Nonprofit group works to improve international lives

Choice Humanitarian gives aid to villagers around the world with hands-on projects

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Choice Humanitarian's creed is based on the old adage that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; if you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.

The nonprofit organization works to help impoverished villagers throughout the world become aware of ways to improve their lives.

The organization participates in hands-on projects such as building school houses, medical facilities and water reservoirs. Most importantly though, group members work side-by-side with the villagers. Therefore, the villagers learn how to complete projects the group helped with, and in many cases the villagers will share their knowledge with neighboring villagers, according to Choice Humanitarian.

The Phillips family, who reside in the southwest part of the valley, have participated in many expeditions over the last five years to several countries including Africa and Guatemala. Linda Phillips, wife of Brent Phillips and mother of eight children, sits on the policy governance board of Choice Humanitarian.

"We pinpoint the poorest of the poor and actually go into the countries and villages," Phillips said. "We're not a relief charity, we go roll up our sleeves and get dirty."

The organization, which is not associated with any religious sect, was founded in Utah in 1982. Currently the group is traveling to Bolivia, Guatemala, Mexico, Kenya and Vietnam.

Phillips became aware of the group through her uncle who is a physician, and at that time was traveling with Choice Humanitarian and providing villagers with medical aid.

"My husband and I focus on Guatemala," Phillips said. "On the first trip I just fell in love with the people and fell in love with the country."

Among other structures, Phillips has built several water cisterns in Guatemala.

"It's often not about water purification, it's about having running water."

When Phillips speaks of running water, she is not referring to the running water that most Americans are accustomed to. She explained that the villagers she worked with in Guatemala see running water as collected rain water coming out of a pipe in front of their home.

Phillips recalled a story about an elderly woman who had run out of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) pipe as the group of aid workers were nearly finished building the woman's water cistern.

"We are not there to give hand outs, that's not good for them," Phillips said. "I didn't just want to give her the money for the pipes, so I asked her if there was anything she wanted to sell me."

The elderly woman sold Phillips a black jade stone artifact that was once used for mining, and in return had more than enough money to have her cistern completed.

Phillips said she remembered asking the woman if she was sure she wanted to part with the artifact because she could tell by the woman's expressions that she cherished the stone.

"And she told me that it meant so much more to have running water for the first time in her life."

The Phillips take their children on the expeditions to teach them the importance of human kindness, charity and that each person has the ability to make a difference to someone.

"It is really a life changing event for them," Phillips said. "They realize how fortunate we all are, you learn a lot. And the kids acknowledge that language is not a barrier when one individual is helping another individual."

The organization's expeditions are generally about one week long. During the week, which is funded by the individual participants, the partakers, usually between 15 and 20 people per expedition group, sleep in tents in the villages and eat the regional food.

"The other benefit is the kids learn how to adapt," she said. "And by the time the end of the week has come, everyone has tears in their eyes because everyone bonds. You learn you don't need money to be happy. The villagers basically have no money, and they are so incredibly happy."

Phillips also noted that since the organization employs very few paid workers, the overhead is very low.

"Out of every $100, $97 goes in the field. We only have five paid employees in the states."

The other employees are in-country directors who live in the countries in which the expeditions take place. These employees are native to the country and help distinguish which villages need the most aid, and what they are in need of.

Choice Humanitarian will be hosting a benefit dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Saturday at the MGM Grand Conference Center. Celebrity sponsors of the event include Rita Rudner, David Brenner, Phyllis McGuire and George Wallace. Clint Holmes will be honored during the benefit. Ticket prices are $200 per person and can be purchased by calling 767-7070.

"We are honoring Clint Holmes because he is an incredible gentleman in the community," said Angie Wallin, benefit event coordinator and program developer of the organization. "He gives so much of his time to good causes, we felt he needed to be recognized as a true humanitarian because of his outreach to the Las Vegas community."

Holmes said he has been aware of the organization for some time and sees the honor as fitting since he has faced diversity for much of his life, in part because he is biracial.

"I'm obviously very honored," Holmes said. "My life really has been about diversity. Fitting in and being accepted, there's a natural tie."

More information on the organization and the benefit can be found by visiting www.choicehumanitarian.org.