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When Anatomic
Global CEO David Farley saw Anderson Cooper
reporting from Haiti for CNN, he sprang into
action, sending 3,000 WorldBeds (the cot-size
mattresses his company originally developed to
aid Hurricane Katrina victims) to aid in the
relief efforts. He's gearing up to send 29,500
more beds to Haiti within the next few months
and hopes, with the help of sponsorship, to have
200,000 beds there in the next six to eight
months. We spoke to Farley about his design and
efforts.
"When did
you decide to send WorldBeds to Haiti?"
Thursday,
January 14 at 6 pm. That's literally the moment
I decided we were going to go for it. I was
watching Anderson Cooper on CNN like millions of
us were that night and reacted to the fact that
so many people had nowhere to go but to lie on
the ground.
"How were
you able to think of this on January 14 and have
500 beds on their way to Haiti within a week?"
WorldBed
started at the time of Katrina when our company
and five or six of our key supply partners
rallied to supply a product that was a cot-size
mattress to New Orleans. It was a one-shot
project, but subsequently we set up an area of
our manufacturing facility to turn the scraps
from our mattresses into memory foam-filled bean
bags and the WorldBeds, which we donate to
missions in Mexico.
When the
earthquake happened in January, we realized that
what we'd created for Katrina was an answer for
the indoors and what we needed now was a product
for the elements, since Haiti is very humid and
is entering its rainy season. We focused on
making the WorldBed moisture resistant and more
portable. We put a water-resistent cover on the
WorldBeds intended for Haiti and have had them
vacuum-packed so they can be transported at the
size of 25-inches wide by 25-inches long by
one-inch thick. Once opened, they expand to
25-inches wide by 75-inches long by three-inches
thick.
"Where were
the WorldBeds shipped to?"
The initial
shipment was sent to
Parakletos International, which is the
charitable distribution arm of the Calvary
Chapel Churches and is running a camp in Jacmel,
Haiti, for earthquake victims.
"Will you
be sending more beds to Haiti?"
We will be
gearing up production and hiring people so we
can product 30,000 beds in three months. The
effort is funded by our company, Anatomic
Global;
Foamex International; and several of our
other supply partners and best customers and the
beds will be moved by
World Hope International. We'd like to send
200,000 units in the next six to eight months
but will need more sponsorship to do that.
For more
information or to donate to WorldBed, visit
www.worldbed.org.
Read more:
http://www.dwell.com/articles/david-farley-emergency-design.html#ixzz0kWLf2J4l
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