01.24.10
Open your hearts, open your wallets
The country of Haiti was rocked to the core and devastated beyond understanding on January 12. The earthquake registered a 7 on the Richter scale, and the epicenter of the quake was 26 miles from the capitol of Haiti, Port Au Prince. It occurred at 4:53 pm, and had over 52 aftershocks registering 4.5 or higher. This earthquake left so much death and disaster in its wake, the country is now in a period of complete despair.
As the morgues have been overwhelmed, tens of thousands of bodies have been buried wherever they can find places, as the numbers continue to grow from injury, starvation, disease, and violence. The humanitarian aid sent from many countries has been overwhelming, but we are nowhere close to the numbers currently needed. With the airport being demolished and the ports disappearing, the current aid is having great difficulties funneling in resources to house, clothe, feed, and provide medical care for the citizens of this torn country.
The U.S. military was sent in to work with the relief workers, as violence began to break out amongst the locals, who were desperate for supplies necessary to stay alive. People were being attacked in the streets, and many verging on the line of pure desperation have resulted to very primalistic attitudes of attacking others, survival of the fittest.
One doesn’t have to look far, as the news is constantly covering the earthquake and the aftermath. What happened down there is terrible, and everyone should be looking to what they can do to help these poor people during a time of ultimate need. As we sit in our own homes with our heat, food, and clothing we need to remember those less fortunate, and consider ways to help out. There are many ways listed to provide help to those, either financially or through donations of supplies. Many employees of Festiva Resorts have stepped up to the challenge and found ways to help those whose lives have been torn apart by this natural disaster. To help with the process, you can check out these legitimate organizations so that you can do your part to help.
RELIEF DONATIONS
The Red Cross www.redcross.org has many options available on their website to offer aid.
www.umhaitirelief.org The University of Michigan set up this site for ways to assist as well.
If everyone contributed just a little bit, the results could be life changing.
01.20.10
Consumer advisory for Festiva owners and members
If you have been contacted by someone regarding the resale of your unit on the website listingdepartment.com, please be advised that this is NOT a Festiva affiliated company, nor can we verify their legitimacy.
We have had reports from several owners and members who have been contacted by e-mail or regular mail and we are currently investigating this company.
If you have received an e-mail from this or any other suspicious company please forward it to ownerservices@festiva.travel.
Please note that Festiva does not offer a resale program at this time. Further, if anyone from Festiva does contact you, their e-mail address will end with @festiva.travel. An e-mail from any other domain regarding your ownership or membership could be an illegitimate business and should be forwarded to us for further investigation.
For information on legitimate resale agencies and practices, please click here to read the Resale Guidelines from the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).







