Read our full December 2021 progress report by clicking the image below.
News Ghana: December 2021
News Ghana reports, “The three Limited Mechanised Water Systems which were constructed at the cost of $75,000 were funded by Water Access Now, a US-based charity organization.
According to CRS Ghana, the US-based charity organization Water Access Now has financed 208 water points in Northern Ghana in the past nine years.” Read the full article here.
October 2021 Progress Report - Water Access Now
Charlie Hoppes - Meet the WAN Label Wine Maker
Charlie Hoppes, creator of Water From Wine Cab Sauv that bears the WATER ACCESS NOW label
No wonder the 2014 was named "the best $30 bottle of cab sauv in the region" in 2017 Seattle Times article.
Charlie Hoppes first became interested in winemaking shortly after he married in the summer of 1982, while he was working for Boeing as an Industrial Engineer. Charlie had purchased a home winemaking kit and began his ongoing curiosity to experiment with different varieties of vinifera.
In 1983, while White Riesling was abundant and very popular, Charlie purchased some grapes to start his winemaking venture at the home of his father-in-law, Daniel Fidelis O’Neill. A portion of this family name, Fidelis, had been carried for four generations and later became the origin of the name for Charlie’s family-owned winery: Fidelitas.
Charlie’s interest in grape growing and winemaking continued to grow, and with positive encouragement from his wife and others in the wine industry, he decided to make a shift. Charlie was accepted and began coursework at the renowned Viticulture and Enology program at University of California-Davis in 1985.
Upon graduation in 1988, Charlie received job offers from several Washington winery groups. He took his first position that summer with Langguth/Saddle Mountain, providing a hands-on learning experience that propelled him forward in his winemaking career. In 1990, he accepted an invitation from the then Head Winemaker, Mike Januik, to serve as Assistant Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle in Woodinville.
In 1993 Charlie advanced to Head Red Winemaker at Chateau Ste. Michelle’s newest facility, Canoe Ridge, near Paterson, WA. At that time, Canoe Ridge was producing 300,000 cases annually. Working with reserve wine production at Canoe Ridge gave Charlie the opportunity to assist with the first two vintages of Col Solare in 1995 and 1996. He continued as the Head Red Winemaker for Chateau Ste. Michelle through the 1998 vintage.
In the winter of 1999, Charlie moved on with the hope of eventually creating his own brand. He was asked to help start Three Rivers Winery in Walla Walla where he stayed through the summer of 2002. In 2000, Charlie launched his own label, Fidelitas, beginning with 375 cases of Optu Red Wine, which remains in his award-winning product line. Today, Charlie focuses the Fidelitas portfolio on Red Mountain AVA, from which he handcrafts a variety of Bordeaux-styled red and white wines.
Charlie Hoppes now creates 6500 cases annually under the Fidelitas label. His consulting winemaking business, Vinaceus, dba Wine Boss, includes a team of winemakers who oversee production for a number of smaller Washington wineries.
Charlie Hoppes completed his 30th harvest in Washington State in 2017. He was named Winemaker of the Year by Seattle Magazine in 2013, and served on the Red Mountain AVA Alliance Board from 2015 through 2017. Charlie Hoppes is a member of the Washington Winegrowers Association and the American Society for Enology and ViticultureWonder
50 Case Challenge
Join us for our major 2021 fundraising event. If Water Access Now can sell 50 cases of wine, Water From Wine will donate $50 per bottle directly to us.
Join us on November 14 from a drive-thru fundraiser:
10AM-1PM on November 14 at Holy Family, Kirkland, WA
2PM-4PM on November 14 at Mary Queen of Peace, Sammamish, WA
This is an unsolicited testimonial from case buyer, Jane and Bob Roe: “The holidays are approaching and what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving than to share a bottle of wine that actually provides clean WATER to those in need!?!
FROM NOW UNTIL Dec. 31st, 2021, the vintner is offering an additional $20 donation for every bottle of the Cabernet Sauvignon purchased once 50 cases+ are sold. This bottle costs you $30 but $50 will be donated to Water Access Now.
Water Access Now brings sustainable water to villages in Ghana with the most urgent need. They believe that practical solutions and real relationships are the formula for success.”
Let’s do the math…every $30 award winning bottle of Cab Sauv sold results in up to $50 per bottle donation to Water Access Now.
A well costs about $6000, one case brings in up to $600! Water From Wine donates 100% of proceeds from all wine made with grapes from their own vineyard to clean water projects.
2021 Water Access Now Progress Report
This past year, Water Access Now (WAN) provided funding of $250,000 for the construction of 20 boreholes, one limited mechanized water system, and two small water businesses (using simple chlorination treatment), across five districts in Ghana namely Nabdam, Mamprugu Moaduri, Gushiegu, Karaga and Saboba.
Since 2007, WAN and CRS have supported over 220 health facilities, schools, and communities to gain access to safe drinking water in the Northern, Upper East, Upper West, and Oti Regions. To date, WAN has provided over $2,132,733 to support the provision of safe water supply through the construction and rehabilitation of boreholes, including limited mechanized boreholes, and simple water treatment sites (i.e., at communities with poor ground water potential and without an improved source to drinking water).
Explore the map of our completed Ghana water projects. Read the full Water Access Now 2021 Progress Report.
Water Access Now Update 2021
The first WAN-supported water business has opened in Sooba Community, Northern Ghana through our partnership with SAHA Global! SAHA Global works with entrepreneurial women to form chlorinating businesses that provide clean water that all can afford.
Water For Thought
IRA? RMD? WAN!
At 71, we must begin taking our required minimum distribution from our IRA accounts. This is taxable income. But what if you don't need the money to live on?
If you make donations directly from your IRA account to Water Access Now, it bypasses your income stream and comes to a place where someone DOES NEED THE MONEY TO LIVE ON. It provides clean water in villages. And it is also a charitable contribution.
Water Access Now
2121 N 61 St
Seattle, WA 98103
For The Rest of 2020, Your Donation Goes Further
CRS Ghana New Country Representative
A great meeting online with partner CRS in Ghana. Amazing news forthcoming but for now, we'd like to introduce Ghana's new CRS leadership, Daniel Mumuni.
Daniel leads operations throughout the country working to advance CRS' mission to serve the poor and vulnerable. Daniel previously worked as Chief of Party for the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program in Sierra Leone, where he oversaw activites including teacher trainings, nutrition lessons, food distributions, and school feeding for more than 30,000 students.
Prior to joining CRS, Daniel served as the Africa regional technical advisor for the Global Child Nutrition Foundation and as the West Africa regional director for the Imperial College of London's Partnership for Child Development. With a long-standing commitment to international and community development, Daniel has dedicated the last 15 years to working to advance programs and partnerships in the United States, Europe and Africa.
Daniel lives with his wife and two daughters in Accra, Ghana.
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Food Aid, Food Crisis, Food Distribution, Food for Education, Global Hunger, School Feeding Programs, World Hunger
EDUCATION
Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam
Master of Laws
University of Amsterdam
M.S., International Development Studies
University of Ghana
B.A., Psychology
B.A., Sociology