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World Water Relief's mission is to significantly improve the health and well-being of people worldwide by providing access to clean water for both disaster relief and sustainability.
Like air, most of us living in developed countries take the availability of clean water for granted. However, for more than one billion others, safe, clean water is a luxury not yet experienced. In fact, for far too many people, accessible water is more likely to cause serious illness - and even death - than to sustain life. Over 3.5 million people die each year of waterborne illness. Three million are children and most are in developing nations.
World Water Relief is dedicated to combating this appalling crisis. Our approach includes selecting the right water purification technology for the need at hand, extensive local training on the maintenance of the system, ongoing follow up on system performance and education of children and adults on preventing the spread of waterborne disease.
To learn more about us and how you can help end the water sanitation crisis, click here.
Please take a moment to view the above video. It provides an in-depth view of our work in Haiti and of the people there who persist in their efforts to bring Haitian schoolchildren clean water and sanitation education.
We are extremely grateful to Atlanta independent filmmaker David Bruckner for his video documentaries of our work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
On the short list of life's necessities, clean water is second only to air.
Please help us continue our work in Haiti by making a donation today.
About Us
World Water Relief was launched in 2008 with the goal of bringing sustainable water purification solutions to people within developing nations. Initially funded by a generous donation from First Water, Inc., an Atlanta, Georgia based water purification and disaster relief organization, World Water Relief has already provided thousands of people with the life-saving gift of clean water -- and our work has just begun.
Although our long-term goal extends worldwide, our near term focus has been on bringing clean water for drinking and sanitation to the sugar-cane labor camps in the Dominican Republic. These impoverished communities (known as bateyes) house sugar cane workers and their families under deplorable, unsanitary conditions, without access to clean water for drinking or basic hygiene. ( Read more about our work in the bateyes.)
On January 12th, 2010, our Board of Directors met to plan our third water purification installation in the Dominican Republic. During that meeting, we received news of the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Although our charter didn't necessarily encompass disaster relief work, we agreed that our knowledge of and connections in that part of the world could make a life-saving difference if we responded quickly to this crisis. We were right.
By Friday, January 15th just three days after the earthquake Board member Dr. Kevin Fussell and Program Manager Ben Seidl left for Haiti, each carrying a portable, solar powered water purification system. That same day, we arranged to ship an additional 10 portable systems to the area which Ben and Kevin later distributed throughout Haiti. This was the first of two emergency relief trips Ben and Kevin would make together to Haiti. It was also the beginning of our Haiti Program which focuses on building a better, stronger and healthier future for Haiti. Ben and Kevin chronicled their trips to Haiti in real-time for our World Water Relief-Haiti blog.
Our current work in Haiti now combines installation of water purification systems with extensive education on hygiene basics and tools to measure and track the impact our solutions have on the communities we serve. (Read more about our Haiti Program.)
World Water Relief is a 501(c)3 charitable organization.
Preparation for
trip to Haiti following
the January 12th
earthquake.
Our People
World Water Relief's Program Manager, Ben Seidl (left) and Board member
Dr. Kevin Fussell delivered and installed portable water filtration units immediately following Haiti's devastating earthquake.
Lee Burleson comes to World Water Relief as a highly experienced senior sales executive and entrepreneurial leader. His Corporate expertise includes leadership in the areas of general management, sales and customer marketing in the highly competitive consumer package goods industry at PepsiCo and Quaker Oats.
His corporate experience combined with entrepreneurial ventures in commercial real estate and, most recently as founder of Genoa Consulting Partners brings has already proved to be a invaluable asset for World Water Relief.
Mr. Burleson consistently demonstrated a track record of achievement leading large teams to exceed profit, market share and revenue goals. Included in any description of him must be his broad based functional expertise including national sales, operating general management, customer marketing and corporate strategy.
Additionally, Mr. Burleson completed specific training programs at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, Executive Negotiating Skills, the University of Southern California Food Industry Management Program and the PepsiCo Executive Leadership Program, Darden University and London.
A graduate of Auburn University, Mr. Burleson is married with two children and currently resides in Cumming, GA.
Kevin M. Fussell, M.D.
Pulmonary Critical Care, Salem Chest Specialists
Kevin M. Fussell, MD is a Pulmonary/Critical Care Medicine physician with Salem Chest Specialists in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Dr. Fussell graduated with a BS in Biology from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia, and completed his Doctorate of Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He then completed his Internal Medicine residency and Pulmonary/Critical Care fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee. While there he had the honor of serving as a Hugh J. Morgan Chief Resident during his tenure.
