect is distributed effectively.

The food and supplies they collect will be sent to 135 youth leaders in Haiti, who are trained in how to distribute the material and provide trauma relief through IAHV's Youth Leadership Training Program (YLTP). YLTP trains youth leaders, ages 18-25, from around the world to teach Breath Water Sound (BWS), a stress and trauma-relief program designed for low-income communities. The YLTP program incorporates training in reforestation and sustainable agriculture, given that 98% of Haiti's trees have been cut down.

This holistic approach fulfills both the physical and emotional needs of disaster victims. In addition, because the relief work is done by Haitian youth for Haitians, it plants the seed for the next generation of Haitians to rebuild their own country.

The 135 youth leaders will distribute food and supplies, as well as conduct BWS and hygiene workshops for hundreds of individuals traumatized by the disaster. YLTP graduates will partner with Friends of Petite-Anse/Corenord, an organization that has been working in Haiti on social, economic, and educational programs for more than 10 years. Through Friends of Petite-Anse/Corenord, the Haitian YLTP participants will collaborate with local Haitian schools, churches, governmental agencies, and NGOs to distribute goods and teach trauma relief and hygiene workshops.

Founded by humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, IAHV's mission is to develop a more peaceful, just and sustainable world through personal development programs that encourage practice of human values through service. The International Association for Human Values is a global, humanitarian, non-governmental organization affiliated with the United Nations and active in more than 140 countries.

Full Gospel Tabernacle is located at 9701 NW 7th Avenue, Miami FL. Sunday service begins at 10:00 am.