Sunday, February 28, 2010

Video from a camp near the airport in Haiti



Individual stories like this do not show the big picture, and surely some progress is being made and it will take years.....blah blah blah....and maybe this is one of the only places this bad off, and maybe the interviewed people have an incentive to not tell the full truth, but if even if we say they have been given food, look at what they are living in.

How can we not get them tents or even more permanent, albeit communal, living quarters? Yes big tents cost much money. But over a month in and the same bottle necks exist is inexcusable. Open a more landing strips, stream line customs, do whatever it takes to end the current conditions.

Give a tent to ahomeinhati.org or drop it off with us and we will ship it for you (see FoodforHaitNow.org).

Tents are not the answer, but right now they are a step in the right direction.


11:15 UPDATE:

From Twitter:

laperki: Been seeing less sheets and more tarps, this is encouraging. Shelter is still the huge need though.10:01pm, Feb 28 from TweetDeck
USAforHaiti
USAforHaiti: @laperki As someone who goes camping, as far as i know a tarp is merely a thin sheet of plastic. Need tentshttp://ahomeinhaiti.org #Haiti10:09pm, Feb 28 from Web
SuziLeVeaux
SuziLeVeaux: @USAforHaiti I have a committment from @howardjkoepka to be at tent city by airport tomorrow. Thank you Lord!10:29pm, Feb 28 from Web
USAforHaiti
USAforHaiti: @SuziLeVeaux Glad they got help, but uneasy there may be more like them in #Haiti and need to know what were up against10:34pm, Feb 28 from Web
SuziLeVeaux
SuziLeVeaux: @USAforHaiti No idea how they got overlooked. Was to intent on finding help for them. If you hear of others, please let us know.11:10pm, Feb 28 from Web

JustRespond

While the University would not allow BonaResponds to go to Haiti 6 members of BonaResponds decided to go on their own. Canceled flights and other travel problems ended the trip for three of them, but Rob, Phil, and TJ made it.

They will be giving updates on the JustRespond blog, but here is a quick glimpse

JustRespond:
"...we walked outside, we were in a gated area where many Haitians men were trying to get money from ppl and offer rides, found a guy with paper that had our names on it, singled to him we were the ppl, and he got our bags, we then made our way through crazy crowd and were followed by about a dozen guys talking to us about how they can drive us or carry bags. They were repeatedly saying 'good service', eventually got in the back of a blazer and tried to pull out, but guys surrounded the truck, everyone screaming at each other: 'good service' and 'we share'. They all wanted money, our guy drove away as fast as possible but only could go about 10mph and got rid of about half, got up to about 30mph where two guys jumped onto the truck hanging onto the front windows!"


You can also follow them on twitter through justrespond, RobRyer, and PhillyPB.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Red tape, bad traffic, no power: 'That's Haiti' - CNN.com

Red tape, bad traffic, no power: 'That's Haiti' - CNN.com: "Today we followed a group of American relief workers to the airport to pick up several tons of donations. They were
expecting tents, food, heavy equipment to help them rebuild and repair. Relief supplies had been flowing freely from the airport since the earthquake. Rescue workers had been able to avoid customs delays and taxes imposed on foreign imports.

But when we arrived at the airport, the whole system had been upended. A doctor from Milwaukee was screaming through a fence at customs officials. She had come for six days with plans to treat 300 patients a day. She had been in Haiti three days and her medicine was still being held."


Read it and weep. Wow. Sad. Pathetic.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Good video from Haiti

I can not embed it (from CNN) but it is worth watching.

Click here.

FAST FAST tool request...

Probably a donation of money would be best. Just heard from HODR, they need the following things. We will ship them, but lets get this together by Thursday!!

"masonry hammers
concrete and wood chisels
screw gun bits (flat head/phillips--assorted sizes)
hardhats
3/8" hammer drill
7 1/4" circular saw + saw blades (any brand)
cordless drill
concrete saw
Screws: 2.5", 1.25""


Who wants to give to this one? If you can help, email JimMahar at Yahoo.com

Maria Hayes wrote the following on BonaResponds for one of her classes

Thanks Maria! This was submitted to one of her journalism classes but she is letting us post it too:

Maria Hayes

February 18, 2010

Members of the global community will band together for a day of volunteer work with BonaResponds at the helm as the organization holds its first international day of service on March 27th.

