The horror in Haiti. What is Fort Lauderdale doing to help?
Posted Under: Important Issues for Fort Lauderdale
The horror in Haiti. What is Fort Lauderdale doing to help?
When we see the “before and after” images of the Presidential Palace in Haiti, we know that the damage to that Capital and the people of this small impoverished country will last for generations.
Before, courtesy of Reuters
After, courtesy of AP
Each of us in Fort Lauderdale need to look into our hearts now and make a decision to help the people of Haiti. We’ve seen far too much selfishness and greed here over the last year. But through this tragedy, I am learning that we are better than that.
The morning after the earthquake, I contacted a number of local businesses trying to see what we as a City could do to help directly. How about chartering a small plane to carry goods to the island? The main airport won’t allow small planes; the dirt strips within 20 miles of the city could be used, but there’s no way of insuring the goods could even get in to the City.
What about a larger carrier making a plane available here in Fort Lauderdale for residents to bring needed goods to, then fly into Port-au Prince?” American Airlines and Federal Express said the same thing to me: Unknown people bringing goods (especially liquids) to an airplane raises all sorts of security concerns for TSA and the airlines. Both companies are instead working with the Red Cross and the United Way to provide air carrier services to help with the delivery of aid to the island. Even local cruise ship companies such as Royal Caribbean are examining what they can do to deliver aid to the island over the long term, by working with existing aid organizations.
So trying to help those in Haiti along an independent path won’t usually provide the best help. The best way to help the people of Haiti? Donate money, even small amounts, to the right agency. Your funds will be used much more effectively, by those organizations that know what is needed.
You can donate through the Red Cross: (www.redcross.org), through the United Way: (https://volunteer.united-e-way.org/uwwwdisaster/donate/), or simply go to news organizations like CNN: (http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/impact/), where dozens of help agencies are listed. You can even make a donation by texting on your cell phone (many of these organizations list a text number you can use to donate money). It can’t get any easier!
Here’s something else. As you know, we’ve seen far too many cases of fraud, corruption and greed over the last year, both nationally and locally. There are far too many Madoffs, Stanfords, and Rothsteins in this world. We’ve seen too much self-indulgence, too much selfishness, too may flashy cars and watches, too many large corporations paying huge bonuses to the already-wealthy.
With this tragedy though, we can see another side of us. We see regular people (trained in rescue operations) flying in to this impoverished country to help dig people out of the rubble. We see doctors and nurses temporarily giving up their practices to mend broken bones and bandage up the wounded. We see people from all over our country (and the world) exhibiting compassion and help, either by being there or by making donations. I’ve discovered that through our efforts, we are restoring our faith in our ability to care for others. This is becoming a counter-balance to all the corruption and greed we’ve seen over the last year. Maybe we’re not so bad after all.
Fort Lauderdale’s relatively close proximity to Haiti and our large Haitian community should make us want to do more to help in this tragedy. By doing so, you will not only be helping them, you will send a silent message to all the Rothsteins, Madoffs and Stanfords: “Wealth doesn’t impress; helping those who need help the most is the best way to impress others”.
What are you doing to help? What are your neighbors doing to help? Write a comment here and I’ll post it.
Earl Rynerson
Reader Comments
I donated to Both the Red Cross and Clinton Bush HaiTi Fund.
For Immediate Release
For more information contact: Brenda Lee Chalifour, Esq. 305-281-8708
Earthquake victims in Haiti texting Broward County Resident for Help!!!
AT&T (formerly Bellsouth) employee and Broward County resident, Fritz Jean-Mary, has been receiving text messages from his girlfriend in Haiti (Lizna) reporting that she and others are “buried” under the Carribean Market, Petion-Ville. However, her cell phone has “died” and he has absolutely no more information.
At this time Fritz is simply looking for someone to take action and “dig them out of there.” There are people who have survived this horrible ordeal and hopefully someone will come to their aid quickly before they are counted among the many who have unfortunately lost their lives.
A resident in Haiti who is closest to the situation, Darline, can be reached at 509 3464 6339. Darline was in close contact with Lizna before her phone “died.” Darline can get any one who can assist and “dig” these people out directly to where they need to be in order to save their lives.
Please, is there someone out there who can assist?
Thank you so very much for your review of this information and hopefully you will be the one who saves these unfortunate souls who are “buried” but alive.
—end—
IS THERE A PLACE WHERE WE CAN GIVE - CLOTHES - DRY FOODS - SOMTHING TO HELP THEM TO KEEP WARM AND SLEEP ETC….
Canned food donations may be dropped off directly at
Food For the Poor at 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek
or Salvation Army 1901 Broward Blvd immediately east of I-95. If you do the latter - when you turn north off Broward, you’ll want to go behind the more westerly of the two Salvation Army buildings (on the left.)
Money, more money & much more money….and those who are involved have dug deep. Food for the Poor, a local agency, has its own system and has been going to Haiti for years. Check their web site. They are not new at this. The Gulf of Gonave is a natural harbor and smaller boats supply the area outside of Port-au-Prince. I’m praying that the military use Hovercraft. There are places close to Haiti for planes to land then some agencies use smaller boats that can go to villages up and down the coast on the north and south side of the peninsula down to Jeremie. ( Jamaica, the Turks, even Cuba if the Republicans would get their heads out of their asses. ha I’m curious who would get locked up or fined if American supplies went out of Guantanamo. ) Maybe we can send beans & rice to them to keep them going.) There is much damage in the smaller towns, where there are no TV cameras.Click here: MapQuest: World Atlas: main The large port in Port au Prince is badly damaged and cannot unload a ship full of rice, much less garage trucks….any heavy equipment that goes in now better be solar powered…at least in New Orleans there was fuel. big agency overhead isn’t something we can afford when we want to feed someone even for a day…. ” ’til they learn to fish”. A neighbor dropped off six 50 lbs bags of rice that went down at 5 AM with a load this morning that will keep 200 people going for a day. This isn’t the first time ‘outta the box’ for natural disasters in Haiti for Food for the Poor, Catholic Charities or Convoy for Hope. They are also stockpiling to provide for people who come here and supplying volunteers - even Doctors without Borders - who go there. There are many “reputable” NGO’s that have been in Haiti a long time that United Way doesn’t even know about. Every little bit helps — even from little ole ladies. There are no small gifts. I’ve run the logistic desk on disasters and some times a truck full of rice needs plastic bags and more hands than are available. Food for the Poor, God’s Little Angels, Hope for Haiti and small agencies have lessons to teach United Way & Red Cross as well. Thank you. Keep up the good work. LindaTapp