Get Together Week

August 20-26 marks a new annual Missing People initiative to encourage community groups to raise funds for the United Kingdom charity. Missing People is particularly concerned about the plight of young runaways and has proven to be a valuable resource for families.

Several activities are planned including a special video cast, “Missing People” TV which will feature profiles and video appeals. The video appeals will also be used to mark anniversaries of a person’s disappearance in order to help keep cases fresh in the public’s minds.

For example, one of the first broadcasts will highlight an appeal for 32- year-old Vincent Derrick, missing since August 30, 2003.Appeals of such nature, can work toward preventing certain missing person’s cases from “going cold,” and offer hope to family members and the community at large.

Missing People wants to stay visible in the public eye and to that end, they are drawing upon the social network boom by developing sites on Facebook, You Tube and others.

Paul Tuohy, CEO of Missing People told a UK reporter that he was honored to announce Get Together Week, and hopes to reach supporters through some social networking groups as part of the organization’s outreach.

Individual families in the United Kingdom are also dedicating time to organizing community events to raise awareness, in the form of local camping and garden parties and barbecues. These events allow families of missing persons, to continue to be pro- active in the search for loved ones, rather than wait for law enforcement to develop new leads- solely.

Supporters are encouraged to promote their own fundraising pages, by accessing
Just Giving (www.justgiving.com.) Setting up a fundraising page to help support Missing People, or other registered charities can create more interest, and allow the public to make donations directly to the charity, via the fundraising page.

In addition, supporters can include information about their fundraising events and make the public aware of their goals.