BonaResponds, a group dedicated to providing service to those in need, is asking people worldwide to help their neighborhood however they can. Service projects can range from helping a neighbor walk a dog to rebuilding a house.

“We’re asking anybody. We’re trying to get them to go out and either organize a volunteer activity or join an existing one,” senior physics major Steve Gearhart said. “It can be anywhere between helping someone shop for groceries or walk a dog, help build a house or go work in a soup kitchen. Big or small, it doesn’t matter. Just go help somebody.”

In addition to doing volunteer work, participants are encouraged to submit photos or video to http://bonaresponds.org to commemorate the occasion. There will be a toll free number available for contributors to record their experiences and share them with the rest of the BonaResponds network. The number will be posted to the Web site by March 20th, according to BonaResponds’ Web site. The submitted media will be complied into a video that will reflect and capture the spirit of volunteerism across the globe.

“It’s going to be like the North American Aerospace Defense tracking Santa around the world,” Mahar said. “It’s like that, but with tracking service all the way around the world.”

According to a map on BonaResponds’ Web site, volunteers are as far away as Chengdu, China or as close to home as Buffalo, N.Y. , and span across 10 countries.

“We’re asking people wherever they are to go volunteer. Just do something good for someone,” Jim Mahar, director of BonaResponds and associate professor of finance, said. “It doesn’t matter if they’re a Bonaventure alumni or don’t even know where Bonaventure is. Go get involved.”

Mahar anticipates hundreds of volunteers in the United States alone.

“We’re expecting at least 150 volunteers in Buffalo. Los Angeles is expecting 150 people to come volunteer that day,” Mahar said. “Charlotte will probably have 80 to 100 that day. It’s a pretty big thing.”

BonaResponds emerged in late 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, according to its Web site. The group’s original purpose was to help alleviate the destruction left by the storm. It quickly grew to become one of the largest collegiate service groups helping clean up the Gulf region.

Gearhart was part of a BonaResponds group that went to Pass Christian, M.S. in January 2007.

“We drove down in vans. When you drive into the Gulf Coast area, there isn’t a landmark or anything. There’s no houses, no buildings, nothing. You’re driving down to the edge of the ocean, which is prime beachfront property, and there’s nothing,” Gearthart said. “And all of a sudden, you just realize, ‘There’s a foundation. There’s another foundation.’ All of the places, all of the houses were gone.”

Instead of dissolving after helping hurricane victims, BonaResponds stayed together and became a permanent part of the Bonaventure campus community, allowing students, faculty and community members to apply the school’s Franciscan values to their daily lives.

“As clichĆ© as it sounds, it [BonaResponds] made me a better person. I don't judge people as quickly as I used to,” sophomore marketing and journalism and mass communication major Emily Deragon said. “I used to look at someone and if they looked trashy think to myself, ‘Wow, they are probably working the system.’ Now I get to know the person because everyone has struggles.”

Anyone interested in learning more about BonaResponds should contact the organization on their Web site, http://bonaresponds.org.


Medshare's Blog

Medshare's Blog: An example of what can happen when more people need food than have food:

"There were 1,500 food coupons distributed the night before, but much more lined up in an aggressive mob the next morning. Led by my group, I pushed my way through the crowd inside the gate where the distribution was to take place. This is the first time I’ve been scared since my arrival in Haiti.

The UN arrived shortly with an army trucks carrying soldiers and all the food that was to be distributed. Each person with a coupon got one bucket of rice and one bucket of beans. I watched tearfully as UN officers had to use their guns and sticks to control the crowd. It reminded me of cow herders herding cattle. It broke my heart to see people brought to this level of desperation that they behave and are treated like animals. This is not okay.
And a reason we are trying to raise money to feed over 200,000. See FoodforHaitinow.org

Monday, February 22, 2010

The Olean Times Herald covered our crutches collection!

From the Olean Times Herald

Machias group lends BonaResponds a helping hand!

Members of BonaResponds and the Christian Youth Corps based in Machias as well as area contractors worked together...to make crutches for Haitian amputees, as well as those who suffered broken bones in the earthquake that struck there Jan. 12.


Stressing that there is a great need for community involvement and many other projects will be in the works:

"This project is a total community effort,” Mr. Andrews said.

