Report on Allocations

Report of Funds Allocated/2004

October 12, 2004

From: Jim Alexander, Chair of Funds Allocation Committee

Dear Fellow RIRPCVs,

I would like to thank all of you who sent in recommendations to the Funds Allocation Committee. All of you may recall the decisions that were made at the last 2003 meeting of the group:

1) To approve a group of volunteers to serve as a Funds Allocation committee. I agreed to chair this committee, and the following members volunteered to serve on this committee: Barbara Fontaine Karen Balanger Faith Fogle Virginia Paine Dan Kubis – Meyer As the new group leader, Jenifer Moskalenko also joined this committee.

2) The second decision made at the last 2003 meeting was to approve a donation of $250 for UNICEF.

No other donations were authorized to be made at that time. The committee met on 10/06/04 with all of the above members present except Dan Kubis – Meyer and Faith Fogle.

Nine (9) organizations and/or projects were recommended for donations:

1. International Institute of RI

2. Bridge House

3. Project Salvador

4. Malawi Children’s Village

5. UNICEF

6. Global Teach Net

7. Library in Namibia

8. Childhood Lead Action Project

9. Country of Haiti (through CARE)

The total amount of money available was $2,000 (leaving enough in the bank for operating expenses). The committee basically agreed to use simple criteria to make the funding allocation decisions:

a) To select one project or organization for a relatively large donation

b) To select one or two projects for smaller donations

c) To select organizations/projects that we felt our donation would make the greatest impact.

d) To leave sufficient funds in the bank account for operating and emergency expenses (about $500).

e) The committee agreed that to be fair to all organizations nominated, future criteria would be to use rotation as a means of preventing the same organizations/projects from being the recipients of our funds every year.

Based on the above, the committee selected the following organizations and/or projects to be funded in 2004:

People of Haiti $ 1,000

Bridge House$ 300

Library in Namibia $ 300

Malawi Children’s Village $ 300

Total approved allocation$ 1,900

It should be noted that Barbara Fontaine, Treasurer, donated an additional $200; $100 going to the Childhood Lead Action Project, and $100 going to the Community Food Bank. Therefore, the total amount donated in 2004 is $2,100.

I would like to thank my committee members for a fair and objective process for deciding where our donations will be made.

Respectfully Submitted, Jim Alexander

Organizations Receiving Donations in 2004 People of Haiti through CARE: Funds will help the victims of the recent hurricanes.

Bridge House (Providence, RI): Funds will help immigrants with immigration issues and adult literacy.

Library in Namibia: The mother of a PCV from Charlestown, RI started this library in memory of her daughter who was killed in an automobile accident during her service.

Malawi’s Children Village: This program is one that Jennie Crook’s daughter's mother-in-law began two years ago in Malawi at the Malawi Children's Village. Nettie has established a sewing center by first buying machines in Malawi and material and training students and staff at the Children's Village, an orphanage that was started by Peace Corps volunteers. Each summer she travels to Malawi bringing additional materials and spends about a month working in the program. The program is now run by Malawians and in addition to sewing uniforms for students, they are starting to branch out and sew for hotels and other institutions in Malawi. It has been fascinating to participate in this grass roots effort and watch how the program has become successful.

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