Therrrre baaaack!!
Yes Valentine’s Day has come around again and with it the opportunity to support a very important international health initiative, the Measles Vaccine Initiative. Please show your support by buying a few Chocolate Roses or helping to sell them. $2 goes a long way to keep this vital program going.
This year especially, we have quite a lot to reflect on in terms of the work the American Red Cross has done internationally. We were lucky to have passed through our own local ‘disaster season’ unscathed this year, only to see the not so distant country of Haiti succumb to one of the worst in recent history.
What the Saint Louis Area Chapter of the Red Cross was able to pull-off in terms of local fundraising for relief in Haiti has been truly impressive. And, the response of our community has been remarkable. With our own economy still battered and bruised, with families still out of work; to think of the chronic struggles beyond our own borders- this is asking a lot.
But in terms of impact and cost-effectiveness, the Measles Initiative offers a big bang for the buck. Meeting its 2010 benchmark in Africa three years early, the Measles Initiative was expanded to south and southeast Asia where measles related deaths continue to drop significantly (74% in three years!).
In places where clean water, sanitation, and even aspirin are scarce resources, the measles virus is anything but a common childhood illness. For children under the age of 5, the risk of death or permanent disability resulting from a bout with measles is very high. But the good news is, measles is effectively prevented with a vaccine that costs less than one dollar!
So for every rose you buy or sell, you are helping to vaccinate two children against this disease. Plus, because this program has been so cost effective, we are now also able to provide mosquito netting to prevent the spread of malaria (another significant cause of death in developing countries), and vitamins and other health supplements for children. $2 goes a long way with this program!
So, give a tasty gift to a friend or loved one and feel good in knowing that you are also helping to make life a little better for someone else too!
Thank you so much and please do not hesitate to get in touch by phone or email to get your roses in time for Valentine’s Day!
Michael
Michael Braeuninger is the supervisor of international services for the St. Louis Area Chapter.