Not only are locations in and around Olean collecting crutches, but Villa Maria College and Erie County Medical Center, both in Buffalo, have joined in the cause.

“Both my brother and I are runners, so my brother used the analogy that the efforts for Haiti are going to be a marathon not a sprint,” said Mr. Mahar.


Here is a video Breanna of the OTH made:




For the full article click here.

For a list of places to drop off tents and crutches please see FoodforHaitiNow.org.


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Sunday, February 21, 2010

WORLD Magazine | Stress management | Jamie Dean | Feb 27, 10

WORLD Magazine | Stress management | Jamie Dean | Feb 27, 10:
"Corbett says aid groups and volunteers should avoid taking over work that Haitians can do: 'Part of helping people get back on their feet, not just materially but internally, is them contributing to their own progress.' He says allowing Haitians to work encourages dignity and a work ethic, and causes local people to invest in their own recovery."

Chronicles of an Unplanned Return

Just came across this blog today. It is from a volunteer health worker and definitely definitely worth reading:

Chronicles of an Unplanned Return:
"Our morning cook shows up every day at 7:00 am. I am an early riser so i am the one who opens the gate for her. She is always on time and comes in looking prim and proper. I ask about her house today. She lost it and she sleeps in the street with her kids. She does not have a tent. Tents are given during work hours when she is with us. They will not give out tents to the kids. She comes in prim and proper every morning. You would not know if you did not ask.

Turns out that our staff is homeless and tent-less. It is the same at the maternity ward. Most the nurses and midwives are also homeless and tent-less."

Friday, February 19, 2010

Haiti shelter emergency as rain turns camps to mud | Reuters

Haiti shelter emergency as rain turns camps to mud | Reuters:
"Several hours of overnight rain, much of it torrential, battered the thousands of crude cloth tents and huts in the quake-shattered capital Port-au-Prince, turning the ground between them to mud and soaking their occupants.

It was the second downpour in a week. The prospect of more rains on the way has added urgency to the government's appeal for tents and temporary living structures in which to house the homeless, estimated at more than 1 million".

I dare you to watch this VIDEO and then go buy a tent to donate! Either drop it off to us, or see aHomeInHaiti.org
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Mark Schuller: Passing the "Riot Test" in Haiti

Mark Schuller: Passing the "Riot Test" in Haiti:
"I do not ever like to be the bearer of bad news, but as absolutely important as this discussion of Haiti’s future is, there is a more urgent situation that must be addressed right now. Any day now, it is going to rain. Unfortunately, too many people do not have a tent to stay dry. Communications have been down, and this is particularly frustrating for those of us who have friends, colleagues, and loved ones who are poor, many of whom are temporarily residing in “tent cities” that are sadly sites of rape against women. “Tent cities” is a misnomer since most families have only a single bedsheet as cover, tied to wooden posts like my friend....

Read the rest of the article. It is very critical of bureaucracy and teh bad inccentives that arise when NGOs depend on government money.
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UN Security Council: Better Shelter, Security Needed for Haiti Victims | Human Rights Watch

UN Security Council: Better Shelter, Security Needed for Haiti Victims | Human Rights Watch:
"Despite all the relief efforts, hundreds of thousands of Haitians remain in desperate need,' said Anna Neistat, senior emergencies researcher at Human Rights Watch, who led the investigative team in Haiti. 'The Haitian government urgently needs to do all it can lawfully to make sites available for camps for displaced and homeless persons.'

Despite the large-scale international effort to help the victims, the majority of the 1.2 million people left homeless by the earthquake continue to be in desperate need of vital assistance and protection"

Snapshot - Port-au-Prince Seaport — Humanitarian Logistics Information

Arguably the most important think that can happen. Bottlenecks have to be removed in shipping and air travel.

Snapshot - Port-au-Prince Seaport — Humanitarian Logistics Information:
"This week the port reached 510 containers in one day using lighterage, the south pier and one interim floating dock which has just been installed. The US Military is now establishing a second floating dock to double the size. These will be placed against the old wharf. Once complete, the floating docks, lighterage and four beach areas will provide capacity of up to 1,500 containers a day while all assets remain in place. These docks will be critical given the foreseen US withdrawal, after which lightering operations may not remain a viable option."

BonaResponds Atlanta II?

