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August 24, 2009

Lakeland Filmmaker to Unveil Documentaries at Polk Theatre

Wednesday, August 19, 2009-- LAKELAND, FLA-- Many Americans are unaware that throughout the world, poverty-stricken children rummage through mountains of toxic trash in search of recyclables to sell for meager wages.

The founders of the Trash Mountain Project are working to open a few more eyes to the plight of these children on Tuesday, Aug. 25 when they present “Live the Command,” the release of two documentaries they created about trash dump communities in Honduras and Cambodia.

The documentary presentation is at 8 p.m. at the Polk Theatre and is free to the public, said Trash Mountain Project president and co-founder Michael G. Barrett.

“My goal is to get everyone in attendance to use their influence to tell others about the problems associated with families living in trash dump communities throughout the world,” Barrett said. “We will share the stories we’ve documented about the people in Cambodia and Honduras, and then it is up to those who hear those stories to determine how or if they want to help.”

Through a partnership with Southeastern University’s “Hunger and Thirst” team, baby formula will be collected at the event to be shipped to Honduras in December when a Trash Mountain Project team goes there to build homes, Barrett said.

“Typically, babies in these communities are given Tang or coffee grounds instead of milk or formula,” he said. “This will be a tremendous gift to these families.”

Copies of the documentaries also will be available for attendees who wish to share them with volunteer organizations, including civic organizations and church groups. A $5 donation is requested for each DVD.

The Trash Mountain Project is a non-profit organization that Michael G. Barrett and Brett Durbin co-founded after a trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras in November 2008 to film a documentary about families living in the neighboring trash dump community. While filming, each felt a call to focus on raising awareness for children and families in trash dump communities throughout the world, Barrett said.

“I’ve never known a call anymore clear than when in Honduras,” he said. “I knew I was to use my gifts and talents to help bring hope and life to a people who have very little hope. Serving the least and last of the world has been the blessing of a lifetime.”

For more information on the documentary release event or on the Trash Mountain Project, please visit the organization’s Web site: www.trashmountain.com.

Posted by Emerge Lakeland at August 24, 2009 09:45 AM

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