Dr. Fussell has played a leadership role in four medical/surgical outreach trips to Barahona, Dominican Republic, where over 300 surgeries have been performed. In addition to these surgeries, over 2500 medical patients have been cared for in the mobile clinics that traveled to the underserved areas of this community.
Dr. Fussell came to World Water Relief looking for a solution to the lack of access to potable water in the Bateys around Barahona, and the collaboration led to World Water Relief's first installation of a water purification system.
Dr. Fussell brings medical expertise to the efforts of World Water Relief that will allow the organization to expand its scope into other areas of health and sanitation. The hope is that his outreach organization can serve as a model for others looking to accomplish similar goals in which World Water Relief will provide leadership as well as being a funding mechanism for those organizations in need.
Pete Hellebush has over 30 years experience in packaged goods marketing and retail and catalog management.
In more than 22 years with the Sara Lee Corporation, he held a number of senior executive positions including managing 45 distributor partners throughout North and Central America for Sara Lee Hosiery and leading the retail and catalog businesses for Sara Lee Direct building revenues to over $500 million. From 1996 to 2001, Mr. Hellebush was President of Flows Drivers Mart and VP Marketing for the national start-up of the Drivers Mart consolidation initiative leading to the sale of Drivers Mart to AutoNation. Subsequently, he was a co-founder of International Legwear Group, serving as COO and Chief Staff Officer. Mr. Hellebush is a founding partner in Piazza Investment Holdings.
Mr. Hellebush received a Morehead Scholarship to attend the University of North Carolina where he received an AB in Economics; he received an MBA in Finance from the Wharton School.
Bronwyn M. Morgan
Chief Executive Officer
Sweetwater SBD
Morgan is classically trained in CPG management, sales/business development, consumer/ brand marketing, new venture and client management with two global consumer goods leaders: The Coca Cola and Procter & Gamble Companies.
Dr. Daniel S. Papp
President, Kennesaw State University
Daniel Papp became the third president of Kennesaw State University July 1, 2006. Prior to being named president by the Board of Regents, Dr. Papp served as senior vice chancellor for academics and fiscal affairs of the University System of Georgia. Senior vice chancellor since 2000, he was responsible for system-wide academic, faculty and student issues and concerns; business and financial affairs; academic and business information-technology systems; and strategic planning affecting all of the university systems 35 institutions.
Mary M. Plumstead
Chief Executive Officer, HR Views
Mary Plumstead has over 20 years of corporate experience as a senior Human Resource and Communications Executive. She numbers among her employers and clients Automatic Data Processing (NYSE: ADP), American Express (NYSE: AXP), First Data Corporation (formerly NYSE: FDC; now privately owned) and Global Payments, Inc (NYSE: GPN). She is also a successful entrepreneur.
Throughout her corporate career, Mary has specialized in leading and managing the human side of dynamic change resulting from acquisitions, public offerings, reorganizations, rapid growth initiatives, relocations and workforce reductions. Her approach to HR combines creative strategy with tactical leadership. Her strengths are in stabilizing organizations throughout change or crisis, while achieving the desired business objectives. She has consistently earned the confidence of senior leadership for her focus on aligning HR strategy with business objectives.
In 1999 Mary fulfilled a longstanding entrepreneurial and creative goal. She founded Plumsteads, LLC, which grew into a successful international wholesaler of fine home accents to the retail and interior design trade and included customers such as Saks, Gumps, Dillards and Home Depot's 10 Crescent Lane catalog. In 2007 she returned to Human Resources full time and has since been dedicated to her HR consulting practice, which has most recently included engagements with UBS, Deutsche Bank, Lecroy Instruments, Unitrends, Corcoran-Ota Architects, Newell-Rubbermaid and AXA-Equitable.
Mary lives in Atlanta, GA.
W. Clayton Sparrow
Governance Committee Chairman
Partner, Business Law Group
Seyfarth, Shaw LLP
Clay Sparrow comes to World Water Relief with decades of legal experience. He is a partner in the Business Law Group of the Atlanta, Georgia based law firm Seyfarth Shaw, LLP. At Seyfarth Shaw, his areas of responsibility include providing general legal and business advice and documentation for domestic, foreign-owned and multinational businesses.
Mr. Sparrow's areas of practice are: Corporate (Mergers and Acquisitions; Corporate Counseling & Commercial Transactions); International; Labor & Employment (International). In addition, He has experience in the following areas: providing general counsel to manufacturing and sales companies, including U.S. operations of multinational companies; divestitures, acquisitions and mergers; business financing transactions; contracting for production and engineered projects and processes; negotiating marketing and distribution arrangements for sales of goods and services; technology licensing and joint ventures; and antitrust and trade regulation.
Graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology in 1968, Mr. Sparrow went on to earn his J.D. at the University of Georgia School of Law where he graduated, cum laude in 1976. In 1979, he earned his M.B.A. from Georgia State University.
Mr. Sparrows affiliations include the American Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia where is as served on the Board of Directors for two terms, Chaired the International Transactions Section for one term and was on the Committee on Revisions to Georgia's Corporate Code.
Dr. Lawrence Wood (Honorary)
Dr. Lawrence Wood is a graduate of Presbyterian College and Columbia Theological Seminary. He retired from active pastoral ministry in July, 2008, after 45 years serving as senior pastor of churches in Mississippi, Arkansas and Georgia.
Dr. Wood has served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Presbyterian College, the Medical Benevolence Foundation, the Outreach Foundation and numerous local agencies.
Dr. Wood was a participant in the Georgia Leadership program and the Savannah Leadership program, as well as the White House Conference on Hunger. His permanent home address is in Livingston, Texas.
Donna Peoples
Managing Director
Ms. Peoples extensive experience in the non-profit sector includes both leadership roles and Board positions for several notable organizations.
Before joining World Water Relief, Ms. Peoples served as Executive Director of the Pensacola Little Theatre/Pensacola Cultural Center. She had previously served as the Executive Director of the Missouri Chapter Lupus Foundation. In addition, Ms. Peoples was named Professional Fundraiser of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and is currently a volunteer mentor for the Kennedy Centers Arts-in-Crisis program. She has served as a Board member for the United Way, West Florida Hospital, the Arthritis Foundation, Rehabilitation Foundation of Northwest Florida, the Junior League of Pensacola, Florida and of St. Louis, Missouri. She was also charter member of Impact 100, a women's philanthropic organization based in Pensacola, Florida.
Prior to entering the non-profit arena, Ms. Peoples also served as the editor of Pensacola Magazine where she received numerous writing awards. Ms. Peoples is a business graduate of Purdue University.
e-mail Donna
Ben Seidl
Program Manager
As Program Manager for World Water Relief since early 2009, Ben oversees all of the water projects in developing countries. He is 2008 graduate of Boston College, where he finished with a finance major and a faith, peace and justice minor.
e-mail Ben
Kelly Spires
Enrolled Agent
Kelly Spires & Associates
Kelly Spires is an enthusiastic, high energy tax and accounting professional. She is a highly valued and trusted advisor to her corporate and individual clients. After graduating with her Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology, she began her career working with the J.R. Burke, CPA firm. In 1999, after acquiring a wealth of knowledge regarding individual tax, corporate tax and financial bookkeeping, she joined Russell & Associates based in Atlanta, GA. There she continued building on her area of expertise and the ever changing Internal Revenue Service code. While at Russell & Associates she earned the designation of Enrolled Agent from the Internal Revenue Service and is licensed to practice before the IRS.
Kelly began her own practice at Integrated Financial Services in Atlanta in December of 2007 specializing in taxes and wealth management. It has enabled her to work one-on-one with her individual clients; developing more than just a business relationship - to become a trusted partner to each of her clients.
Her clients are assured by her unwavering focus on accuracy and uncompromising insistence of following generally accepted accounting principle and IRS code. She has been called upon for expert testimony on several occasions.
Kelly's passions are running, gardening, volunteering for non-profits including Autism Speaks, Childhood Cancer, and the night shelter. Her first priority is spending quality time with her family of 3 daughters, 3 sons, and two grand children. Kelly is a member of Apostles Church in Atlanta and resides in Alpharetta, Georgia with her husband, Steve, an executive with BPI group.
Nate is the new Program Assistant/Program Intern for the projects in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
He will graduate in the Spring of 2011 from the University of South Florida with both a Masters in Antropology and a Masters in Global Health. His professional interests focus on water and sanitation public health work, community development, and the interaction between social issues and health. He enjoys hiking, backpacking, learning new languages, creative writing, and reading. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in History and Anthropology from the University of Florida.
e-mail Nate
Key to the success of World Water Relief is an active, committed Board of Directors. By bringing together expertise from the business, financial, governmental and philanthropic communities, World Water Relief benefits from creative and knowledgeable direction. While we rely heavily on Board members and other volunteers to contribute their time and talents, we also have a small but highly accomplished staff who manage to accomplish more than teams many times their size. Click on individual names for biographical information.
