In order for the Foundation for International Radio Service (FAIRS) to continue moving in the desired direction the directors set goals for the organization each year. The overall goals of 2010-2011 included: to accomplish goodwill works by projects related to communication, cooperation, education, facilitate self-reliance, support disaster preparedness, disaster relief, and serve communities. This document presents the highlights of FAIRS work from the 2010-2011 year.
FAIRS continues to promote cooperative communication between leadership groups in the Floyd County Community. Local volunteers now work more efficiently with groups in surrounding areas and service organizations. The Floyd Amateur Radio Society (FARS) invites new licensees and members to meet once a month on the second Saturday. Each member of the club is committed to amateur radio serving their community and those abroad. Jump kits that including radio systems, packaged supplies, and food items are located in the Village Green and FAIRS headquarters ECC in downtown Floyd, Virginia. These jump kits are ready to use in case of an emergency providing basic portable supplies that amateur radio operators may need in the case of an emergency. FAIRS operates during an emergency according to a Memorandum of Agreement. Alongside FAIRS Tom King, W4VZH, who works with the Floyd County Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES) also assists in training. All educational outings and trainings are open for anyone to attend, the dates and times are set. Winlink 2000, is a paperless messaging system that is used in the case of an emergency currently serves Floyd County (145.070 mhz) and has been used for several years at a fully functional state. The Disaster Preparedness and Emergency Response Association (DERA) connects professionals, volunteers and organizations during all phases of a disaster increasing assistance during an emergency.
FAIRS works to educate locals and visitors to understand why emergency and recreational usage of amateur radio is important. At the Floyd Town Jubilee, FAIRS sponsored a fun radio talk and activities for children to take part in demonstrating the usage of amateur radio. FAIRS also attended the following Floyd Community events: SustainFloyd, Oak Grove Pavilion, Community Market Pavilion in Downtown Floyd, and Dickens of a Station. The Foundation adopted a section of state route 8 in Floyd County through the Adopt-a-Highway program to further their goodwill in the community. FAIRS members also open their homes to many international visitors which increases FAIRS members’ knowledge of the area they provide support to and broadens the horizon of the visitor. “I CAN! … MY DIRECTED THOUGHT FOR THE FUTURE” is a program created by FAIRS to benefit local students. Autumn Townly and Amber Ingram benefited through paid internships program during the summers of 2008 through 2010. Autumn and Amber learned many valuable skills throughout their internship which in turn prepared then for future career paths. Educational books regarding disaster preparedness, disaster prevention, and basic first aid manuals are available for sale at half-price at the Village Green in Suites 8 & 9 allowing the materials to be more affordable to families. GPS units are also available at the Village Greens for only a security deposit for families to use for a variety of reasons. FAIRS continued their support of the Floyd Community as director David Larsen donated land to begin the Community Garden. The Floyd Community Garden located at 177 Webbs Mill Road, Rt. 8 invites individuals and organizations to take part in growing crops fight hunger and provide healthy food. April 30th, 2011 is the opening celebration for the garden for the coming season, with the year’s goal to improve health and reduce hunger in Floyd County. The land for the garden which was divided into 10’ x 10’ plots that are available through an application process. Mike Mallabone provides education and support for those who are first-time gardeners, and those with physical, mental or financial challenges. Plenty! oversees the community garden with the help of co-founders Karen Day and McCabe Coolidge, more information is available at their webpage www.plentylocal.org. During previous years a project to erect a radio tower on top of the new Village Square was completed. The tower now serves as an attraction for locals and visitors in downtown Floyd. Floyd’s community tower made amateur radio connections continuous across the eastern part of Virginia. Visitors and locals are invited to visit the Village Green Suites 8 & 9 to use the amateur radio station alongside a licensed operator using the call sign N4USA. The Floyd Professional Center (FPC) located in the Village Green at 201 East Main Street in Floyd was designed to be an incubator for small businesses. The center worked diligently to be a prosperous and technology-based future in Floyd. FLOYD VIRIGINIA, a full color magazine highlighted the average person’s ideas about Floyd County. The magazine shares unique stories of the county in this, its 4th year. David Larsen owner, and Jason Gallimore lead promoter of Chantilly Farm, work to update several multi-media sites including Twitter, www.lcfvideo.com, www.n4usatv.com, online and printed newsletters. These sites allowed supporters and interested individuals in our cause to see what projects the Foundation is currently completing. FAIRS was able to transmit live at 20 and 40 meters during the Floyd County Harvest Festival on September 11, 2010. SustainFloyd hosted a breakfast, served by Natasha’s at the Community Market. During the event contact was also made with hams from Oklahoma, Texas and other distant locations. A tractor was on hand with a 25,000 watt generator ready for emergency power, in case of an emergency.