BonaResponds Atlanta II

If we can get enough (10) volunteers by tonight, we will be helping to arrange a trip to Atlanta to with a AhomeinHaiti.org. They are in need of volunteers to pack tents for shipment to Haiti. All volunteers will be working with them as well as at the Methodist Children's Home that we worked on in January.

The cost of the trip will be $50 to cover the cost of food etc. You are responsible for all travel. We can get you from the Train Station (MARTA) from Saturday Feb 27th. The trip will end on Friday.

Again this trip is contingent on getting 10 volunteers. Given the late date, we must have an answer by 9pm today (Friday). You will be notified by email by Late night Saturday.

If we do not get enough volunteers by tonight, we will can provide the contact information for ahomeinhaiti.org to you.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Notice Board Announcements

1. There will be two short work days this weekend. Saturday we will be helping at the Warming House. (We will be helping to build shelves and HELPING to organize their donated food inventory.) On Sunday we will be making crutches for Haiti in Machias with the Christian Youth Corps (CYC). Due to capacity we will limit volunteers each day to 10. Sign up here: http://bit.ly/aSPCJa

2. Our efforts with Villa Maria, local schools, and churches continues. We now have a website devoted to these efforts: http://FoodForHaitiNow.org

Our goal is to feed over 200,000 people, provide over 200 pairs of crutches and walkers, and at least 20 tents.

We need you to get involved. We can not do it ourselves. So get involved. Email Steve Gearhart, Rob Ryer, Emily Deragon, Phil Penepent, or even Jim Mahar for more information.

3. While some details still need to be worked out, there is a high likelihood of a small spring break trip to Atlanta. There will be a strict limit to the number who can go (about 25% the size of a normal spring break trip). There is a VERY short meeting at 5:40 in Murphy 103 (Thursday) (I have class at 6:00, so it is going to be VERY short!). You will have to pay airfare and $50 for food/ground transport.

4. On March 27th we will be having the first even Bonaventure International Service Day. We are asking people to go and help others wherever they are and then share pictures/videos/and even recorded audio of what you (or your group) did (we will be having a phone system set up to record audio messages on that day). With these pictures and voice recordings we will put together a video capturing a day of good deeds around the globe! (think of it like tracking Santa!)

So far we have groups signed up in about 30 US cities and 10 countries! But we'd love many many more. Indeed, this is the first year of it and eventually we'd love it to cover all 195 countries! (ok we can dream!) So, if you have friends or family that do not live on campus, get them involved! They need not have a tie to SBU, and the service can be as small as one person helping an elderly neighbor go to the store or as major as 150 volunteers working in Los Angeles.
See http://bonaresponds.org/nsd.html for more information.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Haiti One Month Later | Mercy Corps

Haiti One Month Later | Mercy Corps: Written by US Congressman Earl Blumenauer

"After just a few minutes on the ground, I was overwhelmed by the magnitude and randomness of the destruction. What I witnessed right after the tsunami in Southeast Asia and after Katrina in New Orleans had a much more distinct pattern.

Haiti is a small country, less than 30% the size of Oregon, but with more than two and a half times Oregon's population concentrated around Port-au-Prince. Nearly half a million were killed, injured, or have gone missing, and disease and trauma will continue to take their toll for months, if not years, to come.....

Although the situation in Haiti was worse than I imagined, I was heartened by the mutual understanding and areas of agreement. There is even greater urgency to ease suffering and avoid the next round of catastrophe with the coming rains, inevitable flooding, and probable outbreak of disease. There is real potential to actually fix some of the problems Haiti had before the earthquake,....."

YouTube - Greg Mortenson (Give Me Your Eyes)

YouTube - Greg Mortenson (Give Me Your Eyes):
"One man makes a promise to build schools in Pakistan. One man fights the war on terror not with guns or weapons, but with kindness and determination."





While this has zero to do with Haiti, Mortenson's work ethic and dedication to helping others (indeed that of the entire Central Asia Institute) is so inspiring that the more we see him/them, the harder we can push ourselves to help others.

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

YouTube - Hoop Homes for Haiti

YouTube - Hoop Homes for Haiti:
"Terry Esbenshade talks about the 'hoop home' temporary housing structures being sent to Haiti."




HT to generation4Him I think this is same idea (not quite as "pretty" as this from Windsor's paper.




