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| IN THE NEWS |  |
Earthquake Hit Haiti
On January 12th a 7.0-magnitude earthquake hit Haiti, the strongest in more than 200 years. Two aftershocks of 5.9 and 5.5 magnitude came minutes later. Many homes and buildings easily collapsed including hospitals, schools and government buildings. We have been shocked by images and stories coming from the rubble of this disaster, and we have prayerfully sought how to respond with compassion and faithfulness to Christ. WHPC has already collected over $14,000 to send to Haiti and is matching $10,000 from our Missions budget.
Meanwhile, we have been looking to find the best way to steward this money. When disasters occur, typically it is those who were already vulnerable who are the most deeply affected. In a country where one out of five children die before their fifth birthday, there is no room for more disaster. That being the case, WHPC has decided to partner with Compassion
International in relief assistance within Haiti helping those vulnerable young ones in Haiti.
Compassion International already has the infrastructure and staff in place in Haiti waiting for the support to help those in need. All funds raised in response to the Haiti earthquake will be used immediately to re-equip Compassion’s local support structure and to provide for the immediate needs of Compassion-assisted children and families. Compassion International also has proved to be a trustworthy, faithful organization during times like this.
You can still donate by cash or check to WHPC or online at compassion.com.
(Note: 2009 Tax Benefit: Charitable contributions made Jan. 12 - Feb. 28 2010 in response to the Haiti earthquake can be claimed as itemized charitable deductions on your 2009 tax return instead of waiting to claim these on your 2010 tax return.)
As you can imagine, their need is overwhelming. This is where we cling to what we believe and hold true. We are to be faithful to our role in God’s larger story of redemption and seek to follow Christ into the needs of this world. Thank you for your generosity and let us continue to remember our brother and sisters in prayer. |
| WHPC Members ... In The News | |
Debber Wilder
Bert Kruger Smith Vision Award:
AGE (Austin Groups for the Elderly) Awards Dinner
April 23, 2010 at the UT Alumni Center; 6 - 9 PM
Recognize the achievements and contributions of vision, time, dedication and money that have made a significant impact on the older adult community in Central Texas.
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Bert Kruger Smith Vision Award:
Debber Wilder, Greater Austin Cares
Debbie Wilder has been a leading force in bringing social-model respite care for people with dementia to the Central Texas region. Dedicating hundreds of hours each year as a volunteer, she continues to innovate services for seniors by creating a new program for people with the early stages of Alzheimer's disease, providing programming that enhances the quality of life for participants and allowing for a much needed break for caregivers.
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Foundation for the Homeless' 2009
Spirit of Compassion Awards Honorees
In every heart there is a God seed. Attend to it with compassion. Shower it with hope. Warm it with love. And it will grow and give abundance for generations to come.
Please join us in congratulating Foundation for the Homeless' first Spirit of Compassion Award honorees--- leaders in ending homelessness in a spirit of compassion, hope and love. We will celebrate these honorees on November 19, 2009 at the Mexican-American Cultural Center.
Planter- honors a founder or someone involved in poverty issues at the root level.
June and Morris Davis
Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church, founders and long-time board members of Foundation for the Homeless.
Rod Welsh
September 1, 2009
Early this summer, the Texas legislature passed a bill that codifies a protocol for folding the flag, and now Texans have an official method for folding the Lone Star Flag.
Section 1: Requires that this Act be known as the Rod Welsh Act, in honor of Rod Welsh, Sergeant-at-Arms of the Texas House of Representatives, who is primarily responsible for developing the method of folding the state flag of Texas established by this Act.
Diane Herrington, a 2009 Five Who Care winner, shows her care for the elderly in snapshots.
It's always uplifting to meet volunteers making a difference in our community. This Five Who Care winner blends her love for the elderly and her passion for photography.
Beverly Chasse
Manos de Cristo announced the addition of Beverly Chasse, President/CEO of Chasse Consulting: Sales Strategies Inc., to their Board of Directors. Manos de Cristo, meaning “Hands of Christ,” is a non-profit organization devoted to helping those in need in Greater Austin and the surrounding areas. Manos de Cristo provides programs and activities, which help the working poor become self-sufficient and meet their physical and spiritual needs. These programs include a food pantry, dental clinic, clothes closet, and multiple educational programs.
As a board member, Chasse will be partnering with other leaders in the community to further the mission of the organization. Chasse is no stranger to such leadership roles. In 2002, she started her own company, Chasse Consulting: Sales Strategies Inc. With 25 years of leadership experience in field sales, sales management, sales operations, and training, Chasse has helped Fortune 500 companies improve their sales performance.
Although she is devoted to the success of her clients, Chasse commits part of her time and her company’s profit to reaching out to children’s charitable organizations. She has spent hours volunteering for Manos de Cristo, including her most recent task, which was providing school supplies, clothes, and coats for the children of Manos de Cristo. Chasse also works with local villages in Africa so that every child in poverty can get the chance of defying the odds and overcoming life’s challenges.
David Barstow
In 2006, an interview with a rock star shook David Barstow out of his complacency toward the AIDS crisis in Africa. In the interview, U2 singer and global AIDS advocate Bono questioned why it was taking Christians so long to respond to the spread of AIDS in Africa. “I felt like he was talking to me,” says Barstow, a member of Westlake Hills Presbyterian Church.
Barstow could no longer sit idle while the crisis in Africa continued to grow. “I like to say Bono wrecked my life,” he says. Barstow is the founder of Empact Africa, an organization that tackles the devastating stigma of AIDS in Zambia. The organization leads workshops that train pastors how to lead their congregations and communities away from the public shame of HIV and toward healing and education.
Extracted from the Westlake Picayune, 2009
To learn more about Empact Africa, go to www.empactafrica.org
John Doty, MD
In 2008 John Doty, MD closed his clinical practice of medical oncology in Austin to work full-time as Executive Director of Austin Samaritans. He helped form that 501(c)(3) non-profit in 2007 with friends who wanted to make a real difference in the developing world. The organization works primarily in Nicaragua, the second poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and in its first year its impact grew so rapidly it necessitated a full-time commitment on Dr. Doty’s part.
Summer 2009: The Travis County Medical Society spotlighted Austin Samaritans' Founder and Executive Director, Dr. John Doty in their summer newsletter.
To learn more about Austin Samaritans, go to www.austinsamaritans.org.
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