Aug 14, 2019

Ornstein-Schuler Announces Support for Alpharetta-based Non-Profit “Helping Children of Venezuela”

When countries face an economic and political crisis it’s sadly the children who are too often caught in the middle and the result is a daunting humanitarian crisis.  That’s what is happening right now in the country of Venezuela where, as the Washington Post reported recently,To be a child in Venezuela today is dangerous….the government systems that once coordinated services for the poor have collapsed, and children have been among those hit the hardest.”

Fortunately there are important non-profit organizations in our home state of Georgia who are working to do their part to help children in increasingly desperate circumstances.  To that end, Ornstein-Schuler announced today that it is donating $25,000 to the non-profit, “Helping Children of Venezuela” (HCOV), which is based in Alpharetta, Georgia and has developed innovative efforts means to distribute important medical and food supplies that save the lives of these innocent children.  In doing so, since 2017, HCOV has sent thousands of baby supplies such as formula, powdered milk, vitamins with iron, baby food pouches, and diapers to hospitals and parishes with hundreds of children in need.

“The continued decline in the Venezuelan economy and the growing humanitarian crisis shows no sign of ending anytime soon making it important that the global community come together and do whatever it can to help the children of Venezuela,” said Ornstein-Schuler President Frank Schuler.  “Just as we’ve worked to support our local communities and children here at home, we are committed to doing so abroad as well and particularly as Venezuela faces a dire humanitarian crisis.  HCOV has been doing very important work and Ornstein-Schuler is proud to help support their efforts.”

HCOV Board Chairman and President Carmen Garcia-Jersild said today, “This is our largest donation to-date and will make the difference in how many children’s lives we save.  We are so thrilled to have the support and generosity of Ornstein-Schuler and that their organization understands the importance of Americans supporting the global community.”

In August of 2019, the U.N. Refugee Agency summarized the problems in Venezuela as “marked by corruption, hyperinflation, one of the world’s highest homicide rates, food and medicine shortages and the largest exodus in the recent history of Latin America.” Today, the average working adult has lost 40 lbs over the past 24 months and because of hyper-inflation cannot even walk out of the grocery store with the basic necessities to sustain the lives of themselves and their family. And while all Venezuelans are in harm’s way, children are the most vulnerable with 48% of the malnourished Venezuelans of the  age between 6 months and 2 years, with 16% being babies younger than 6 months.

If you are interested in learning more about Helping Children of Venezuela and/or lending any kind of financial assistance, please contact Carmen Garcia-Jersild at this email: helpingchildrenofvenezuela@gmail.com

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