Charlotte-based Company Continues to Support Efforts of Child-focused Foundation
CHARLOTTE, NC – Jackrabbit Technologies, leading provider of online class management software for youth activities centers, once again provides hygiene supplies to some of the world’s most needy children. By participating in Project Clean, a program of Hope4Kids/Grain of Wheat International, Jackrabbit Technologies is helping to educate children in the most impoverished areas of the world learn about the importance of hygiene and receive hygiene items.
The company hosted a packing party where the entire Jackrabbit team and some family members worked in assembly line fashion to pack basic hygiene items of soap, wash cloth, tooth brush and toothpaste plus socks and gloves into almost 400 lightweight backpacks for distribution specifically to children in Ukrainian communities. The supplies filled more than 23 boxes totaling more than 320 lbs. (Above and at right, boxes start their trip to the Ukraine by being loaded onto trucks bound for Indiana.)
Cleanliness is one weapon that can be used successfully in battling many health issues that these communities face. But providing the hygiene items isn’t enough since – due to their living and economic conditions – most of these children have never even seen bar soap or a toothbrush and toothpaste. The Project Clean teams from Grain of Wheat and Hope4Kids deliver the supplies and provide education to the children on how to properly use their new hygiene items – and why it is important to do so. The socks and gloves were added because of the warmth challenges in the region of destination.
“We’ve seen some of the results of GOW’s efforts in these incredibly poor communities. Such basic items that we take for granted are treasures there.,” comments Mark Mahoney, Jackrabbit’s President and CoFounder. “This is a powerful way that we can have an impact on the welfare of a specific community. Hope4Kids delivers the backpacks that we pack and returns with amazing pictures of the children’s joyful faces as they learn about being clean. It’s a great program that allows us to see the difference that we make.”
Hope4Kids provides several programs with the mission of making a difference in the lives of children around the globe. The organization delivers crucial items that will improve the children’s well-being and remind them that they have a future and hope.
Statistics that illustrates the importance of this and other programs that focus on hygiene:
- 1 of 2 children in the world (1 billion) live in poverty
- 640 million live without adequate shelter
- 400 million have no access to safe water
- 270 million have no access to health services
- 10.6 million died in 2003 before they reached the age of 5 (or roughly 29,000 children per day).
- 1.8 million child deaths occur each year as a result of diarrhea
- Close to half of all people in developing countries suffering at any given time from a health problem caused by water and sanitation deficits.Source: GlobalIssues.org
“There are plenty of areas of need. In fact, there are so many that selecting areas to reach out to first is very difficult. Hope4Kids looks at the most impoverished areas in the world and delivers items that will help them use cleanliness to battle health issues,” notes Kim Westfall, Director of Grain of Wheat. “Jackrabbit’s efforts support a delivery that will be made to the Ukraine in early 2015. That delivery is one of several programs designed by our organization to continue to meet basic needs of children in the poorest regions of the world. We are excited about the financial and hands-on support that Jackrabbit provides to support our efforts and to provide hope to children around the world.”
Read more about Hope4Kids and Project Clean. www.hope4kids.us
Read more about Grain of Wheat International. www.grainofwheat.org
