From a press release:
Local ice cream shop Ultimate Ice Cream is contributing to the Ebola response through the flavor of the month donation program in November. All proceeds will go to Partners In Health, an international non-profit that is helping to provide care to communities in rural West Africa hard hit by the Ebola virus. Ultimate Ice Cream is partnering with the local chapter of Partners In Health’s citizen advocacy arm, PIH Engage.
The Ebola outbreak has so far infected 13,000+ people in three West African countries–Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea. Only a handful of patients have been treated in the U.S., but Asheville is still feeling the effects. Tragically, some Asheville residents have friends and family living in West Africa, some of whom have been infected or killed by the virus. This has brought home how health connects one country or one community to another.
Partners In Health has an excellent track record of investing in the healthcare systems where it works. Their approach can be summed up in the words of their founder, Paul Farmer: “The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that’s wrong with the world.”
Local volunteers make up the Asheville chapter of PIH Engage. Their mission is to help Partners In Health save lives by raising funds, advocate for policies that enable governments to build functioning health systems, and educate the community about the health issues that marginalized people face on a daily basis. They meet monthly, hold educational and fundraising events, and partner with other local groups and organizations.
The November flavor of the month available at both Ultimate Ice Cream locations (Charlotte St. and Tunnel Rd.) is “Mango with Coconut Flakes,” bringing some of the delicious flavors of West Africa to remind us of warmer weather. All proceeds from the sale of this ice cream will go to fund the Ebola response through Partners In Health.
For more information on PIH Engage AVL, see their blog at pihengageasheville.wordpress.com, or email pihengageasheville@gmail.com. You can learn more about Partners In Health on Facebook, or at www.pih.org.
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