LASER request volunteers, donations for Haitian relief effort - Your help is needed

EUSTIS — Lake And Sumter Emergency Recovery (LASER) is providing a unique opportunity for Lake and Sumter County residents to directly provide relief for Haiti.

“We are going to facilitate packaging 30,000 meals here in Eustis to be delivered to the Haitian people,” Michael Tart, Executive Director of LASER. “We need volunteers and donations to begin the hands-on effort to package these meals.”

The not-for-profit agency based in Eustis is partnering with Kids Against Hunger in the relief effort. Kids Against Hunger is a humanitarian food-aid organization that works to significantly reduce the number of hungry children in the United States and to feed starving children throughout the world. The meals packaged at LASER in Eustis will be delivered to Kids Against Hunger – Orlando Central Satellite.  Kids Against Hunger will then transport them to Fort Pierce for distribution in Haiti. The meals, which cost about 23 cents apiece, include healthy, vitamin-rich foods, such as rice and soy.

“Gov. Charlie Crist has asked Florida to step up and help our neighbors,” Tart said. “The State of Florida has given hundreds of thousands of dollars to Lake County during its times of need, and I think this is our opportunity to help repay those efforts by responding to this overwhelming need.”

Those interested in volunteering to help package the meals are encouraged to contact the LASER office at 352-483-1029 or submit your request via e-mail to leisa@laserfl.com .  We will package meals on Thursday, January 28th from 5pm - 8pm and on Friday, January 29th from 10am - 4pm.  Volunteers must be registered / signed-up by Wednesday, January 27th.

The Lake County Board of County Commissioners created LASER shortly after the devastating effects of the 2004 hurricanes. As a registered 501c3, not-for-profit organization, LASER’s mission is to strengthen recovery efforts from any disaster in Lake and Sumter counties. LASER conducts these operations through a coordinated communitywide approach, which provides for the immediate and long-term unmet needs of local citizens. In addition, as a not-for-profit organization, LASER has the ability to accept private and public donations to fulfill unmet needs of residents.

For more information about LASER, call (352) 483-1029.  Donations for the Haitian relief effort can be made by sending a check to: Lake And Sumter Emergency Recovery, Inc. (LASER) 27 E. Pinehurst Blvd. Suite B, Eustis, FL 32726.