Will you help the children hear? by Diane Lilli, The Jersey Tomato Press

Will you Help the Children Hear?

Local Doctor David Gurian recently spoke in New York about his work with the not-for-profit cause “Help the Children Hear”.
Gurian, whose office is in West Caldwell, is an expert on hearing loss and the director of “Help the Children Hear”.

After joining his local Rotary Club in the Caldwells, he decided to help give back more than just money or time to others - hearing.
Now, this organization sanctioned by the Rotary Club International, brings hearing aids to children in numerous countries in South America, and also the Philippines and the Dominican Republic.
Gurian reconditions used hearing aids that are sent to needy children.
Hearing loss is often undiagnosed - and common. Click here to read a previous article “A Loss for Words: Do You Have Hearing Loss?” from 10/20/10.

If you would like to help out this cause, contact Dr. Gurian at davegur@aol.com.
Here is the information from the “Help the Children Hear” website.

"Help the Children Hear Inc." a Rotary International Foundation project established, designed, and created by Rotarians. This humanitarian effort is a result of relationships bonded from the Rotary Youth Exchange program and serves as an example of the Rotary network combining the resources to make a difference. The Rotary Club of Tucuman Sur, Argentina, The Blairstown Rotary Club, Blairstown, NJ, USA, and The Rotary Club of the Caldwells, Caldwell, NJ, USA had initiated a joint project to address the lower income hearing impaired children of Tucuman Province through a Rotary International matching grant. This project has now become a tax exempt 501 (c)(3) corporation.

Objectives
Address the hearing needs of children and others around the world.
Provide the resources to continue to aid lower income hearing impaired children.
Give hope and support to all hearing impaired children around the world.
Encourage the mainstreaming of hearing impaired children into the hearing world.
The immediate objective is to treat this physical deficiency at an early developmental stage, enabling these children to fulfill a vital, effective role in their country's future. Without intervention, they have little hope because hearing is vital for the normal learning process and full integration into a productive society. These hearing devices will equip them with the tools required for such growth. With the opportunity made available by our joint effort, these children will have a real chance to stop a cycle of illiteracy and poverty.

Strategy
Address the problem at its most basic level
Determine what must be done immediately
Fill the need as soon as possible
Develop an on-going supply of hearing products (hearing aids, batteries and service)
Collect and Recycle old hearing aids
Send Us Your Unused Hearing Aids
Collect old, used and unused hearing aids (regardless of size, condition or age).

Send these aids to:Help The Children Hear ?PO Box 98 ?Caldwell, NJ, 07006??Or directly to:Help The Children Hear, Inc. ,c/o Starkey Laboratories, Inc. ?PO Box 9457 ?Minneapolis, MN 55440 (note: account #Z3678)
Credit will be placed into the Help The Children Hear Inc. account.
As credit of $50 is reached, we will be able to purchase 1 new reconditioned hearing aid for a child in need.
This will be bolstered with cash donations from other organizations, corporations and individuals worldwide.

Your assistance and desire to share in this dream can make it a reality. Please help by collecting old hearing aids and set up hearing aid drops in your communities, companies and places of public access. When submitting donations of any kind for Help The Children Hear Inc., please identify the name, corporation, civic organization, in celebration of or in whose memory. This will be noted in a tax-exempt thank you letter.