Here is an email Elizabeth sent out

Dear Friends,

I spent this holiday with my family helping coordinate relief efforts for the Tsunami victims. On New Year's Eve we spent the day raising money for a Charleston non profit organization, Water Missions International, that makes water purification systems and sends them to disaster areas. As many of you know, my brother, Tucker, has lived in Sri Lanka and Thailand and knows many people in both countries. He spent most of the first day after the disaster trying to contact his friends to see if they survived the tsumani.

Tucker is pursuing a Master's in Education degree in International Education policy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and was home on break when the disaster struck. He is president and founder of a non profit called Serendib http://www.serendib.us/ This organization is an international education organization operating in Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Benin, dedicated to improving the lives of children in these countries by empowering them with life skills, language abilities, and information technology proficiency. Tucker lived in Sri Lanka from 1995-1999 as a Peace Corps volunteer and returns to the country several times a year to conduct the English Camps.

In 1997, I visited Sri lanka for almost a month and was changed forever by the experience. I met many of Tucker's students and started a coorespondence with one young girl named Dulanie. We have been pen pals for the last 7 years. She is now in Medical School in Colombo, the capital city. She is alive and wrote an email to Tucker. It said only one word. HELP. It is still uncertain how many of his students have died, as they came from all over the country to attend the English Camps.

All of Tucker's contacts in the country have asked for help. He is responding to this urgency by going to Sri Lanka during the month of January. Tucker is prepared to offer his expertise and services to mobilize his contacts on the ground and assist in the relief effort. He leaves January 9th and is raising funds for the trip over, basic supplies, medical kits and equipment. Sri Lanka is struggling to coordinate the relief effort, and reports tell of the government being overwhelmed with the task at hand. Tucker has worked with local, and country wide government officials, knows the US Ambassador and feels his fluency in singalah, translation skills and knowledge of the country and the people will greatly assist in the relief efforts.

What I learned from our recent fund drive for Water Missions International was that the people were looking for way to help but did not know what to do. They wanted to give $ but did not where to give. Serendib is a non profit organization and all gifts are tax deductible. Tucker will be a direct link to the relief effort. He will join with a group already on the ground that has mobilized a team of almost 80 disaster relief workers from the United States. Tucker has the opportunity, and is uniquely qualified to make a huge difference in the lives of the surviving Sri Lankans.

If you are looking for away to help, please visit http://www.serendib.us/ and make a donation online or by mail. The mailing address is PO Box 11081 in Columbia, SC 29211. Each one of us can make a difference. Thank you so much.

If you have any questions please call Tucker at 803-237-4411.

If you feel this is appropriate please pass this message on to your friends.

Elizabeth