In response to Haiti’s desperate need for medical supplies, APX Alarm and the International Aid Serving Kids (IASK) held a “Medical Supply Drive” on January 23 at the new APX Alarm corporate headquarters in Provo.  Local businesses and concerned citizens were encouraged to bring donations where teams of volunteers sorted and prepared the supplies for delivery to Haiti.

IASK is a non-profit organization that specializes in providing medical and dental care to children in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  APX Alarm also made a contribution of $5,000 on Feb. 17 to assist in the ongoing relief efforts.  A day later, organizer Illens Dort, a native of Haiti, led a team of 30 medical and surgical specialists to Leogane, Haiti.

“There has already been an amazing outpouring of support from our employees to get involved, following this unimaginable human tragedy,” says Josh Houser, President of the APX Family Foundation. “The challenges faced in the country will still take a considerable amount of time and resources in the future to help those in need.”

Those who wish to contribute online or learn more about the organization may visit www.liftalife.org.

Dedicated to renewing a sense of hope to victims of Hurricane Ike, APX Alarm Security Solutions sent 90 employee volunteers last month to the Houston – Galveston, Texas area to assist in relief efforts.
Employees traveled by bus nearly 30 hours from Provo, Utah to Houston, TX to assist in the massive cleanup campaign. During the 3-day project, volunteers were able to help and support 76 families who were displaced by the devastation. APX was able to identify many of its own customers who were hit hard but also worked closely with FEMA and other partnering agencies to help others in critical need.

APX Alarm Chief Operating Officer, Alex Dunn said, “Our employees expressed a desire to help the hurricane victims, and so we set up a plan to make it happen. While many are concentrating on the financial headlines that are dominating the news, there are people affected by Hurricane Ike who don’t have the most basic things: power, phone, or a safe place to live. We came to discover that making a small difference is how you make a big difference. We hope that other people will remember the victims as well.”

APX Alarm Vice President of Operations, Lindsay Grauling said, “We feel blessed to have been able to go to Galveston to help clean up the massive destruction that Hurricane Ike caused. The people there are hard-working, kind and optimistic in the face of this incredible hardship and it was truly our pleasure to work alongside them as they started to rebuild their lives.”

“What an honor it was to serve with our APX employees,” said APX Alarm Project Manager, Tom Coleman. “I’ll remember the work being very challenging yet rewarding. In serving others, we forgot about our own needs while we were there which liberated us to do more with less sleep, food or rest than we thought possible. We grew closer and respected one another more than any team building exercise could have.”

“It was very touching,” said Galveston resident, Steve Harris. “Those who came never once complained and helped me more than I can express.”

Tom Coleman, a Utah-resident also described his experiences supporting one of APX’s customers, a Spanish speaking family whose home had been destroyed by the seven-foot wall of water that left nothing but debris and the walls standing.

Mr. Coleman said, “To support the family, twelve of us worked with chainsaws and rakes to clear the scene. As we talked to the husband and wife, we discovered that they both were employed as janitors for the local school district that is now closed until January. This effectively eliminated this family’s jobs for the next several months. We were proud when APX Alarm stepped up and offered this family $1000 to help with their immediate needs during this dire time. My crew and I were impressed and touched to work for a company that would do this for their customers.”

APX volunteers have supported more than 75 individual families in their cleanup efforts through FEMA and handed out food to hundreds of families through the Red Cross. Many of those supported have been APX customers in need of help.