2008-2010 Board of Directors:
Staff:
Lee Burleson, Chairman
President
Genoa Consulting Partners
Dr. Mo Baptiste
Assistant Professor, Department of Education, Ithaca College, New York
Punita Gandhi
Principal and Insurance Vertical Market Leader, Diamond Management & Technology Consultants, Atlanta
Taylor Green
CPA, Atlanta
Kevin Fussell, MD
Pulmonary Critical Care
Salem Chest Specialists
Peter L. Hellebush
Piazza Investment Holdings, LLC
June Lewis
Director of Consulting Services, Innovar Partners, Atlanta
CEO & Principal, HR Views
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
Pastoral Ministry (Retired)
Program Director
Timothy Douglas
Jean Jean Baptiste
Nathaniel Dickey
Program Assistant
Our Programs
World Water Relief's efforts to date have focused on bringing water purification systems to the people of Hispaniola, the Caribbean island containing the Dominican Republic and Haiti.
World Water Relief has been working in the central plateau of Haiti since July 2009, completing a clean water project in the rural town of Mirebalais. When the earthquake hit in January 2010, we were prepared to help. With strong in-country contacts, prior experience and emergency-designed, portable filtration equipment, we were able to mobilize a strong and rapid response to the disaster. As conditions stabilized and the situation turned from emergency to rebuilding, World Water Relief returned to the central plateau to concentrate on what it does best - long term, sustainable development.
In the southwestern area of the Dominican Republic, along the border with Haiti, are Haitian refugee and sugar cane worker camps called bateyes. There are currently eighteen bateyes along the border and hundreds more around the country, each housing between 1,500 to 3,500 people. Living conditions for these workers and their families are deplorable. Shelters are sparse and in disrepair and they are denied the many primary needs for survival, most importantly, clean water for drinking and sanitation. Working with our Program Affiliates, World Water Relief is bringing clean water and new hope to the Bateyes.
We partnered with USAID and the Mayor of Mirebalais to plan and coordinate a clean water program for the area. A strategic plan was then laid-out to bring water filtration projects to three large schools in the town of Mirebalais. Children in these schools currently drink highly-contaminated water and have sanitation facilities in unusable conditions. The most important aspect of our clean water school project is our hygiene education course that provides students with the knowledge, skills and motivation to improve their health. With these abilities in hand, students then become agents of change in their community...sparking the beginning of real, generational change.
World Water Relief has adopted the ambitious goal of installing water purification systems in ALL eighteen bateyes. We began with a successful installation at Batey 7, where 2,900 men, women and children now have access to clean drinking water. The video below details life in the bateyes, and the beginning of a transformation for Batey 7 with the installation of life saving water purification equipment.
Thank you Project Unum for the great, informative video and for featuring us in June!
Learn about the Bateyes and our work in the Dominican Republic
Support Partners
Program Affiliates
World Water Relief cannot operate without the generosity of our partners, the help of our affiliates and people like you. It is only through the commitment of individuals and organizations that World Water Relief is able to help thousands of people get life saving access to clean water.
Our Support Partners help increase awareness, keep us connected to life saving water technology, and help raise funds for specific programs.
Our Program Affiliates ensure that local resources are selected and thoroughly trained to operate and maintain the water filtration equipment so it will last for decades.
Pan American
Development Foundation
World Vision
BLITS Worldwide
Rotary International
Individuals
US Aid
Partners in Health
Learn more about how you can help
Federal Express
Media inquiries:
World Water Relief
Tel: 404.242.1601
Fax: 770.993.9770
E mail Donna
ABC WORLD NEWS FEATURE! Click on picture for the article!
Media Coverage
Press Releases
HaitiNewsRelease_WWR_01_13.pdf
WWR_toHaiti_0115.pdf
BLITS RELEASE.doc [Compatibility Mode].pdf
There are several ways you can help bring clean water to those most in need. Since we rely entirely on donations to fund our equipment, we are most grateful for any amount you can spare.
There are other ways to help as well. Raising awareness through social and business networking tools can expose millions of people to this critical need. And, volunteer opportunities do arise -- just ask!
Donate to support our cause.
Learn about us and spread the word.
Visit our blog and leave your comments.
Visit our You Tube Station.
Comment on our videos
and send links to friends and family.
Contact Us
Questions? Ideas? We'd love to hear from you!
info_WorldWaterRelief.org
Water Is Life Event
The Board of Directors is hosting
YES, we'll be there ( make your selection below)
Date: Saturday, October 22nd
Time: 7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Place: 1075 Peachtree Street NE. 25th Floor
Attire: Snappy Casual
$50 Per Attendee
Water Is Life is a charitable Benefit Fundraiser to provide clean water to schools in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Join us for a cocktail buffet, entertainment, silent auction, and a brief presentation about our projects.
NO, we can't make it (make your selection below)
Click our logo on the right to download a 'Save the Date' pdf
Save_The_Date_WWR.pdf
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World Water Relief is a 501 (c) (3) charitable non-profit organization.