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YouTube - TEAM RUBICON Haiti trailer

YouTube - TEAM RUBICON Haiti trailer:
"TEAM RUBICON bridges the critical time gap between large natural disasters and conventional aid response. We provide vanguard medical care by fielding small, self-sustaining, mobile teams"




I was so impressed with this group, I immediately emailed them to see if any way we could help. Then when looking around their site, found out who is on their team, a former SBU softball player!!

From their "Who we are page"

"Deirdre Spina, RN Dierdre currently works as a Medical Surgeon RN in New York. She earned a B.S. in Physical Education and an M.S. in Education from St. Bonaventure University, where she also played softball. She managed the Partial Hospitalization Program in Bradford, PA for 8 years, and also coached Women’s Soccer and Softball at Alfred State College for 7 years. She most recently earned her A.A.S. from ASC in nursing."

As donations pour in for Haiti, charitable organizations take stock | Stars and Stripes

As donations pour in for Haiti, charitable organizations take stock | Stars and Stripes:
"The Red Cross, which spends about 10 percent of its budget on administrative and fundraising work, according to Charity Navigator, has deployed 100 workers to Haiti and provided supplies, including blankets, hygiene kits, mosquito nets and kitchen sets to 130,000 people, provided 3 million prepackaged meals to the United Nations World Food Programme, and money to feed another million people for a month."

Not so good at breaking up the bottle necks yet has been

"Musician Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti said it has spent about $928,000 so far on deliveries of food and water, as well as 500 shelter packages — tents, water purification tablets, canteens, blankets, gloves and personal items — to people in Jacmel. The group has raised a total of more than $8.6 million...."

Best of the bunch of big NGOs so far seems to be Food for the Poor. They are one of the groups that the money from the SBU boot drive went to.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Food For Haiti Now

Food For Haiti Now:
"We are a collection of volunteer organizations, groups, classes, high schools, church groups, and individuals who have come together to help Haiti following the recent earthquakes. You can join us! Contact us at info@foodforhaitinow.org to add your name to our list!"

BonaResponds Updates

BonaResponds Meeting today (Monday) 12:30 Murphy 105

Agenda: Feeding over 200,000 in Haiti, crutches walker tent drive, Spring Break, and local events.

There is a desperate need for faculty/staff who would like to on a spring break trip. Most likely locale in Atlanta to work on multiple jobs (from working on the children's home to packing medical supplies and tents for Haiti). If you can go and be a leader we need to now ASAP.


Also this Sunday we will be working in Machias to help build crutches for Haiti. Stay tuned for more info.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Haiti: How U.S. Charity Donations to Haiti Earthquake Victims Are Being Spent - ABC News

Haiti: How U.S. Charity Donations to Haiti Earthquake Victims Are Being Spent - ABC News:

While interesting, it really does not mean that much. Sure we'd like to see money spent sooner, but it is pretty hard to do given the level of difficulty getting in and out of the country. Also this is a long term recovery. We all do need to think some before spending.

"In total, of the half a billion dollars sent to Haiti relief organizations contacted by ABC News, 18 percent is already being spent on food and water, Additionally, 11 percent is going toward medical supplies and clinics, six percent on housing, and two percent on operations....


But here's the catch. The money now being spent is only a small fraction of the total donations given. Most of the donations made to the relief efforts -- 69 percent or $325 million -- have not been spent on anything yet.

'The ability of the organizations to manage this tremendous volume of need and with their infrastructure -- they can only do just so much at any given time,' Ken Berger, President and Executive Director of Charity Navigator said."
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A video from New Orleans to Haiti with love

Sad.

Favorite quote: It is not a me thing, a you thing; not a black or white thing; not a US thing, not a Haiti thing."

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A video from Haiti via Mark

This is from Mark (of BetterHealthForHaiti). I spoke with him tonight and we will be working with them in any way we can.

Haiti Earthquake on Vimeo: "A team of four from the Catholic Church of Saint Monica in Duluth, Georgia traveled to Port au Prince, Haiti just a few days after the earthquake in order to join the relief effort. Shot by Mark Coughlin"

Haiti Earthquake from Mark Coughlin Media on Vimeo.



BTW this is the same Mark that ran with my brother Pat when he was in Haiti. In fact, Pat is the doctor that Mark talks about with the hat and red bandana.

