Coordinating Relief and Care at Home and Regionally Responding after Hurricane Maria Projects and Ukrainian DX

Foundation for Amateur International Radio Service, Ltd. sends many thanks for the continued support by our members and donors. Best wishes for a truly magical holiday season! In 2018# We were active at local mnctions and at special event stations & booths, and “on the air” at the ham shack located at Chantilly Farm in Floyd, VA, where our offices are now located. We want to educate people about the usefulness of amateur radio and our ability to provide emergency help and training. We’ve partnered with Floyd United Methodist Church and countless local organizations & individuals to host drives, collect items and distribute needed relief to areas which are stricken by disaster. FAIRS works hard to encourage volunteers and integrate the latest apps and technology to facilitate regular, inexpensive radio communication amongst friends and neighbors worldwide. Networking takes place multiple times each week, patching in check-ins by Zello, WhatsApp, Skype and Messenger, to add to groups and augment radio connections. HulTicane Maria (2017) hit the islands of Puerto Rico and Dominica with unbelievable force, destroying homes and vegetation, claiming lives and vital infrastructure. Since then, FAIRS has directed thousands of dollars of aid, emergency equipment and dozens of shipments of critically needed items to this area of the Caribbean. Amateur radio operators have been “on the air” using handheld radios which are solar-powered. This has been a vital link for communication with the outside world, since power and other utility services have been disrupted. Members of Dominica Amateur Radio Club, Inc., which is supported by FAIRS, have been conducting assessments and helping with coordination of relief. Their membership has grown due to classes being offered and more people gaining amateur radio licenses. It is clearly seen how important these hams are in search and recovery and communications efforts. Victor Goncharsky US5WE of FAIRS Ukraine is very good about sending technical reports and updating regarding activities there (visit www.fairs.org). We are thankful that he is in better health and working part-time after his surgeries and chemo treatments. The support of FAIRS friends is appreciated as economic times there are bad. Helen UR5WA tries various ways to help the household and community — she knits warm winter socks, sweaters, shawls and scarves for family and friends in need, and she helped restore the flower beds around the apartment block, which were in rough shape for the last decade. They’ve been active on the radio 160 & 80 meters during the winter and on the “magic band” (6 meters) during the summer. Helen earned a DXCC award on 6 meters, and she is the first YL (young lady amateur operator) to win the prestigious award on 6 meters after earning the same award on 160 meters the previous season. Now she is up to 200 countries contacted on 160 meters. Contesting is a great way to utilize radio equipment and maintain goodwill throughout the world.

FAIRS (Foundation for Amateur Intl. Radio Service, Ltd.) P.O. Box 179 Floyd, VA 24091 www.fairs.org 540-745-2322