Due to the uncertainty that is plaguing our economy and high unemployment, increasing numbers of people do not have the resources to acquire treatment for health problems, or to sustain healthy living conditions. Sadly, this is happening to thousands of Americans across the United States.
In evaluating statistical data from the Florida Research and Economic Database, we realize today there are over 300,000 people living below the poverty in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties. Unfortunately, this number is continuing to increase on a monthly basis.
As a result of this condition, Charity Works is presently in the process of developing and administrating a special project (Give Hope USA™) designed to provide temporary wellness aid to the economically disadvantaged and health-stressed families and individuals.
Charity Works recently received a startup grant ($10,000) from Allegany Franciscan Ministries to help launch this program. The budget for the initial program is $25,000. An additional $10,000 to $15,000 dollars needs to be raised for the program to be fully funded. These funds will be used exclusively for the acquisition, assembly and distribution of specially designed Wellness-Medical Aid packs. These packs will contain a variety of products to help provide temporary relief to the undernourished and to those suffering from common, everyday ailments and illnesses. Our budget supports the acquisition, assembly and distribution of approximately 1,000 packs.
Through years of operation, Charity Works has developed relationships with various vendors, entering into agreements that enable us to purchase their products (consumable goods, etc.) at favorable terms at or below wholesale cost. These relationships give us an extraordinary capability to acquire merchandise and assemble these packs at a very low cost.
The Wellness-Medical Aid packs would contain approximately 40 products in three categories -- food supplements, hygiene products and over-the-counter medicines. It would also contain a small pamphlet with information on how to maintain a healthy diet for individuals living on or below a poverty level income; a prepaid transportation card, and a map containing a list of humanitarian assistance centers such as food banks, emergency shelters and free clinics, etc. located throughout the Tampa Bay area.
Charity Works will launch this project in November 2010 to cover the greater Tampa Bay area--Hillsborough, Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Our plans are to allocate quantities of these packs to carefully selected local community nonprofits that have the ability to distribute the packs to those most in need.
In an effort to sustain the program, Charity Works will include marketing efforts to encourage manufacturers and distributors to adopt the program for product branding considerations. Retailers will be encouraged to license the program as a cause-related program and potentially allow its customers to make in store, tax-deductable contributions to support the program..