The CANA
JUNE, 2015
Cana [Kay-nuh]: A small community in Galilee where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding. The miraculous but simple gift allowed the people gathered to continue in celebration. (John 2: 1–11)
Chapter Recognition
Tampa, FL and West Texas A&M University
Tampa, FL Chapter
Tampa is Wine To Water’s latest up-and-coming chapter! Kaylie Kushmer, the Chapter founder and leader, found the inspiration to start a Tampa Chapter after traveling with Wine To Water to the Amazon in 2014.
The chapter has 10 members who held the their very first awareness event this past March 22nd on World Water Day. The Dubliner Irish Pub hosted over 80 people for the “WTW Chapter Jump Off Event” wine tasting; over $1,000 was raised for Wine To Water. The outdoor venue allowed for live music and donated food and prizes creating a successful event to promote the new chapter. Click HERE to view the first jump-off event video!
Kaylie has already planned several more upcoming events in Tampa to create more awareness for the chapter. They plan to host a Wine To Water 5K fundraiser to show the importance of water in our daily lives. She is also planning to create a “Just One Jam” event where local bands and venues donate tips and entrance fees from a night of festivities to Wine To Water. The hope is to make “Just One Jam” into a monthly event throughout Tampa. Lastly, she is planning to create a partnership with international golf company, Top-Golf, to host a “Just One Jam” event and to build off of a previous Texas Roadhouse fundraiser.
“While on a service trip in the Amazon, our trip coordinator asked us to write letters to ourselves that would be mailed to our homes after a few months. The service trip with Wine To Water was life-changing and my goal was to go home changed and bear the fruit. After receiving my letter in the mail months later, I realized that I had accomplished my major goal of spreading awareness and starting a Tampa chapter and it was the most fulfilling moment of my life so far. I’m truly excited to see where the Tampa chapter will go and how it will grow.” -Kaylie Kushmer
Kaylie and the Tampa chapter plan to take another service trip to the Dominican Republic this upcoming August. Wine To Water is very happy to have Kaylie and Tampa Wine To Water in the community!
If you’re in the Tampa, FL area and would like to get involved, email tampa@winetowater.org or go to their Facebook page below!
Tampa Wine To Water Facebook page
West Texas University Chapter
Since the fall of 2014, West Texas A&M University’s Wine To Water Chapter membership has grown to over 40 active members. Chapter leaders, Alfredo Rosendo, Casey Watson, David Marquez, Nata Molina, Brian Broadbent, and Dylan Wilhelm, work as a team to gather new and diverse ideas to promote the chapter on campus. With overwhelming support from the community and their university, the chapter continues to grow rapidly on campus.
A few of their previous fundraising events included a benefit concert in February featuring Shotgun Rider which raised over $1,200. Then, in late April, they hosted a Sand Volleyball Tournament in order to raise enough money to fund a well project in Honduras. Shortly after the event, the devastating 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal and the members collectively decided to donate the funds to Wine To Water’s relief efforts there instead.
Earlier this year, 5 chapter members and their faculty advisor, Kendra Campbell, participated in a Wine To Water service trip in the Amazon where they repaired broken wells and taught sanitation and hygiene lessons to a community in Peru.
This year, at a West Texas A&M University club awards ceremony, they were awarded the “Outstanding Organization of the Year” award after only one year of membership.
Wine To Water is very proud to call WT Wine To Water a student chapter.
“Creating a chapter from the ground up was hard work that took diligent labor from all that supported WTW. I am thankful for all our accomplishments and milestones, especially winning WTAMU Org of the Year. Great things are in the future.”
- Casey Watson
Their chapter goals for the upcoming year include increasing membership, partnering with more campus organizations, increasing community service participation, and they hope to send 10 members on another international volunteer service trip in 2016.
“Being able to not only take part in an organization on campus, but to start a new one from nothing has been such a roller-coaster ride for me and my peers. I am beyond grateful that God has put this burden in our member’s hearts to do something about the world’s water crisis. Our campus chapter has grown tremendously and has been a huge success. With great leadership, determination, and most importantly God, we are making a difference one drop at a time.” –Alfredo Rosendo
Upcoming Service Trips
Wine To Water offers service trips to water projects around the world. If you are interested in serving, it’s easy to get your company, school, church or just you and your friends involved.
For more information on upcoming trips and Wine To Water guidelines, check out our Service Trips Page HERE.
Dominican Republic:
- August 30th-September 6th, 2015
- October 3rd-October 10th, 2015
When you sign up as a volunteer in the Dominican Republic, you will get to make ceramic filters first-hand in the filter factory. We will teach you what materials go into the filter, show you how to mold them, fire them in the kiln, and then test them for purification. You will have the opportunity to get to know local families and distribute filters to their home.
Amazon:
- October 9th-October 18th, 2015
The Amazon is our most rustic and adventurous location for volunteers to join our efforts in providing clean water. Once you land in the jungle, you will hop on a canoe, head up the river to a nearby village to do water projects as well as community development. This could include: digging a well, repairing broken wells, teaching hygiene lessons, construction projects, etc. It’s a great way to dive straight into the culture as you sleep in a hammock each night and learn first hand about what it takes to dig a well.
Honduras:
- November 5th-November 14th, 2015 (Parent-Child Trip)
The Mosquito Coast is one of the most remote places on earth and is located on the northern coast of Honduras. La Moquitia, Honduras, is one of our more rustic and adventurous location for volunteers to join our efforts to provide clean water. This could include: digging a well, repairing broken wells, teaching hygiene lessons, construction projects, etc. It’s a great way to dive straight into the culture as you sleep in a hammock each night and learn first hand about the water projects and the reality of the water crisis.
Project Highlight
Wine To Water absorbs FilterPure to continue work
Wine To Water has been working closely with FilterPure Filter Technology since the Haitian Earthquake in 2010. Over the years, FilterPure has been an essential partner in filter development and distribution in international aid. As of April of this year, Wine To Water has officially assumed operational responsibility and ownership of FilterPure Filter Technology, and will continue to grow and manage the projects in the Dominican Republic where FilterPure built a factory a decade ago. We will also continue the great work FilterPure has done over the years at the Dominican Republic facility to progressively improve ceramic filter technology and host teams that want to learn more about our water projects. We want to thank Lisa Ballantine and the FilterPure Board for their selfless and amazing work in fighting the water crisis and for trusting Wine To Water with continuing their legacy in this effort. We are thrilled to work through this transition in close connection with our amazing local team in the Dominican Republic. Please come to the DR and join us, as we continue to bring clean water to those who need it the most.
