Posted September 22, 2015

 

With so much activity going on in the industry these days, let me take a moment to step back and say this:

 

Y’all rock.

 

The textile industry has always been a giving lot, something I’ve known a long time. I occasionally hear about various events from industry reps to raise funds for this or that, and all are for great causes. I heard of one recently that really struck me as a true testament to the industry’s generosity, and the cause was quite remarkable.

 

Preston Aldridge, a longtime member of our industry and the Southern Textile Association (STA), told me about Haitian Hope, a mission partnership designed to enhance the educational program at St. Marc’s School in Trouin, Haiti. I was taken aback by the work being done through this volunteer mission and how much members of the textile industry have stepped up to contribute.

 

In 2006, Haitian Hope was organized in response to the overwhelming needs of a desperate people as described by a team from St. Francis Episcopal Church in Macon, Ga., who visited Trouin, a remote town in the mountains of Haiti. Because many children walked to and from school without bringing lunch, the mission started a free lunch program – its first steps in supporting the school. After the 2010 earthquake that devastated the island country, the mission expanded to help build a new school in Trouin.

 

"The Haitian literacy rate in 2015 is 52.6 percent," said Aldridge, who works for Ford Trimble & Associates, a company that since 1939 has served the textile and related industries by providing equipment and systems for nonwovens, technical and industrial fabrics and the traditional woven sector. “Employment was 60 percent before the disaster in 2010; however, that only tells part of the story. Nearly two-thirds of the population do not have a full-time job and there are no prospects for that to change. Life expectancy is less than 63 years. The statistics are bleak, especially for a small village such as Trouin. Education and literacy mean freedom – and hope.”

 

Since the earthquake, donors’ generosity has enabled Haitian Hope to respond to the incredible needs of people affected by unfertile land, a hostile climate, lack of government social services and inadequate infrastructure, he added. The mission provides salaries for teachers, lunch for 300 students plus staff, school supplies and required uniforms.

 

The mission averages about $60,000 in funds raised per year, Aldridge said – thanks in large part to the U.S. textile industry, particularly STA members, he added. In May, mission members organized the fifth annual golf tournament in Macon, collecting more than 50 hole sponsors. Among STA members and/or textile companies or suppliers that supported the cause this year were Morrison Textile Machinery Co.; Inman Mills; Gaston Systems; Southeastern Processing Equipment & Controls (SPEC); TSI, Inc.; Lintech International; Republic Textile Equipment Co.; R.A. Moore, Inc.; 1st Defense Solutions; and FTI.

 

"Without the extraordinary generosity and support of the textile industry this mission could not operate, the kids would not have an education and there would be no lunch program,” Aldridge said. “I would like to thank everyone for making a huge difference to the wonderful people in Trouin. We are making great progress.”

 

There’s your feel-good news for the day. Thanks, my textile brethren, for your goodwill and generosity.