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Sawadee! This is the website for news and updates on the volunteer efforts of Alexis White and Clay Heaton to go to Khao Lak, Thailand, to assist in redevelopment of the Thai communities most affected by last December’s tsunami.

There are a variety of serious public health and economic development issues surrounding the aftermath of the tsunami. While initial relief donations and efforts were generous, continued effort is necessary to rebuild and restore communities of Thailand to their previous conditions. Many houses, schools, and facilities still need to be rebuilt. It is important that the Thai community be involved in translating those efforts into sustainable development.

The Tsunami Volunteer Center is a locally run non-governmental organization that is working in the Khao Lak area to achieve this goal. We will join the Tsunami Volunteer Center for the months of June and July to provide assistance in their specialty areas. Please see the Project Information Page for more information. We are currently seeking donations to help finance our trip to Thailand - click on How to Donate to find out more.

UPDATE: Thanks to the generous support of our 40 donors, we achieved our fundraising goal! Any additional funds donated to us through TwoHelp.org will be donated in their entirety to ongoing reconstruction projects in the Khao Lak area. Once the money is donated, we will post updates that detail the projects to which the money is given. Noteworthy local projects include the Cape Pakarang Boat Shed, which is building boats for the Sea Gypsy people who lost their livelihood as a result of the tsunami and 4kali.org, which supports Khao Lak area children orphaned by the tsunami. Thank you for your generosity, and help us keep the donations coming!

We will be posting updates on our work and experiences once we are over there. If you are interested in hearing about what is going on with the tsunami work, the Tsunami Volunteer Center, or us, check back here, or sign up for our E-mail Updates to get the latest from Khao Lak, Thailand.

To read more about Thailand, click here.

To see the list of donors, click here.

Alexis is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Population and International Health at Harvard School of Public Health, focusing on finding innovative solutions to healthcare financing and economic development in resource-poor settings.

Prior to moving to Boston last fall, Alexis spent ten months traveling in Africa and Asia. During that time, she lived and worked in a number of different communities, gaining valuable first-hand knowledge of and exposure to many of the issues facing people in developing countries. She volunteered at an orphanage in rural Tanzania for three months, spent time observing in an infectious diseases hospital in Bangkok, and worked at another orphanage in Thailand for two months.

Her professional background is in marketing analytics, developing marketing strategies for a variety of clients, both online and offline. She graduated from Dartmouth College in 1997 with a BA in Geography. Alexis is happiest when she is skiing, hiking, reading, or doing just about anything that gets her outside on a warm sunny day.

Contact Alexis: alexis@twohelp.org

Born in Los Angeles, raised in Raleigh, North Carolina, Clay Heaton has been interested in helping people through healthcare since an early age. His maternal grandparents worked in public health and regaled him with stories of international travel and aid work.

Clay graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1997, with a BA in International Studies. After working for several years in computer strategy game development, and then as a surgical technician, he returned to school to pursue a Master’s degree in public health. He’s currently completing the first year of the two-year MS program in Population and International Health at the Harvard School of Public Health. His primary academic interests involve the public health response to complex humanitarian emergencies. Upon graduation, he hopes to apply techniques from computer strategy game development to create an engaging interactive simulation to help train humanitarian aid workers.

In his spare time, Clay enjoys fishing, drawing, writing, cooking, sports that make him forget he’s exercising, and going to the movies. He has a dog, Julius, who lives with his parents in North Carolina.

Contact Clay: clay@twohelp.org

Twohelp.org has an email list, through which Alexis and Clay will provide updates regarding their work. If you are interested in following along, please click here and sign up for the list. You will be asked to confirm your subscription request through one email, after which time you will receive updates automatically.

Our Budget (per person)

• Airplane Ticket: $1178
• Thai visa costs: $50
• Travel costs within Thailand: $100
• Accomodations per night: $8 x 65 days = $520
• Daily food and water budget: $10 x 65 days = $650
• Daily displaced-persons food donation: $2.50 x 65 days = $162.50
• Daily miscellaneous: $3 x 65 days= $195
• Per Person Total = $1178 + $50 + $100 + $520 + $650 + $162.50 + $195 = $2855.50
• Grand Total = $2855.50 x 2 people = $5711.00

Fundraising

• Total Needed = $5711.00
• Total Raised = $5767.00
• Remainder = NONE!
• Percentage Raised = 100.98%
• Number of Donors = 40

Click here to view the list of donors.

