Our
MISSION

AidforAll is a not-for-profit charitable association with the following goals:

Support charitable entities or individuals who provide assistance to those in need
Improve children's education and provide help to very poor families around the world
Provide ad-hoc relief and aid to people in times of crisis or disaster

Latest news

LEBANON

AidforAll were contacted by some Lebanese members of the CERN community who have family in Lebanon and were asking if we could help with some aid for the tens of thousands of people who had left their homes in parts of Lebanon under bombing and were trying to find shelter in Beirut.

We have been fortunate in identifying a group of students at the University in Beirut who were already trying to help at schools that had been given permission to convert to shelters for these ‘refugees’. They told us there was little to no aid being given on the ground and that hygiene products, underwear and bedding were the essentials. Find out more on the Lebanon page.

FUNDRAISING

The CERN Music Club Hardronic Festival took place on Saturday 6 July and again, AidforAll were running the bar to raise funds for the Association. This popular festival held on the CERN site, and featuring bands comprised mainly of members of the worldwide CERN community, welcomed again almost 1000 people. Even the occasional bursts of rain didn’t stop them dancing and drinking all night long. We raised a good amount of money, thanks to a great team of friends and volunteers who helped set up the bar, built by our co-founder Chris Thomas, and named Chris’ Bar. We are very grateful to all those who helped and to the CERN Music Club for their continued support.

INDIA

In March 2024, co-founder Connie was at the Jhalak school in Kolkata to inaugurate the new sewing room at the school. Beautifully finished with white tiles and walls, and equipped with two manual sewing machines and plenty of materials, the room is open to all who want to come to learn to sew. We have a teacher who comes for 3 hours every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The sewing classes are proving extremely popular, averaging 12 to 15 women each day.

UPDATE:

Connie is returning in November 2024 to the school to expand the sewing room, and renovate the floors on other buildings!

Previous NEWS

FUNDRAISING

We had a recent burst of intense fundraising between December 2023 and February 2024. The Christmas bake sale at CERN was a huge success, and that was followed by the CERN Women in Technology Group (W.I.T.) offering to organise a bake sale in honour of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science where once again, everything was sold down to the last brownie!

The ATLAS Collaboration at CERN held two events - one Christmas party and one event

marking the departure of a long-term management member (and AidforAll supporter).

At each event, ATLAS bought beer and pumps and let AidforAll set up ‘Chris’ Pub’, run by AidforAll volunteers, serving free beer but welcoming donations. The generosity of those ATLAS people was incredible and over four figures was raised at each event.

Thank you both CERN W.I.T. and the ATLAS Collaboration.

ACAPULCo

Fatima Quintero and her father Luis returned to Acapulco in early January to deliver the water tanks purchased by AidforAll for installation on the roofs of many houses of the poor. While there, they visited the local state hospital and realised that there was a new big problem with hemorrhagic dengue fever among the poor population. They met many families in waiting rooms and outside, having loved ones very sick in the hospital. In talking to them they realised the extent of their dire financial situations. Not only had many lost their homes with the hurricane, but many lost their jobs too and now had bills piling up, with new ones coming in from the hospital.

Go to our Mexico section to see what we did and meet some of those people.

CHRIS' MEMORIAL PROJECT

The Reading Room is finished and open!

We are so happy and proud to share photos of the Chris Thomas Library and Reading Room that was constructed thanks to donations from AidforAll supporters at the Ton Kit 2 school in Nambak, Laos.

Having supported the wonderful work of Sasha and his team at Big Brother Mouse for many years, it was fitting that a building be dedicated to him in this part of the world that he loved so much.

More photos and information under the Chris tab.

Thank you for your support.

Morocco and Mexico : Nature Strikes Hard!

This has been, and continues to be, a terrible year for so many all over the world. Some of it man-made for sure. Sometimes nature just hits hard and most recently the cities and surrounding areas of Marrakech in Morocco and Acapulco in Mexico have felt the brunt of its force.

We have been fortunate in identifying people in each place, just ordinary people like you, who live in the country and decided to get up and do something to help those who have lost so much.

Marrakech

François and Véronique Fouchez in Marrakech, French expats who have lived for a few years in Marrakech, have now made several trips to villages high in the mountains outside the city, areas that have had enormous destruction caused by the earthquake, and who the official aid trucks have not reached. Reached initially through their friend Alexia, member of the AidforAll committee, we have sent a first financial donation from AidforAll which has enabled the purchase of food, large tents, mattresses and mattress covers. We continue to remain in contact with Véronique and François and ready to help. For more on AidforAll’s actions for Marrakech, go to Morocco.

Acapulco

Fatima and Luis Quintero are in the city of Puebla in Mexico. AidforAll president Connie Potter reached out to the University contacts she has in Puebla and was fortunate enough to be connected to Fatima and her father Luis, part of their family being originally from Acapulco. At the time of Connie connecting with Fatima she was preparing with her father to make the long drive from Puebla to Acapulco with their car, taking bags of food and water that had been donated by friends. With the initial aid sent by AidforAll to Fatima, they were able to buy much more - to the extent that they had to take a second car to Acapulco. They are in the process of planning their next trip - little aid has been received there other than the wonderful World Central Kitchen setting up big dining spaces in central areas of the city. We have recently had a zoom meeting with Fatima and Luis and a plan is being put in place for their return trip to Acapulco, helping those in the poor suburbs of the city, not the fancier, richer coastal areas where all the help seems to be concentrated. For more on AidforAll’s actions for Acapulco, go to Mexico.