Chile Forum

Success with Google Checkout. Super fast and easy at least from this end!

Super thanks for the donation.

I wish I could use that account with everyone, but it is super complicated for us for all kinds of reasons. I can use it here and there for special purposes such as large donations from companies, and things like long-term forum members. I just simply can not for example process several hundred small payments through it.

We are working on breakdowns of the current accounting to know exactly where we stand mas o menos as many things are still in flux (e.g. doctors, vince, are in the field and have receipts, funds are still coming in and being processed). Hopefully we will have that all sorted out today, to let everyone know how things are going.

The teaser, that I can tell everyone is that we have spent a shockingly small amount of money for what we have accomplished. Let me put it this way. Many people on this forum likly spent more on their last vacation than we have on this entire project so far.

Imagine if we had the aid budget of any of these big international organizations.

We are working on opening a second front with the town of Cauquenes, and aid flights out of LA. The area is cut off because of mud slides. It is also good alternative for us, because if weather becomes an issue it is inland and more north. We will be able to land in one or the other.

FYI, also got the refund from PayPal. Hope it works better with WU...

My experience with Western Union as follows.....
I registered with them and did the money transfer, total came up with an extra $20 charge. I was getting antsy so I just hit OK. They gave me a control number but said they were holding the transaction and to call 1 800 336 4597. I called Western Union (thank goodness for Skype, 20 minute call). First I asked about the charge and he said he would cancell my transfer and do a new one without the charge.......then said he couldn't do that so he said they would send through the original one and have their accounting department revese the charge later. So Charles, they tell me that the money is ready for pick up with property I.D.
I would suggest that anyone going this route, they first register with Western Union and then call them to do the actual transfer.
I will send you the control # via PM.

Regards.

yeah for Cauquenes! Glad I referred that one. I just got an email from the GM of the vineyard this morning and they are ecstatic that someone in the US could coordinate effectively with another group in Chile and have aid to them in a day.
Go ALLCHILE Search and Rescue!

We have a planning sesesion going on in our living room right now with our pilot vince and an aid organization that is sending trucks to LA for Cauquenes. Hopefully, if we get the trucks there we might get a plane in the air late this afternoon or early in the morning.


Yea, I am working on another route for transferring outside the country. Western Union is a Pain.

Thats fantastic. Maybe we should all quit our day jobs and create an emergency management organization

We just found out that our salt producer in Boyeruca was completely wiped out which halts sales for exports. 60 families there have lost their homes, their jobs and the salinas to the wave which has changed the coastline.

This should be added to the list as well.

Any idea if another aid organization will let you transfer funds through them for the 501(c)(3) benefit?

*got a live one....*

yea, still working on the 501c3 problem.

Also working on a direct U.S. bank account.

I am happy to take collections in the US and transfer to you Charles from our business banking account that we use frequently for transfers to CHile, its a Citibank account.

Finally I was able to get this account activated. It was sitting dormant for a couple years.

1. In the U.S.A. and from outside Chile:

Wire or electronic transfer to the following account in dollars:
Charles Spencer
Bank of America
Account Number: 501003045121
ABA / Electronic Routing number: 026009593
SWIFT Number: bofaus3n

If they ask for an address, use:

205 North Lamb Unit D
Las Vegas, NV
89100

PLEASE DO NOT TRY TO SEND PERSONAL CHECKS!!! I WILL GET THEM A YEAR FROM NOW.

This account is good because I have an visa atm debit card in Chile for both withdrawing cash but also doing things like paying fuel at the airports, and it is linked to our other accounts so I can withdraw lots of cash using our other business accounts a day.

If the account is fully online activated, you should ACH transfer funds to your Schwab account as B of A has a $5 a pop ATM fee and 1% exchange fee. POS purchases have a 3% exchange fee. It is a VIsa/Plus card so Scotiabank/Banco de Desarollo/Corp Banca/Banco Condell will be the Chile fee-free options. Visa/Plus cards do not work at BancoEstado ATMs.

yea, I will likly transfer to our etrade accounts as no ATM fees, and I can still in theory make up to several thousand dollars a day in purchases on each one for things like fuel and supplies.

