Update: Meeting X

Hello All!!

EDIT: SUNDAY'S MEETING IS CANCELLED. THE NEXT MEETING WILL BE NEXT SUNDAY. MORE TO COME LATER!
THE CSS BENEFIT CONCERT TICKETS WILL STILL BE SOLD ON MONDAY, TUESDAY, AND WEDNESDAY. THANKS!

We have reached our tenth meeting! It will be held on Sunday at Bobst Library from 5-7:00pm.

Also, this coming Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, SRM will be selling tickets in conjunction with CSS for the CSS Benefit Concert. Tickets will be sold at the Stern lobby. Please come to support our cause and buy tickets in advance for the event!

Thanks!

Upcoming Events

Hello everyone!

We have several upcoming events:

1) We will be hosting a bake sale this week, from Monday Nov. 23 to Wednesday Nov. 25, during the times of 1-5pm at Stern. More cookies, cake and brownies are coming your way! We will also be selling tickets for the CSS Benefit Concert - $5 per ticket. Buy them early so that you don't have to pay a more expensive fee at the door!

2) The CSS Benefit Concert will be on December 3. Hosted by NYU's CSS club, there will be numerous performers, including Magnetic North, and SRM will be present to provide your tummies with some goodness.

3) That same weekend, on December 6th, there will be another concert in NYU's Kimmel Center. It will be a small concert with any proceeding donations going to the cause. Red bands of the earthquake relief will also be on sale.

That will be all for now. Keep checking for more updates!

Thanks!

Website Update

Hello all!

We have a new, official website! Check out: sichuanreliefmission.org

Please do check it out and spread the word!

Thanks to all who have shown support so far!

Shout out to Columbia's Culture Shock! Our baked goods and bubble tea (especially the bubble tea) were an instant hit and we managed to make a good amount of money during a ten-minute intermission.

Meeting IX

Wow - we are up to Meeting 9!

It will be held tomorrow at LL2-08, from 6pm to 8pm at Bobst Library.

Please join us if you can!

Thank you!

Bake Sale Update

Hi all!

Yesterday we hosted another bake sale selling scrumptious goodies. We didn't make as much as we did during our first one - but every little cent helped! Thanks to all that came and supported us.

Another update is that next Saturday, November 21, SRM will be at Columbia University's Culture Shock event. A performance-filled event, SRM will be having a table there selling more baked goods. This is part of our outreach program to more schools, more students, more people. We are happy to be given another opportunity to continue establishing our connections at Columbia. If you can, please do come in support for us!

Thanks!

Sichuan Relief Mission Trailer

This is the new trailer for the Sichuan Relief Mission, compiled by footage from the documentary.

Update: Meeting VII

Hello all!

Our next meeting will be:

Room: LL2-08
Date: Sunday, November 08, 2009
Time: 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

See you there!

Event Tonight!

Everyone, please stop by tonight at the Lafayette dorms for Game Night!

Sign up for the tournament ($5 entry fee) and play Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart, Guitar Hero and more to your heart's delight!

Address is:
80 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10013

Party will be going from 5:30-12 Midnight!

If you are off campus, please send an email to lx240nyu@gmail.com and ask to be added to a guest list so that you can enter the dorms.

Winner of the tournament wins half of the proceeds going to the relief mission.

Update: Meeting VI

Hello all!

Sorry for the late update on what went on at Meeting VI.

Meeting VI was mainly a refocusing of the group and our mission. Kevin has come up with an executive summary that stated the purpose of the mission. We also outlined the goals of the mission itself. Currently we need to work on creating a business plan, as we want to expand our fundraising efforts to people outside of the student community.

Here is a brief look at the summary. This was mainly what we discussed that day:

I. Brief statement of problem

In 2008 the Sichuan Earthquake claimed 70,000 casualties, and left 4 million people homeless. Due to waning relief efforts, and the administrative burden on the Chinese government, there are still over 2 million homeless nearly two years later. Many of these individuals reside in Beichuan County, an area situated at the heart of the Sichuan earthquake. Beichuan County, once economically prosperous, lost 80% of its buildings and 21,000 of its residents, which is nearly two-thirds of its population. In addition to nearly all of the school facilities, the Beichuan County School system lost 1300 out of its 2900 student body. Most relief efforts have been focused around the less devastated Wenchuan County, and although the city of Beichuan itself is being reallocated by the government, thousands of people in the region still remain homeless. The Sichuan Relief Mission is dedicated to helping these forgotten victims of the earthquake.

Dengjiaxiang is a central village to which many of the surviving victims moved to. Dengjiaxiang is situated just five miles outside the Beichuan County township, and is now home to over 600 households, over 95% of which are currently homeless. Dengjiaxiang is also home to many orphaned students; nearly 100 primary students currently attend school in a portable building.

II. Goals and Objectives

The Sichuan Relief Mission aims to target these three particular issues:

1) Continue to supply need-based relief to impoverished individuals

The survivors of the Sichuan Earthquake in Beichuan face growing financial burdens. Villagers' wealth were firmly invested in farmland and property. The earthquake and the resulting landslides destroyed 80% of buildings and nearly all arable land. Families' saw life savings disappear overnight. Currently Dengjiaxiang is the home to these newly created migrants. 95% of the populous, almost 600 households, live in temporary housing, large slums composed of scrap metal shacks. Unemployment is at an all time high as the Sichuan economy as a whole struggles to recover. In past trips SRM has provided villagers with basic necessities, subject to needs at the given time. Relief packages have included cooking materials, water jugs, and toiletries.

The Sichuan area experiences harsh winters, particularly the mountainous Beichuan county, with temperatures regularly reaching -3 C (China Daily). SRM's Winter Relief Mission will provide relief packages that include materials needed to survive the harsh winter: blankets, warm clothes etc There are currently 300 targeted households that SRM plans on distributing supplies to.

2) Initiate long term solutions by rebuilding community-based infrastructure

The primary school in Dengjiaxiang currently lacks a full staff and building to house them. Through fundraising efforts in Shanghai, SRM has raised half of 20,000 USD needed to rebuild the school, providing nearly 100 students every year with a fuller education. The school is the first step in SRM's goal to switch from providing relief to rebuilding the area. In the long term, reconstruction of a school will provide a more lasting impact than temporary need-based materials. After SRM's winter mission and the construction of the school in February, we will continue to pursue community reconstruction projects, and find long term solutions for Dengjiaxiang.

3) To raise awareness for the victims of the Sichuan Earthquake in Beichuan.

The SRM film team is currently working on a full length documentary focused specifically on the Beichuan area. In this film SRM aims to demystify the Sichuan earthquake, and to raise awareness for the thousands still homeless and hungry in Beichuan county. Through the film, and photographic documentation, SRM plans to launch a post mission marketing campaign in hopes of capturing a broader audience, and ultimately receiving funding to create the desired long term solution: rebuilding of Dengjiaxiang.

Thank you to all who have supported us so far and continue to support us! We hope you understand our goal, and our determination to fulfill it.