JPH & Associates, Inc. has been providing technical assistance and guidance to Agua Viva Serves, Inc. This nonprofit was formed in 2009 when church members from First United Methodist Church of Winter Park Florida traveled to Costa Rica and became aware of the absence of clean water. In response to this problem, the ministry of Agua Viva Serves was born. Agua Viva Serves started with the drilling of a single well to serve a single family, to over 23 wells today serving over 2,600 residents. Agua Viva Serves employs four individuals, two from the US and two from Los Chiles, Costa Rica. The director of the program is an American who is bilingual and who has forged trust and partnerships within the local community over the last four years. In addition to the experienced and dedicated staff, approximately 5,000 to 6,000 volunteer hours are provided from mission-related trips annually.
Since its inception, Agua Viva was a ministry of First United Methodist Church of Winter Park. In an effort to expand fund raising opportunities and forge a broader array of partnerships, Agua Viva decided to secure their own 501(c)3 tax exempt status. In February of 2014, JPH & Associates prepared the organization’s tax exempt application to the IRS. Within 35 days of this submission, the organization received IRS approval. JPH & Associates will continue to provide technical assistance and support to this organization, much in the way of identifying and submitting grant applications. For more information, please visit Agua Viva Serves, Inc. website at www.aguavivaserves.org.
Tags: church volunteers, clean water services, community partnerships, Costa Rica, First United Methodist, missions, nonprofit