SupportAIDG

Hello Friends and Family! This is my fourth year supporting the AppropriateInfrastructure Development Group (AIDG). Many of you have contributed to and supported the causeduring previous years for which I am grateful. Over the years AIDG has made anincredible impact by incubating and providing support for businesses in bothGuatemala and Haiti. Much ofAIDG's most recent work has been in Haiti in response to the devastatingearthquake that hit this past year. While the earthquake has stopped garnering headlines on a daily basis,it's important to note that the country still needs support. In fact, just the other week I cameacross this article in USA Today (http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-09-11-haiti_N.htm)where I was shocked to read that just 2% of quake debris had been cleared! AIDG is and has been well positioned tohelp and provide support for this country in need. In the early days after the quake, AIDG, in partnership withMCEER and the engineering firm KPFF, fielded 11 structural and earthquakeengineering teams to perform rapid assessments of damaged buildings. The teams helped assess over 1400buildings including hospitals, clinics, schools, government buildings,warehouses, and homes. AIDG thenpartnered with Architecture for Humanity and KPFF to retrain masons in confinedmasonry techniques that would make buildings significantly more earthquakeresistant (560 masons trained to-date with more on the way). And in March, AIDG gave Haitian solarstart-up ENERSA, a $15,000 emergency loan to help it rebuild its factorydamaged in the quake. Prior to thequake, ENERSA was the fastest growing solar company in Haiti. For more details on these and other initiatives in bothGuatemala and Haiti go here: (http://www.aidg.org/impact/aidg-impact-in-haiti.htm)here: (http://www.aidg.org/component/option,com_jd-wp/Itemid,34/p,1576/)or here: (http://www.aidg.org/component/option,com_jd-wp/Itemid,34/p,1570/). The bottom line is that AIDG could not have done thiswithout support from individuals such as yourself. My hope is that I can raise $5,000 by December 1stto help AIDG continue to do its important work. I’m going to run a half-marathon along the way and will sendout periodic updates via Facebook and on my ChipIn page. Like last year, I will be matching, upto $500, the highest donation I receive. Please take a moment to lend your support. You can donateonline securely and easily at: http://aidg.chipin.com/supportaidg You can also give by cash or through check. Please make yourcheck payable to AIDG and put "Will Decaneas" in the memo line andmail it to me at the address below. Please forward this email to others who you think might beinterested. Thanks for your support! Will Decaneas23 Kenton Road, Apt 1Jamaica Plain, MA 02130