In previous years FAIRS worked diligently to maintain and enhance assistance to villages and radio clubs abroad. The Dominican Amateur Radio Club (DARC) is working to use their new headquarters for more community activities such as: communication training and a center of relief activities. DARCI members have been instrumental in providing volunteers and training individuals over the island in communications, emergency assistance, and community service. After the training was administered Haiti experienced a natural disaster and four DARCI members traveled to their country to assist them. Presidents of DARCI Clement Pierre-Louis J73Pl and Clem James J73CI continue to serve as liaisons to the Dominican government. FAIRS directors David and Gaynell Larsen and members Tom King W4VZH, Seth Sjoestrom J79/SMOXBI, Tore Sandstrom J79/SM7CBS, George Morriss J79KUB and other members serve as volunteers in Dominica. These volunteers worked throughout the last few years to update systems, repair equipment, do installations, complete trainings provide motivational and monetary support. Communications equipment, supplies, and medicines were transported and delivered too many places in Dominica. FAIRS has encouraged other operators and volunteers from across the United States to take part in this relief work. Repeater cards are needed to maintain the club’s communications across the island and President Clem James accepted the repeater cards for the DARCI that were gifted by FAIRS. The usage of the Hf station is increasing the islands ability to have high quality communications. The Disaster Management Committee (DMC) functions on its own with few requests to FAIRS for assistance. Chairperson Hyacinth Thomas provides FAIRS with periodical updates regarding their emergency plan, in which they have established 10 safe homes for the hurricane prone area of Castle Bruce, Dominica. Since the facilities for Castle Bruce’s Amateur Radio Club are augmented they have plenty of room to hold meetings and community events. Kids for Christ (KFC) provides lunches for 50 school children three times per week because there is no public program providing the service. Also, since few students have access to a computer, printer, writing, and art supplies KFC provides the materials to students in need. Josanna Lockhart of Castle Bruce, Dominica is the head of Dominicans Against Drugs (DAD), is also enrolled at Caribbean Wesleyan in Jamaica. She also oversees ministries within Castle Bruce and the Kalinago Territory. Pilgrim Community Pre-School is a new program located in a renovated basement of a church in Castle Bruce, Dominica. The pre-school program received a donated playground with equipment and a swing set which is in the process of being set up. FAIRS is working to help a new initiative to serve the elderly of the Kalinago Territory. Currently trash bags of food and household goods are collected and delivered to families a number of times during the past year. Hyacinth Thomas is key in the operation of a regional clinic which services the many needy families in the area, medically. A pay as you are able clinic is also available to those in need, medical services are provided by Missionaries and Nurse Germain. FAIRS gathers medical supplies and funding to support the free health checks and treatments at the pay as you are able clinic. FAIRS and the Rotary Club of Floyd are working alongside the Dominican Rotary to meet the self-reliance goals of the Kalinago people. The needs of the Kalinago people have been established ad FAIRS is working to satisfy those needs. The support plan includes cooperating with key members of Rotary Clubs and monitoring certain mutual projects once implemented. Gloria Tavernier works with Rotary International to assist the Kalinago people who are in need. The Agricultural Training Project in Castle Bruce also continues from year to year providing job specific training. The Wotten Waven Community Center was dedicated on October 9, 2009, providing a reception/conference center, bathrooms, and a public internet café. Six computers were provided for shared use between adults and children for the purpose of work