Monday, February 08, 2010

MSNBC video

Spring rains threaten Haitian survivors - Haiti earthquake- msnbc.com: "Nearly a month after the massive earthquake left Haiti devastated, thousands remain homeless and hungry."

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Spring rains threaten Haitian survivors - Haiti earthquake- msnbc.com

Spring rains threaten Haitian survivors - Haiti earthquake- msnbc.com:
"The rainy season in Haiti is deadly even in a good year. Now, in a devastated capital city, the early spring rains threaten to cause landslides and bring about health problems in the makeshift camps where more than 500,000 people are living."

FEMA: Final Resident Says Goodbye To FEMA's Community Park In Bridge City

Great news! The last resident of FEMA Community Park in Bridge City has moved out!

FEMA: Final Resident Says Goodbye To FEMA's Community Park In Bridge City:
"When temporary units on private, commercial and community sites are no longer needed, it’s a further sign that our citizens are moving forward in their recovery,” added State Coordinating Officer Ben Patterson. “We are very happy to see our residents find more permanent housing"


For some of what we did in Bridge City see here and see some pictures here.

For all of our trips, see here.

Thursday, February 04, 2010

Hands On Disaster Response

From Hands On Disaster Response:
"Leogane is a town of 180,000 people, spread across urban and rural areas. We are located in Darbonne, a neighborhood 4km outside of the Leogane town center. Much of the population is living in tent camps or on the street in front of their damaged or destroyed homes. Tremors still affect the area and people are extremely afraid, so much so that many will not enter structures even during daylight hours. One of our focuses during the early part of the project will be rubble removal/demolition so that families can move from camps back onto their own clear space; we aim to expand to transitional construction, sanitation, and NGO support activities."

Rebuilding Effort in Haiti Turns Away From Tents - NYTimes.com

Rebuilding Effort in Haiti Turns Away From Tents - NYTimes.com: "
They acknowledged that it could be five years before most people moved back into houses, which means that under the current best-case situation, Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, will soon be blanketed with hundreds of thousands of simple structures that designers describe as “garden sheds” and others see as shanties."

Wednesday, February 03, 2010

World Donations Stack Up in Devastated Haiti

From the NY Times:

"...five key logistical challenges --...a non-functioning government, ...backlog of flights...,damaged and small port, clogged overland routes...and security concerns."

YouTube - Sea Flower Preparing for Haiti Delivery

YouTube - Sea Flower Preparing for Haiti Delivery: "Haiti-Life relief supplies to Haiti being loaded onto Sea Flower on Miami River. Food, Rice, Crutches, Wheelchairs, Water and Hygienic supplies needed desperately."

Crazy Car wash for Haiti

It's February in Western New York. It is cold. It is snowy. So what better time and place to have a car wash?

Why go to these extremes? Because the people of Haiti cannot wait until it warms up. Or until it is convenient for us to help. They need our help now. And you can help by either volunteering and/or getting the salt off of your car.

BonaResponds will be working with Living-Waters Church to host a car wash to help Haiti. So let's get out and make the difference.

From 10AM to 4PM on Saturday at the Living-Waters church (on State Street between Verizon and Tim Hortons) we will be washing cars. The car wash is free but donations are encouraged (and remember it is going to be cold so dress warm!!)

To volunteer or for more information email Rob Ryer (RYERRM @ sbu.edu).

Two articles stand testament to how much Haiti needs our assistance

JACMEL, HAITI - JANUARY 28:  In this handout i...Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I am not sure how a in a civilized world where we know this is happening, we can allow this. Yes there are amazing barriers and the costs will be great, but as we watch some of , but people are amazing. Let's end this now. People can not be dying of hunger. Three weeks after the quake patients of nursing homes can not be lying outside.

Two stories to document this:

The first article is from the NY Times:
Chaos Eases in Effort to Help Feed the Hungry in Haiti - NYTimes.com:

"For three weeks since the international effort to feed millions of Haitians has been dogged by confusion, transportation snags, security problems and a lack of coordination. Before the coupon program started on Saturday, food giveaways had become a Darwinian sport — with biscuits and bottles of canola oil or biscuits thrown like footballs from the backs of trucks to masses of men jockeying for position.

