Moorestown charity partners with South Street grill

Posted in Business, Entertainment, News on Tuesday, July 28th, 2009 at 1:47 pm

A local non-profit organization is partnering with a popular Philadelphia restaurant to "Turn Wine Into Water".

Bridget Foy's South Street Grill is working with A Drink for Tomorrow of Moorestown to raise money that will fund clean water projects throughout the world. Beginning July 10, every time a customer orders St. Clement Chardonnay or Baron Phillipe de Rothschild Pino Noir, 10 percent of the sale will be donated to the charity.

Founded by Moorestown resident Stephanie Weaver, A Drink for Tomorrow aims to help solve the world's water crisis through fund raising and advocacy. The organization's "Turn Wine Into Water" campaign creates partnerships with members of the wine industry through promotions at businesses and restaurants.

"We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to partner with a restaurant with as great a reputation as Bridget Foy's. It is our hope that this partnership will inspire other Philadelphia and South Jersey restaurants to follow suit, allowing their customers to help save lives by simply enjoying a glass of wine," said Weaver.

The "Turn Wine Into Water" campaign previously made stops at The Wine Cellar in Cinnaminson and Swanky Bubbles in Cherry Hill.

A full story about A Drink for Tomorrow was published in the April 1 print edition of the Burlington County Times and may be viewed online at
http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times/bct_news_details/article/26/2009/april/01/charity-supplies-clean-water-to-the-poor.html.

The nonprofit group A Drink For Tomorrow was started by county natives Stephanie Weaver and Brian Morrison, who live in Moorestown. Its mission is to boost awareness about the plight of impoverished people who lack access to suitable drinking water and to raise money to help eradicate the issue.

Charity supplies clean water to the poor

By: KRISTEN COPPOCK
Burlington County Times

A local organization is using wine to help ease a shortage of clean water around the world.

The nonprofit group A Drink For Tomorrow was started by county natives Stephanie Weaver and Brian Morrison, who live in Moorestown. Its mission is to boost awareness about the plight of impoverished people who lack access to suitable drinking water and to raise money to help eradicate the issue.

Stephanie Weaver of Moorestown, CEO of the nonprofit organization A Drink for Tomorrow, is presenting the organization's first fundraiser to increase awareness about the plight of people without access to clean water and to raise money for infrastructure projects that would bring water to them. BCT Staff photo / NANCY ROKOS

"Clean water is the first step in moving on to a world that has no poverty," said Weaver, president and CEO of A Drink for Tomorrow. "To me, it's a human rights violation that people don't have clean water."

The organization's efforts include a campaign called "Turn Wine Into Water." The promotion is a partnership with area businesses, including restaurants and liquor stores, to draw in patrons who will support the cause.

The campaign's first fundraising event is being held Thursday at Swanky Bubbles on Evesham Road in Cherry Hill. It runs from 7 to 9 p.m. and includes beer, wine, hors d'oeuvres and live music. Tickets cost $35 in advance and $40 at the door. Proceeds from the event will be put toward building water systems for impoverished communities in Africa and South America.

A Drink for Tomorrow also has an April 20 event scheduled at Tortilla Press on Haddon Avenue in Collingswood. Weaver, an American Red Cross employee, said the group also is finalizing details on a promotion with The Wine Cellar on Branch Pike in Cinnaminson.

According to A Drink for Tomorrow's Web site and Partners In Health, a nonprofit, human rights organization, between 3 and 5 million people around the world die every year due to water-related illnesses. These illnesses include preventable conditions such as diarrhea, which can be contracted through dirty water and is the No. 1 killer of children under age 5 in poor countries.

"It's one of those causes that you don't hear much about because there are so many other causes out there," said Morrison, who is entering law school in the fall. "This is more of an underserved cause."

More than 1.1 billion people around the world are affected by the lack of safe drinking water. In addition to health effects, unclean water also has social and economic ramifications. The World Health Organization estimates that for every dollar spent on making clean water available to people, medical costs are reduced between $3 and $34, and productivity increases.

Friends Weaver and Morrison, 2004 graduates of Moorestown High School, both earned degrees from Georgetown University in Washington last year. Weaver credited the university with cultivating in her an international perspective about human suffering. "I've always had an interest in helping others, reaching out to the most vulnerable [people]," she said.

Both founders said they each read a news article about the clean water issue that convinced them to do something about it. After discussing ideas, the pair formed A Drink for Tomorrow, which was incorporated as a nonprofit organization in November.

Although existing organizations already were focusing on their cause, Weaver said she and Morrison, who holds a finance degree and serves as vice president and CFO of A Drink for Tomorrow, wanted to be hands-on with their work. They also view A Drink for Tomorrow as a way to act locally on a global issue.

"We come from a community that's really fortunate," said Weaver.

The founders said they already are seeing a lot of enthusiasm and support for their organization from residents and businesses in the area. "It's great to see the community we were raised in come out to support us," said Morrison.

To learn more about A Drink for Tomorrow, visit www.adrinkfortomorrow.org. For more information about Thursday's event and to purchase tickets, go to www.swankybubbles.com/water

Email: kcoppock@phillyBurbs.com

April 01, 2009 03:10 AM
Source:phillyburbs.com

Turning Wine into Water

Stephanie Weaver, age 23, Moorestown, NJ

Photo taken by Paul Weaver A Drink for Tomorrow founders: Brian Morrison, 22 and Stephanie Weaver, 23.

