Mission 500 and Security Industry Volunteers Travel to Mexico For World Vision Water Sanitation Project

Mission 500 and ESA Gives Back, the association's charitable and philanthropic program, joined forces with the humanitarian agency World Vision earlier this year and raised a total of $12,500 towards a water sanitation project in the State of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. In October, a total of fourteen volunteers from the security industry, including three of the 2014 Security 5/2K top fundraisers who earned the trip as a prize, visited the project first hand.

"After our last mission to Tanzania, in January 2014, Mission 500 made it our goal to organize these trips every year," said George Fletcher, Advisory board member and Mission 500 volunteer. "Traveling and helping in this way enables our fundraisers and donors to have a unique volunteer experience and witness firsthand the transformational effects of our child centered cause."

Mexico is the 11th largest country in the world, with just under 120 million residents and an income per capita of $10,307 USD. Almost 33 percent of the population lives in moderate poverty and 9 percent lives in extreme poverty, meaning over 50 million Mexicans are living under $5 USD a day; more than 20 million of these are children.

The State of San Luis Potosi is located in North Central Mexico and is bordered by nine other states. The population's lack of basic needs leads to a high level of poverty that is related to the incapacity to generate jobs, marketable services and infrastructure, which does not allow them to interact with other economic and labor sectors.

The facilitation of clean water is one of the challenges San Luis Potosi is working to overcome in the municipality of Tepetzintla. Tepetzintla was formed through the efforts of one of World Vision's local Area Development Programs (ADP) and was chosen to benefit from the 2014 ESA Gives Back program. World Vision staff worked with community leaders to determine that one of their biggest needs is a water sanitation system. The sanitation system is most efficiently facilitated by the implementation of ecological latrines.

Globally, approximately two million children die each year due to preventable infections spread by polluted water or inadequate sanitation. The challenges of water and sanitation depend on people's access to these services and on improving quality and operational efficiency. The use of ecological latrines enables the community to prevent pollution, render their waste safe for reuse, and contribute to their food supply through the production of organic fertilizers.

The volunteers traveled to Tepetzintla to help build the ecological latrines and meet the families benefiting from the new system. When they weren't constructing latrines, they were having lunch with the families, passing out small gifts and playing soccer games with the children. After five days of experiencing a culture very different from their own, volunteers left with a new sense of gratitude and outlook on life.

Volunteers also got the opportunity to view a coffee-growing project funded by the efforts of World Vision, visiting the families who locally grow and prepare the coffee beans for final production. They then travelled to a factory where they were educated on the coffee making process and given the opportunity to purchase locally ground coffee. For more information on the Mission 500, contact George Fletcher at pr@mission500.org, or call 305-321-3193.

For more information on World Vision, contact Christine Connolly Bell at cconnoll@worldvision.org, or call 323 208-2444.

Featured

  • Choosing the Right Solution

    Today, there is a strong shift from on-prem installations to cloud or hybrid-cloud deployments. As reported in the 2024 Genetec State of Physical Security report, 66% of end users said they will move to managing or storing more physical security in the cloud over the next two years. Read Now

  • New Report Reveals Top Security Risks for U.S. Retail Chains

    Interface Systems, a provider of security, actionable insights, and purpose-built networks for multi-location businesses, has released its 2024 State of Remote Video Monitoring in Retail Chains report. The detailed study analyzed over 2 million monitoring requests across 4,156 retail locations in the United States from September 2023 to August 2024. Read Now

  • Gaining a Competitive Edge

    Ask most companies about their future technology plans and the answers will most likely include AI. Then ask how they plan to deploy it, and that is where the responses may start to vary. Every company has unique surveillance requirements that are based on market focus, scale, scope, risk tolerance, geographic area and, of course, budget. Those factors all play a role in deciding how to configure a surveillance system, and how to effectively implement technologies like AI. Read Now

  • 6 Ways Security Awareness Training Empowers Human Risk Management

    Organizations are realizing that their greatest vulnerability often comes from within – their own people. Human error remains a significant factor in cybersecurity breaches, making it imperative for organizations to address human risk effectively. As a result, security awareness training (SAT) has emerged as a cornerstone in this endeavor because it offers a multifaceted approach to managing human risk. Read Now

Featured Cybersecurity

Webinars

New Products

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame. 3

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge. 3

  • PE80 Series

    PE80 Series by SARGENT / ED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin

    ASSA ABLOY, a global leader in access solutions, has announced the launch of two next generation exit devices from long-standing leaders in the premium exit device market: the PE80 Series by SARGENT and the PED4000/PED5000 Series by Corbin Russwin. These new exit devices boast industry-first features that are specifically designed to provide enhanced safety, security and convenience, setting new standards for exit solutions. The SARGENT PE80 and Corbin Russwin PED4000/PED5000 Series exit devices are engineered to meet the ever-evolving needs of modern buildings. Featuring the high strength, security and durability that ASSA ABLOY is known for, the new exit devices deliver several innovative, industry-first features in addition to elegant design finishes for every opening. 3