Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps and NetAid Join Forces to Move Americans from Awareness to Action. Merger Provides New Model for U.S. Education to Fight Global Poverty


Mercy Corps, the global humanitarian agency, and NetAid, a nonprofit that works nationally to empower young people to fight global poverty, announced today that they have officially merged organizations in a new effort to radically change the way that Americans – especially young Americans – learn about and respond to the challenges of global poverty.

The merger represents a new model for relief and development organizations committed to aligning U.S. public engagement on global poverty with the vast and immediate needs in the poorest regions of the world.

"Together, we seek nothing less than to transform a generation of leaders," stated Neal Keny-Guyer, chief executive officer of Mercy Corps. "We aim to bring the complex issues of poverty, aid and development to young Americans, the group best positioned to make lasting changes to the world's toughest problems."

NetAid's programs will collectively become an initiative of Mercy Corps and one of the central pillars in Mercy Corps' strategy to build a stronger, smarter U.S. domestic constituency committed to ending global poverty.

In spring 2008, Mercy Corps will open the doors of its new hunger and poverty action center in New York's Battery Park City. The center is an unprecedented initiative to build public awareness about how assets and access to opportunity can transform the lives of families living amid poverty, disaster and conflict around the world. The new center, anticipating nearly 100,000 visitors annually, will anchor Mercy Corps' and NetAid's combined education and outreach efforts.

"It was clear early in our discussions that Mercy Corps and NetAid shared tremendous compatibility in the areas that matter: values, vision, and strategy," explained Dr. Kimberly Hamilton, president of NetAid, who led the merger discussions. "While there are important economies of scale to consider in a merger, we understood immediately that a partnership with Mercy Corps would, most importantly, help us connect many, many more Americans with compelling reasons to reconsider their relationship to people winning against poverty every day."

NetAid's global education experience will provide Mercy Corps with a tested and successful model of applied youth engagement. The reach of Mercy Corps' work in poor communities globally will create more ways for young people in the United States to connect to their peers living under the constraints of poverty. In addition, Mercy Corps field staff will provide real-time, fact-based information about the successes, the set-backs and the progress being made in the fight against poverty.

"Given the disconnect between global social needs and the resources to support sustainable solutions, a merger such as this is a perfect model for the nonprofit sector," said Alfred Wise, president of Community Wealth Ventures. "We knew that both organizations could accelerate their progress by combining extraordinary existing internal assets." NetAid retained Community Wealth Ventures, a social enterprise consulting firm and subsidiary of Share Our Strength, one of the nation's leading anti-hunger and anti-poverty organizations, to explore potential partnerships.

Over the next several months, NetAid and Mercy Corps will develop an integration plan that expands the reach of current programs and lays the groundwork for new initiatives timed with the opening of the New York hunger and poverty center. The ultimate goal is to foster a richer conversation in the United States about global poverty that will, over time, build a more fertile environment for greater action.

GALLERY

So the gallery has been updated! You can either view the slide show by clicking the link on the right of the page. Or goto our gallery page and click on the album to view the pictures!

For Your Amusement

For your amusement...here is a picture of us stuck in a river in Mongolia. We had to bail out the floorboards. The bridge was out. It was dark and very silty. I'm full of excuses.

Anyway...please don't forget that it is never too late to DONATE to one of our worthwhile charities. Click on one of the links to the right. Even if you can only give a small amount...every little bit helps.

Also, for anyone who lives in Astoria and would like to do a good deed for a day...there are a couple of events that are seeking volunteers. First...we are looking for volunteers to work on New York Cares Day for Team Astoria Cares. The event will take place on Saturday, October 20 from 9:30am-3:30pm. Come out and have some fun helping clean up local schools. For information on the event and how to register, please contact Amy at AmyCeee@aol.com with the words "New York Cares" in the subject line. Second...we saw on the Joey in Astoria blog that Saturday, September 15 from 9am-12:30pm is the 21st Annual International Coastal Cleanup. You can help out at Astoria Park! Come down and register that morning. Please be sure to wear clothing that you can get a little wet and dirty in! For more information go to the Joey in Astoria website (http://www.astorianyc.blogspot.com/) or send an email to Karen.Overton@parks.nyc.gov

A Moment of Reflection

Some memories do not fade with time. For those of us who watched the Towers fall on September 11, six years ago, the images and grief of that day and the following days probably never will. This country, and indeed the world, was inevitably changed by the murderous actions of a few.

When I first signed up for the Mongol Rally, family and friends thought it was an incredibly bad idea. For some it was merely for comfort reasons - but I have never been one for a lazy beach vacation. For many others, worry for our safety, especially as Americans, was their primary concern. Arguments were waged and advice was given. In the end, my teammates and I ignored it all. And we will never regret that decision. All along our journey, strangers opened the homes to us. They helped repair our car. They fed us. Shook our hands. Asked questions about our families and lives at home. Smiled. Hugged us.

With politics, money and power dividing the world, it is easy to let our fears consume our lives. Although we should never forget the tragedies that happen in life, we must not let our anxieties lead us to make judgements too quickly. There will always be something to "fear" in the world. I just encourage everyone to take a journey like this. Off the beaten trail, away from the tour guides and cities. Kindness and openness exist. Only by getting out there can you really see that it truly is a wonderful world. And only by sharing with one another in this way can the openness spread.

In loving memory of all those we have lost and to a more peaceful future for all of us.

Amy

Czech, Slovakia and Hungary

Who knew Budapest would remind us so much of home... After seeing the Cafe Astoria, we couldn't resist having Greek food. Banking, lunch and a quick 15 minute tour down by the river and we were off again. Of course it took several hours to actually get out of Budapest. We will never complain about NYC traffic again. No...really. Our inability to read or find the names of streets had us following signs to the airport to get us out. At a petrol station on the outskirts of Budapest, a gentleman working for the AP in Hungary found a path through the gridlock to speak with us. He had heard of the Mongol Rally and wanted to meet us so he could follow our team website (and sign our car). Fame. And not even out of Europe yet. We promise not to let it go to our heads!

After leaving Prague, taking the wrong road and having to backtrack for an hour, Team MTA made up for lost time by blowing by numerous Rally cars. The VW was running well and the day was beautiful! Passed Jack Osbourne while driving through Slovakia. Guess which finger he is holding up as I take his picture?! Ah the camaraderie of the Mongol Rally. Made it to Hungary and found a great campground next to a sunflower field. After a long conversation with the charming young woman who was running the establishment and convincing her that we were not insane for covering a underpowered rustbucket with stickers and driving it to Mongolia we pitched our tents and had our first night under the stars.

Gallery

Its been a busy time for all of us over here at Team MTA. Thus picture posting has been going a little slower than we would like. While we will continue to to post pictures and stories here (and who know eventually some video clips?) I wanted to give everyone a link to a gallery that already has a few posted. . .

Click Here for the gallery.. or copy and paste the below address:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2017743&l=91efa&id=27100175

I know, I know. Some of you may be saying "facebook... don't i have to sign up for that??" truth to view this album- no. just click away and enjoy the photos. Cheers for now!