and learning with the usage closely monitored.. The Wotten Waven Improvement Committee is now known as the Wotten Waven Development Committee (WWDC). WWDC is receiving assistance from FAIRS to create a Sulfur River Tour as a unique attraction for the village. The trail may become part of a flagship trail project in Dominica benefitting the whole village. FAIRS and other Volunteers offer “helps” offering school supplies, teaching materials, books and more to school-aged children benefitting their education. Many Dominicans receive higher education then move away from the island. FAIRS is working to keep those educated individuals on the island by creating startup businesses. These startup businesses are intended to pique the interest of the educated individuals and encourage them to work on the island. FAIRS supports Rayburn Blackmoore’s goodwill activities for poorer communities in Dominica and his work towards his community. Additional radio equipment including handy talkies, two-way radios, antennas, connectors, coax antenna feed line, training materials and other items were supplied to several radio clubs. Bangladesh is looking forward to the installation of their repeaters, but the project is still on hold, but FAIRS is ready when the government clears the project. The Grendada Amateur Radio Club can now conduct exams for amateur radio licensing. The Islanders also have their own disaster preparedness plan with willing volunteers. FAIRS worked diligently to provide equipment, literature, Hi-gain antenna, and peripheral equipment to insure they are prepared in case of an emergency. The Love One Teach One Foundation (LOTO) was founded by Gloria Walsh; her foundation provides food and tutoring for many students. FAIRS provided monetary support for needed items such as furniture and appliances to the LOTO Foundation. Through Walsh’s program she invited people to adopt a child to make their life better on the island. In April of 2010 Walsh was contacted about more available funding being provided by Children’s Fun and O. D. Brisbane and Sons, Ltd. from Dominica. Fort Young Hotel prepares lunch for the children while the Kubuli Beverage Company of Dominica donates two cases of drinks each week. Gloria will later be interviewed for a television program about her unique program LOTO. Operation Youth Quake is a shelter/home for youth who are neglected or abused focusing on giving youth a better life situation. School supplies, clothes, shoes, sporting equipment and hygiene items that are donated during the course of a year which are donated to the program. In addition to those listed above FAIRS also supports other Ministries who support amateur radio or other charitable organizations, like those listed below:
-Tina Alexander of Lifeline Ministries – Focuses on children who suffer from AIDS.
-Josanna Lockhart of Castle Bruce Dominica –head of Dominicans Against Drugs (DAD), subsidiary children’s programs, and is attending Caribbean Wesleyan in Jamaica.
-Operation Mobilization – Mission teams serving individuals and transforming communities in a positive manner.
Ghana located in West Africa received fresh water from the government at a nominal price because of assistance from FAIRS. Missionaries for the area were provided with bikes as a practical form of transport between the communities they serve. Summer of 2010 FAIRS donated items that Brian Lloyd WB6RQN transported to Dominica. Brian visits Dominica on a regular basis and helps the DARCI to improve their repeater system, by making it more resistant to lightning and more likely to survive a hurricane. The station includes a Flex 3000 transceiver, MacBook Pro laptop, SGC-231 tuner, 10m rectangular loop oriented east/west, Astron SS-30 power supply. Clem J73CI supplied photos of the trip to the repeater site. Besides Brian and Clem, participants in the installation were: Clement Pierre Louis J73CPL (President of the DARCI). Joseph Raymond J73RJ (Vice President), Conrad Jederon J73CAJ (Field Day operations), Glensworth Mason J73GM (Operations and Maintenance). The crew thoroughly enjoyed the trip, the installation was successful deeming the project complete.