I hope this fixes it.

I don't know if I mentioned it, but I can hear Vince taking off over my house right now on his way to LA (Chile). When he returns to land he has to fly right over our house, so I know he has landed. Now that we know the flying club in Temuco also, I can spot airplanes of the different members taking off.

I just need to put up an air traffic control tower in my back yard.

We have all the air clubs (Temuco and Los Angeles), at least 6-7 airplanes, that are going to start delivering aid to Cauquenes in the morning. We have a truck load of aid on the way to LA tonight, Vince just flew out and will be spending the night there.

The Temuco flying club was using the dirt runway ( "la playa") we found and tested earlier in the week. They flew in about 20 loads of aid to the coast today.

First, we have designated the two communities target for aid "Mocha" and "Latte". That is because all the gringos kept mispronouncing "Isla Mocha", everyone kept laughing about it, so it was only natural to designate Cauquenes operation to the north "Latte" around our office.

Operation Latte:

Seriously however, aid to Cauquenes has started. Vince just landed, unloaded the first load of aid and to see the situation on the ground before we send the other flights in the morning. He is headed to LA for the night. A lot of very desperate people there.

We are in contact with the military liaison there, as we were informed there is some problems with needing to designate to whom the aid should go. Otherwise the military just takes it and distributes it to where they think it should go. We are targeting the people that works in the wine and agriculture industry, and have been receiving support from the vineyards in the area as they have trucks that need to go check the vineyards anyway and know the workers. Regardless, everyone agreed there can not be too much aid in to the area, because there is nothing. The goal is to flood the area.

We have 6 trucks on the way to LA with aid. We also have trucks on the way to the Temuco airport, to load up the Temuco flying club before they leave in the morning. Hogar de Cristo has provided 500 kilos of flower for that first trip.

We have been working with all the major NGO's in Chile that are on the ground here, and getting great support. We are ignoring the Santiago office, and the guys on the ground here like that. They have been doing things like taking personal days off from work themselves to work with us, and turning their cell phones off so as not to be interrupted by the main office. Our policy is we will work with anyone that is serious about getting things done, and we have the luxury of not being bothered with all the bureaucratic silliness and politics that inevitably accompany such projects. It is likly why we are getting so much support everywhere we go. The people on the ground are as frustrated with the general results, as you guys sending us donations on the other side of the Earth. Nice that we are all in agreement.

Operation (isla) Mocha:
Doctors sent us an SMS today. They thought they would be needed longer on the island, and are requesting to be redeployed already. We are shifting them to near Cauquenes as soon as a plane is free.

They visited all the camps. Showed everyone how to do the water purification using bleach and how to properly boil water. Education level on the ground was a real concern, as people will think that one drop of bleach is good a litter of bleach must be better. So it was important that they get instructions directly from the doctors on how to use it. Big need right now is insulin. We tried finding it in Temuco. We only need about 12 viles, but have had no luck locating it at any of the pharmacies.

Vince flew a group of psychologist from the Mayor University to the island. There was a delay of them leaving, because they needed to find new camping equipment. they had already been to the island once, but had given away all of their camping equipment thinking they would not be able to go back for lack of an airplane. Their mission is convince all the traumatized people on the hills that it is o.k. to return to their homes and to the town. Many will not even go to the clinic.

Charles Beasley, vince's brother, is still on the island and determining what the fishing industry needs. This is a long-term project that will take time, but needs to be done as soon as possible so we can start requesting funding form someone (hoping the U.N. might jump on board with this one) to repair the boats and buy new motors.

We have half dozen volunteers coming in to help us with the back office stuff, and we have an anthropologist that works with the Mapuche in the south coming to help us organize the project to spend the U.N. money on the effected Mapuche communities. It looks like Isla Mocha will qualify, along with some other coastal communities in the 9th region that were hit by the Tsunami.

Forum housekeeping. I am going to start another thread with official updates. It will be locked to administrators only for posting, but everyone will be able to read it. We can continue to use this thread as discussion of the project in General. I just would like to sift out some of the more important stuff to an official thread as this one is getting a bit long.