The document discusses the author's internship with Project C.U.R.E., a non-profit organization that collects and distributes medical supplies to developing countries. The author thanks Katherine Mabardy for the opportunity to work on Project C.U.R.E.'s largest fundraiser, the First Ladies Luncheon. As the intern, the author helped coordinate social media promotion, recruited volunteers, and managed set-up for the successful event, which raised $137,000. The luncheon honored the First Lady of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta, for her "Beyond Zero" initiative to reduce maternal and infant mortality rates in Kenya through mobile health clinics.

1. Special Thanks!
I would like to thank Katherine Mabardy, Executive Director
of Project C.U.R.E.- Phoenix for giving me the opportunity to
work with such a great organization. I appreciate all the trust
you have put in me as we dived head first into the endeavor
that would be the First Ladies Luncheon. I wish you luck in
your future endeavors, and must say it has truly been a
pleasure.
Project C.U.R.E.
Project C.U.R.E. is a leading non-profit organization within the
field of healthcare since it’s founding in 1987. The largest
provider of donated medical equipment and supplies, Project
C.U.R.E. sends the equipment it receives to hospitals in
developing countries. Project C.U.R.E. is proud to have been
ranked as one of the Top 20 Most Efficient Large U.S.
Charities by Forbes.
Delivering Health and
Hope to the World
Project C.U.R.E. identifies, solicits, collects, sorts, and
distributes medical supplies and services according to the
imperative needs of the world.
Since it’s founding in Denver has worked to provide
quality medical care to over 130 countries, delivering more
than $250 million in supplies.
The administrative department works on courting
donations, both monetary and in-kind, to make sure Project
C.U.R.E. can continue this mission. Organizing larger
fundraisers, handling public relations, and developing our
network, we strive to provide a stable foundation for the
organization to grow.
Working to Achieve the
Goal of “Beyond Zero”
Throughout the semester I have worked on handling certain
aspects of Project C.U.R.E.’s First Ladies Luncheon, the
organization’s largest fundraiser, that was held this year in
Phoenix.
The First Ladies Luncheon provides the opportunity for our
organization to showcase and honor the humanitarian works of
First Ladies in the field of healthcare. This luncheon also
allows for our organization to partner with the organization of
the honored First Lady.
This year had the pleasure of welcoming the First Lady of
Kenya, H.E. Margaret Kenyatta. Her efforts to combat
maternal and infant mortality culminate in her initiative
“Beyond Zero”, that worked tirelessly to bring quality
healthcare to 36 counties in Kenya through mobile clinics.
Through her efforts Her Excellency was named the 2014
United Nations Person of the Year. It is because of these efforts
that we were proud to partner with her “Beyond Zero”
initiative.
Sustainability Through
Generous Charity
At Project C.U.R.E. we strive to maintain a sustainable
approach to the way that we do things.
When it comes to the environmental aspects of
sustainability, Project C.U.R.E. shines for our ability to
refurbish medical equipment for use in less fortunate hospitals.
This prolongs the life of equipment, and effectively recycles it.
This assists the environment through making so less resources
need to be used to make such effective equipment.
Economically speaking, Project C.U.R.E. thrives because
of it’s green business practices. We have set a standard when it
comes to supply chain management, and assist those hospitals
that we donate to develop similar economic practices. We do
not consider our donations handouts but “hand-ups,” where we
help to build the foundation for these hospitals to grow upon.
Social equity though is where Project C.U.R.E. truly
shines when it comes to sustainability. We’re proud to join
many in the belief that all citizens of the world have the right to
quality healthcare. Healthcare is an issue that affects people
both physically and financially in these impoverished areas.
Often we discover that people in such areas are driven to
poverty because of healthcare costs. These costs are raised due
to the limited supplies, doctors, and trained professionals their
hospitals have. We feel it is our duty to assist, as it improves
quality of life that people deserve. As H.E. Margaret Kenyatta
said in her address at the luncheon, “Building a better world
is good business any day.”
Global Collaboration to Bring Preventable Maternal and Infant Deaths
“Beyond Zero”
Alexander R. Medina, BA Sustainability, Policy and Governance — Project C.U.R.E., Administrative Branch
References
Images retrieved from:
Project C.U.R.E., www.projectcure.org
Dr. James Jackson, www.drjameswjackson.com/about
Beyond Zero, www.beyondzero.or.keKatherine Mabardy
Executive Director,
Project C.U.R.E.- Phoenix
Dr. James Jackson
Founder, Project C.U.R.E.
H.E. Margaret Kenyatta passing off the keys to one of
the 36 mobile clinics made possible by “Beyond Zero”
The Beyond Zero Initiative was founded in January 2014 to
combat the staggering losses of both mothers and infants within
the country of Kenya. With initiatives like this place, the
country has seen a drop in maternal mortalities by almost 15%
in the last five years alone in Kenya, and infant mortality
dropping by 10%. The initiative also draws attention to is the
HIV/AIDS crisis still affecting the country, working with
multiple NGO’s and non-profits to address the issue and
provide a strategic framework to combat it.
My Involvement
Throughout this semester, I have had the pleasure of working
under the Executive Director of Project C.U.R.E. as an
Administrative/Public Relations Intern. As such I primarily
worked behind the scenes, managing a number of aspects of
social media presence, and assisting Mrs. Mabardy in
whatever capacities were required of me.
Since the beginning of this internship, my primary
project has been to ensure that the First Ladies Luncheon
would be a successful event.
Prior to the event itself I worked with the digital marketing
team to help establish a firm social media presence, doing
research and generating posts set to weekly themes. I also
worked with website developers to determine what key phrases
needed to be flagged for any advertisements through Google
Grants.
In addition to this assignment, I took on the role of
Volunteer Coordinator for the event. This position included
outreach to different organizations to recruit volunteers, as well
as determining how many volunteers would be needed and
where they would be needed.
During the days leading up to the event I also had the
pleasure of being the manager of set-up and day of activities
for the behind the scenes work for the fundraiser. Working
directly with Project C.U.R.E. Dept. Directors on the
international level, we facilitated an extremely smooth and
successful event, that I am incredibly proud to have been
involved in. By the end of the day, we raised a profit of
$137,000, which allowed us to send the equivalent of $2
million dollars in medical supplies to Kenya.
Project C.U.R.E. Logo
Alexander Medina, L, posing for a
picture with H.E. Margaret Kenyatta,
R.
ASU Mastercard
Scholars posing with
H.E. The First Lady of
Kenya
A group of Pakistani boys
smile for the camera after
the delivery of Project
C.U.R.E. Donations