Globally, 1.2 billion people lack clean drinking water. As a result, a child dies every fifteen seconds from a preventable illness. Currently, half of the world's hospital beds are occupied with patients suffering from water borne illness. If urgent action is not taken, by 2020, 76 million people will perish due to this global water crisis.

Clean water projects are found to be among the most effective ways of saving lives and one of the most cost-effective means of disease prevention. Solutions exist to provide clean water to the many people who lack this human right, but money to implement these solutions is lacking. For $4,500 a well can be built to provide a whole community with sustainable clean drinking water; $30 can provide clean drinking water to a person for their lifetime.

In response to this urgent crisis, a friend and I have launched A Drink for Tomorrow, a non-profit organization aimed at raising money and awareness in order to provide affordable and sustainable clean drinking water to those who lack this human right. A Drink for Tomorrow raises funds through partnering with businesses and launching campaigns that target a niche industry. Each campaign will bridge the gap between the cause itself and the industry targeted. Our first campaign, “Turn Wine into Water” targets businesses in the wine industry from vineyards and wineries to stores and restaurants that sell wine, in addition to targeting wine consumers. Through partnerships that involve the donation of a percentage of sales on wine to our cause, we plan to raise funds and awareness within this industry.

We aim to mobilize the for-profit sector to attack this pressing issue, just as this sector has been mobilized to fundraise for cures for both AIDS and breast cancer. A crucial element to each campaign is that not only does it involve the generous support of the partnering businesses, but it also allows the general public to contribute to a solution to the global water crisis through the purchase of products designated to donate a percentage of profits to the cause.

Funds raised by A Drink for Tomorrow are channeled directly into other non-governmental organizations that are committed to implementing community based clean water projects across the globe.

To learn more about A Drink for Tomorrow, please visit www.adrinkfortomorrow.org. As a newly formed organization, we are looking for support from the local community. If you want to become engaged in the organization as a volunteer, partnering business or supporter, please reach out!

Another way you can get involved is by participating in one of our upcoming promotions. On April 20th, 2009 if you eat lunch or dinner at the Tortilla Press in Collingswood and mention A Drink for Tomorrow, 10% of your bill will be donated to our organization. During the month of May, The Wine Cellar, located in Cinnaminson, will make a donation to A Drink for Tomorrow for every bottle of South African and South American wine purchased. Please come out to support us and help end the global water crisis!
Source:CourierPostOnline.com

Wine To Water

Stephanie Weaver had a goal: to one day start a non-profit organization to help alleviate some form of suffering in the world.

While studying at Georgetown, the Moorestown native narrowed her focus on fighting poverty at an international level, but it was an article on CNN.com about the water crisis in South Africa that launched her to action.

"After learning that 1.2 billion people don't have their most basic human need met, and that millions of people, mostly children, die every year because the don't have a glass of clean water, I couldn't just sit back and do nothing," said Weaver.

Starting with a small wine tasting fundraiser at school to benefit the water crisis, Weaver essentially turned “wine into water” laying the foundation for her non-profit organization: A Drink for Tomorrow.

By partnering with businesses, primarily focusing on those in the wine industry, Weaver is planning fun and tasty events to draw attention to a global crisis.

Stephanie and her team, all of whom are volunteers, are getting support from Moorestown and Philadelphia area wineries, liquor stores and most recently a home improvement company and party planner.

One of the events, hosted by The Wine Cellar in Cinnaminson, is an on-going wine tasting of South African and American wines, specifically chosen since those countries have been affected the worst by the water crisis. The Wine Cellar donates $.25 for each bottle sold and is currently running this promotion for 6 weeks with the final event on June 30th. "Whether a wine store or winery owner wants to donate a percentage of proceeds for his or her choice of brand, varietals, or every bottle in the store," added Weaver, "they would still be helping us turn water into wine."

For more information on how you can help Stephanie turn wine into water as a volunteer or a participating merchant, visit her website at adrinkfortomorrow.org. This NJ MYWAY story was written by Hilary Morris of Mrs. Mo's New Jersey, Baby! http://mrsmonj.com

Local non-profit group receives national award

A local non-profit organization recently received national recognition.

A Drink for Tomorrow, founded by Moorestown residents Stephanie Weaver and Brian Morrison, was chosen from almost 2,000 groups as the Grassroots.org Member of the Month for August. The New York-based Web site provides free Internet and technology support resources to non-profit organizations across the country.

Every month, the Grassroots.org staff selects one member Web site that best represents the organization's mission to serve as a catalyst for positive social change. Award selection is based on activity, growth, creativity and navigability of its members' Web sites. A Drink for Tomorrow was rated highly in all four categories.

"As an organization, we want to see other non-profits succeed and grow because of the services we provide," said Shane Hankins, executive director of Grassroots.org. "The A Drink for Tomorrow Web site is a great example of how technology partnerships can impact communities around the world."

A Drink for Tomorrow was formed in November to raise money and awareness that will provide clean drinking water to more than a billion people worldwide lacking it. The organization's first campaign, "Turn Wine Into Water," creates partnerships with members of the wine industry through promotions at businesses and restaurants. So far, the campaign has raised more than $4,000 through its efforts with local businesses.

In the photo supplied by A Drink for Tomorrow, Weaver, president and CEO of the organization, poses with Mark Stagliano, general manager of The Wine Cellar in Cinnaminson, to promote a May fund raiser. A full story about A Drink for Tomorrow was published in the April 1 print edition of the Burlington County Times and may be viewed online at http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/local/burlington_county_times/bct_news_details/article/26/2009/april/01/charity-supplies-clean-water-to-the-poor.html.