Mobilizing Help For the People of Haiti
Circa 2010
NOTE: WeCareforHaiti.org was created more than a decade ago to help mobilize assistance for the people of Haiti.
The content now found on this site is from the 2010 archived versions of the original site, as well as from other sources.
Here we are in 2021 and Haiti is still desperately in need of help to rebuild their communities that have continued to suffer from both systemic poverty and the fallout of natural disasters, such as the devastating 2010 earthquake. If you wish to contribute or volunteer to help in Haiti there are a number of organizations still operating in the country. You can find them via an Internet search.
I remember reading about the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti in 2010 on my computer when I saw the headline about the quake. Later I read news articles mentioning the enormous efforts to help their people by the by Haitians living in the US. Their mobilization was truly inspiring. Consequently when I discovered that the domain for WeCareforHaiti.org was available so I bought it with the goal of recreating some of its content from archived pages and to point visitors to their new site. I definitely didn't want someone else purchasing the domain and re-purposing the site for something that had nothing in common with the original website. I believe that the story about the Haitian relief efforts found in these archived pages is still important and should be available online.
UPDATE: 2021
2021 has been a rough year for Haiti. Aside from the Covid 19 pandemic, the people of Haiti have suffered another devastating earthquake. Interestingly, the catastrophic 2010 earthquake took place approximately 46.6 miles west of this earthquake and was an M7.0 that occurred at a depth of 8.1 miles. However the 2021 earthquake occurred at a depth of only 6.2 miles (10 km), which is critical because shallow earthquakes usually cause more damage. Although the damages from this 2021 earthquake are similar to 2010, it was on a smaller scale because of smaller population at the epicenter and the more rural geography. But that makes little difference to the folks this latest earthquake affected. In addition, on Aug 16 Haiti experienced a direct hit from the Tropical Depression, Grace. Early satellite reports indicated more than 5 inches fell in some areas. Another disaster. The compounded effects of an ongoing political crisis in Haiti after the 7 July, 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, on going socio-economic challenges, food insecurity, and gang violence continue to greatly worsen an already precarious humanitarian situation. And then there is Covid 19.
Compared to what's happening in Haiti, the lock downs the residents of Melbourne (where I live) had to deal with are puny in scale. At the time I felt being in lockdown was terrible. But after a day working from home I would be able to relax and enjoy some fun playing pokies online at my favorite casino, Uptown Pokies. I could check every Thursday at an online casino affiliate site, Online-Casino-Party.co to see the upcoming weekly promo specials. My home is intact, I can buy food, and we have a stable government. Because our government adopted an approach of using lockdowns alongside proactive testing and tracing to contain the virus, Australians are in good shape. I am lucky to be living where I am, unlike many Haitians where back-to-back disasters are exacerbating preexisting vulnerabilities.
I want to mention The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) launched the CDP Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund to support the medium- and long-term needs of earthquake-affected people and communities. To help Haitians go to https://disasterphilanthropy.org/ and learn how to help.
Archive Headlines: January 12th, 2010
On January 12th, 2010, an earthquake measuring a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale left the already impoverished Caribbean nation of Haiti in a state of devastation. In response to the humanitarian crisis formed in the aftermath of the earthquake, 1199SEIU** has partnered with UNICEF and various non-profit organizations, community leaders, media outlets, politicians and government agencies. The collaboration effort will be used to mobilize the community at large and help direct the generosity of the concerned public. 1199SEIU will use its resources and organizing ability to make the relief effort more efficient and also play a role in the rebuilding process of Haiti
NEWS POSTS
New American Media conducted a poll of Haitian Americans ten days after the earthquake
Thursday March 4, 2010 . 9:09 PM
New American Media conducted a poll of Haitian Americans ten days after the earthquake devastated Haiti. The findings show a majority of the participants lost loved ones as a result of the earthquake. It also found, the Haitian Diaspora want to go back and be apart of the rebuilding process. This is the largest resource the country has, the number of people who care for Haiti and are willing to make a long term commitment to its revival.
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Drive Sets Goal of 50,000 Survival Kits for Women of Haiti
Friday June 18, 2010 . 3:23 PM
Members, volunteers and staff from 1199SEIU and the 1199SEIU Child Care Corporation gathered on June 4 at the union’s Manhattan headquarters for the first in a series of gatherings where members will help make 50,000 Survival Kits for the women of Haiti.
The kits are scheduled to be completed by August 13, and will include basic healthcare items such as toothpaste, a tooth brush, soap and deodorant as well as clean undergarments and energy bars. Millions of women and children were displaced by the earthquake and left without access to basic health and sanitary supplies.
Elaine Pascall, a retiree from Marcus Garvey Nursing Home in Brooklyn attended the event. The pictures from Haiti are very disturbing, she said. Women have to help women. Sometimes men think all we have to do is work, but women know that we have to stop and take care of each other. We need to do things like send doctors and provide medicine.
The kits will be assembled at 1199SEIU headquarters on several Fridays and Saturdays throughout June and July. Members are welcome to participate, and encouraged to donate supplies for kits through their churches, community organizations and worksites.
Supplies can be dropped off Monday to Friday from 9:00 am and 5:00 p.m. at the following 1199SEIU headquarters:
Manhattan, 330 W.42nd Street
Long Island, 100 Duffy Avenue, 7th Fl, Hicksville
Westchester, 99 Church Street, White Plains
New Jersey, 555 Route One South, Iselin
Kits and supplies may be dropped off until August 13, 2011. For more information contact your organizer or call the We Care for Haiti office at 212-603-0047/0048.
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Remembering The Haitian Tragedy A Year Later: A Story From The Front Lines
Friday January 14, 2011 . 2:37 PM
One year ago, the earthquake in Haiti killed hundreds of thousands and left millions homeless, a tragedy that the Haitian people are still suffering from. Less than a week after the earthquake, 1199SEIU Delegate Angel Ruiz, a mental health tech at the University of Miami Hospital volunteered to join a team of Miami-based first responders to provide medical supplies and care to earthquake survivors in Haiti. The team was among the first to arrive in Haiti and they waited close to 12 hours for their plane, which was delayed due to the rubble blocking Port-au-Prince’s airport runways. As they waited for their plane, the medical teams had to repack their gear multiple times to meet the weight limit of the cargo plane. There were so many supplies that the first responders decided to bring only one change of clothes each for one week.
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**1199SEIU is a local union of the Service Employees International Union in the United States. With a membership of 360,000 it claims to be the largest local union in the world. As part of a broader collective effort to mobilize the community and offer resources to those affected by the crisis in Haiti, the special UNICEF fundraising drive was announced almost immediately after the first reports of the immense devastation were received. With tens of thousands of Haitians and Haitian-American members of 1199 SEIU, the union launched this special Haiti relief website at www.wecareforhaiti.org.
