Valley PR Blog

IABC & PRSA UNITE TO HELP HAITI

By Charlotte Shaff on March 11th, 2010 In Hype!

Jessica Hansen, IABC Phoenix President and Abbie Fink, PRSA Phoenix President

VALLEY COMMUNICATORS UNITE TO DONATE URGENTLY NEEDED ITEMS TO HAITI EARTHQUAKE RELIEF EFFORTS

More than 80 volunteers from IABC Phoenix and Phoenix PRSA collected and assembled 455 hygiene kits; raised over $575 to help those in need

In response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti, the Phoenix chapters of the International Association of Business Communicators (IABC) and the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) organized a social event last month in which members and Valley communicators donated items for 455 completed hygiene kits and raised more than $575 for earthquake relief efforts in Haiti.

“Following the tragic event in Haiti, I received phone calls from my clients asking about ways in which they could get involved and lend a helping hand,” said IABC Phoenix President Jessica Hansen. “The best part was that they weren’t doing it for the recognition, but because they truly wanted to help. I began to think about ways in which I could help and knew communicators here in the Valley would pull together and make a difference.”

Last month, more than 80 volunteers from IABC Phoenix and Phoenix PRSA united to assemble hygiene kits filled with urgently needed supplies for Haiti’s earthquake survivors. Each kit included a hand towel, washcloth, wide-tooth comb, nail clippers, soap, toothbrush and bandages. Members collected supplies after learning that hygiene kits can mean the difference between sickness and health for struggling Haitian families. IABC Phoenix and Phoenix PRSA donated the supplies through the Church World Service, one of the American Institute of Philanthropy’s top-rated charities involved in Haiti relief.

In addition to the 455 completed hygiene kits, Valley communicators donated an impressive amount of additional items, including several large boxes of bar soap, toothbrushes, hand towels, Band-Aids, toothpaste and other hygiene items that could not be used to make additional hygiene kits but were donated locally to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul in Phoenix and given to those in need here in our very own community.

“It was amazing to see Phoenix PRSA and IABC Phoenix members, as well as other communicators throughout the Valley, come together in support of others in need,” said Phoenix PRSA President Abbie S. Fink. “I was impressed to see everyone come together in one night to pull together donations, but at the same time I wasn’t entirely surprised as I know our community is extremely generous.”

In addition to the many contributions made by countless individual members, several corporate supporters provided assistance as well, including the Biodesign Institute at ASU, BlueCross/BlueShield of Arizona, MediaWatchAZ and Active Voice Communications, LLC. A special thank you is also owed to Heritage Graphics for supporting this effort and sponsoring the hygiene kit shipment.

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