Many are still hungry. As of Sunday, 639,200 people had received a meal from the United Nations’ World Food Program, 32 percent of the two million estimated to be in need."

And second story is not really a story. It is a series of amazing picture from Boston.com. All of the pictures were taken this week (Q+3 weeks). They are so well done you will want to look again, but so sad you can't stand to even see them the first time. While the pictures will make you sad, they also play the role of reminding us all why Haiti needs our help.

Pictures from Boston.com. HT @wyclef and @EmDeragon13 respectively
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Tuesday, February 02, 2010

A video invitation to help the people of Haiti

Allie and Emily put together the following video to send to friends and other schools to get them involved. We figured that maybe if you watch it, you will see why we are making Haiti such a priority this year and get involved too.





Your school, your class, your family, your team, hey even you and some people you don't like too much. Get involved. You will make a HUGE difference. Little things add up, and many hands make light work. We need you. The people of Haiti need you. No matter how small, or how much time you have. You can make the difference.

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Monday, February 01, 2010

Couple of fast updates

Updates on many areas

* Jen uploaded some pictures from the BootDrive that raised about $5500 (some money came in later).

* I spoke at John Steven's HR class today. Talked about volunteer opportunities, staffing challenges, importance of leadership, and how volunteering is a great resume builder.

* The new FoodforHaitiNow.org website is coming along. It is not done yet, but you can see what it will look like here.

* Abbott Welding is a new drop off site for Crutches. You can also drop them off at the Allegany Park and Shop or at 231 Murphy on the SBU campus.

* It seems like Greenville SC as a spring break trip probably fell through. Spoke with Father Pat twice yesterday and he had some unexpected things come up that will likely make our trip there impractical this time. HE would love us to come at a later date.

* spoke this AM with Pete of CYC (Christian Youth Corps) about a possible spring break trip and teaming up with them on the crutches drive for Haiti. I am always energized when I get off the phone with him. Great guy.

* If there is to be a spring break trip, we need some faculty/staff people to come forward to be willing to be leaders. I plan on being in Haiti on a non-BonaResponds relief trip.


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Going Up Just One Hill

Eric who was one of the doctors in the group Pat went to Haiti with pointed out the following blog that describes the work still being done and where they stayed.

Lions Clubs InternationalImage via Wikipedia

Going Up Just One Hill:
"The mobile clinic portion of our medical team includes a doctor, two nurses, and a volunteer “pharmacist.” For three days they worked their way up one of the hills, and set up in a different place each day....The wreckage from the earthquake up in this area can only be described as complete. There is nothing standing. We set up the clinic in the small, side yard of a partially standing house, with the pharmacy atop a wall littered with broken glass"
and
"SUNDAY, JANUARY 31 began early with the realization that the pump wasn’t working, and we had to use buckets of water for flushing. Thirty five people need a lot of water. However, from there all the news goes up! At 9:00 AM, the representative of the International Lions Club arrived to bring us the good news that they had chosen Matthew 25 to be an official Lions Club Tent City...the camp will receive sturdy tents, and a hot kitchen will be set up along with latrines, and a School In A Box, so that the several hundred children in camp can begin to regain some stability and routine in their lives. We will also be the site of a dental clinic, as well as an eye care clinic....

As if that wasn’t enough, we learned that Rays of Hope for Haiti, a small, Grand Rapids, Michigan-based organization that ships all manner of things down here had sent $8,000 worth of food destined for Matthew 25 through the Dominican Republic."
Thanks to Eric for the link. I will definitely begin following this one!
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YouTube - Intro to IntlServiceDay.wmv

YouTube - Intro to IntlServiceDay.wmv:
"On March 27, 2010 we are asking people to go help others. Wherever you are, who ever you are. you can help someone. Volunteer at your local soup kitchen, your SPCA, the library, or even just help a neighbor.

All we ask of you is that you help someone. Then we'd love you to share your day with us via pictures, videos, or our toll free phone line that will record your message for all to hear. It will be a large group reflection that will show us all how our little good deeds can add up to a huge day of helping others!"


YouTube - A Video intro to the FoodForHaitiNow program.

YouTube - A Video intro to the FoodForHaitiNow program.: "A brief video introduction of some of the things we will be doing to help Haiti. While the details of any long term plan are still being worked out, this will be a longer term commitment than is common after other disasters."