Sunday, April 5, 2009

Operation Security Blanket Overview

I would like to tell you about a project that has captured my heart and hopefully after reading this letter it will capture yours as well. For the past 22 years some friends of ours have operated an orphanage and children’s home in Guatemala. Just recently I returned from a trip to visit them where I could see the children and the orphanage first hand. First let me say how blessed we are. I recently read that if you make more than $20K per year, you are in the top ten percent of the wealthiest people on earth. I now firmly believe that statistic.

One of the critical needs of this orphanage is for security. If you read the U.S. State Dept. travel information on Guatemala (www.travel.state.gov) you will see that there is dangerous activity, especially surrounding the adoption of children. This is because of a very real threat of crime, kidnapping & other violence that can be common in Central America
By experiencing the need first hand & spending time with the children it has persuaded a few colleagues & I to try to do something about it. That is why we have started Operation Security Blanket. This is simply an attempt to raise the equipment & funds to install a fully integrated Intrusion Detection & Digital Video security system in the orphanage compound. Since we all work in this industry we felt it was an opportunity to give back & provide real security to some people who could really use it.

While we were at the orphanage in Solala, Guatemala in March the team was able to do a walk through & design the needs and requirements of such a system. Attached is an equipment list with the items still needed. We are currently looking for donations of these items from other security industry manufacturers.

Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) has been gracious enough to donate all of the intrusion products that will be needed for the project. We have also been fortunate that Peter Harlick, Publisher of Security Dealer and Integrator Magazine has agreed to write a cover feature article on the project upon its completion, including some progress updates along the way. Additionally, Atlas Security of Springfield, Mo is sponsoring the installation supervision, and will be overseeing the volunteers that will return next spring to do the installation. We are currently seeking additional sponsors to come on board to supply the other items required. We have secured a non-profit organization that supports the orphanage on a monthly basis (High Street Baptist Church) and they have agreed to write letters of donation for all of the equipment or other donations that come in for this project. So your contribution will be tax deductible.

In short we are trying to create a win-win-win situation to provide the security so desperately needed by these children while they wait to gain the security of a loving family here in the US. Would you consider coming on board and being a part of this great project? Contact me Directly at OperationSecurityBlanket@gmail.com.