What You Get in Return

To show our appreciation for your generosity, we would like to thank you with an original photograph of your choice from the options below. For each donation of $35 or more we will send you a photograph in the size of your choice (5″ x 7″ or 8″ x 10″) from the selections below. Each $35 increment entitles you to one more photo. For example, if you donate $70, please select two photos, $105, three photos - you get the picture (no pun intended!). We will film and produce a DVD that chronicles the rehabilitation work in Khao Lak that will be sent to every person who donates $100 or more. Finally, for a gift of $200 we will send you a framed and signed 8″ x 10″ photograph.

   Click here to view the photos.

With PayPal, you can either charge your donation on a major credit card or make a transfer from your PayPal account. Click on the button below to donate via PayPal.

If you donate via PayPal, you will be asked to enter your shipping address and photo number. If you mail a check to us, please include a note with your address and requested photo number(s). After you donate, your name will appear on the donor page. If you prefer to donate anonymously, please indicate so either through PayPal or in the note you include with your check.

Corporate sponsors are welcome! Their logo will appear on the donor page.

To donate by check, please make your check out and mail it to:

CLAY HEATON | TWOHELP

3 Clinton Street #6
Cambridge, MA 02139

If you have any questions regarding donations, please send email them to donate@twohelp.org.

We will be helping wherever we can, as we understand that the needs change on a daily basis. Our primary goal is to be useful, in whatever capacity is needed, in whatever way we can. Once we have arrived in Khao Lak and have gotten ourselves situated, we will update this site frequently with news of our day-to-day projects.

The following people have generously donated to Twohelp.org:

• Bob and Pam Winton
• Tom and Jeanne Andrus
• Don and Wanda Heaton
• Kari Huselid
• Rob Commisso
• Barbara and Eddy Myers
• Sarah and Matt Niess
• Dick and Roberta Heaton
• Carl and Evelyn Carelli
• Laura Carelli
• Kaiser Mejit
• The South / East Asia Pacific American Association of New England (thanks Piya!)
• Carlyn Capella
• Sondra Cornett
• Steve and Louise Coggins
• Rachel and Michael Wexler
• Jackie and Pete Dunning
• Scott Frederick - swe group, Raleigh, NC
• Bill and Sue Hart
• Anne Austin
• Daniel Kim
• Julie Smith
• Emily Smith and Ernie Tonorezos
• Tanya and Willie White
• Anonymous
• Drew Curtis
• Logan Clarke - Lobster Trap Co. Inc., Bourne, MA
• Andy Lai
• Jill and Gabe Farris
• Bill and Jane Demeritt
• Tessa and Glen Misiaszek
• Claire Reinert
• Lois and Georges de Menil
• Jo and Maria Jen
• Patty and Chris Arndt
• Ana Diaz
• Jane and Chris Heaton
• Kelly Heaton
• Amy Henry and Jeff Minors
• Christopher Boffoli
• Mark Schulze
• Greg Hanover
• Population and International Health Dept. at the Harvard School of Public Health

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Photos may take up to two weeks to arrive. Framed photos will take a week or two longer. DVDs will be available and shipped at the end of August.

Don’t forget to sign up to receive email updates from Thailand!

Photo no. 1 - Railay Beach, Thailand

Photo no. 2 - Boat on Railay Beach, Thailand

Photo no. 3 - Inle Lake Fishing Boat, Burma

Photo no. 4 - Inle Lake Region, Burma

Photo no. 5 - Glacier near the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro

Photo no. 6 - Lone Giraffe on the Serengeti

Photo no. 7 - Family of Elephants - Lake Manyara, Tanzania

Photo no. 8 - Sunrise on the Tanzanian Coast

Photo no. 9 - Victoria Falls, Zambia

Photo no. 10 - South African Village

Photo no. 11 - Sunset over Cape Town, South Africa

Photo no. 12 - Prayer Flags in Northern India

Return to ‘How to Donate.’