IRFF

Stuttgart, Germany - Ending the International Year for the Rapprochement of Cultures (2010), UPF-Stuttgart organized an international Advent celebration on December 11. More than 70 people attended — young and old — to enjoy not only coffee and cookies but also various presentations of international art and culture.

London, UK - The UPF-UK Peace Council met at 43 Lancaster Gate in London on December 4 to review progress in national and international projects led by UPF-UK staff and Ambassadors for Peace and strategize for the coming year.

Tejarcillos, Costa Rica - Volunteers with the International Relief Friendship Foundation renovated facilities of the Light for the Nations Foundation and apartments for the elderly in an impoverished community on the outskirts of Costa Rica's capital city of San Jose.

Cap-Hatian, Haiti - This year's Haiti Summer Service Project took place from June 21 to 30. Once again we traveled to Cap-Haitian and worked with Mayor Fritz Joseph. This project was naturally more intense and serious than our past service projects due to the January 12 earthquake.

San Jose, Costa Rica - Join us for this summer's visit to Costa Rica to help renovate a center for abused children, learn about the challenges facing the people of Costa Rica, and explore one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Donations have helped reduce participant cost.

Cap-Haitien, Haiti - Since the January 12 earthquake, International Relief Friendship Foundation representatives have made three trips to the country providing relief work. In addition, $9,000 has been spent by IRFF on domestic and overseas shipping costs, to deliver donated food and medical supplies to the north coast of Haiti.

Cap-Haitien, Haiti - The Spring Break Service Project March 7-14 gave another opportunity for Women's Federation for World Peace and the International Relief Friendship Foundation and Service for Peace to work together to help people on the north coast of Haiti. On the foundation of previous trips to Haiti, Mrs. Betsy Jones, a psychiatric nurse who teaches trauma seminars in Albany, New York, joined the project.

The Supporting Success Scholarship Fund is soliciting help for gifted students from poverty-stricken families through GlobalGiving.com’s "Give More – Get More Challenge." Donations will enable 35 students in Zambia and 30 in Bangladesh to continue their education.

Our service project in Les Cayes, Haiti June 15-29 focused on building a culture of heart and service. We focused our energies on developing relationships between Haitian students and American students for the purpose of learning each other's cultures, traditions, and lifestyles. This journey that was foreign to all of us was embarked upon by 30 people from both countries. The vision for the service project was to promote one family under God.

Myanmar - The International Relief Friendship Foundation extends its thanks to the many generous donors who responded to its request for donations to assist people in Myanmar who lost their homes because of the floods following Cyclone Nargis that hit this Southeast Asian nation on May 2, 2008.

Flooding as a result of monsoon rains has hit southern Nepal and the Indian state of Bihar. The Kosi River burst its banks in Nepal on August 18 and changed course, breaching embankments and submerging all roads leading to the region. More than 60,000 people in Nepal and hundreds of thousands of people downriver in India have been displaced.