Haiti update

*see email from Jamie with details about giving to organizations below

Almost 13 years ago this May, I was sitting on the roof of Saint Joseph's Home for Boys in Port au Prince singing and laughing with the other college students and some of our new Haitian friends. I remember vividly looking out on the poorly constructed concrete square homes upon squares that came out from the hillsides all around. Saint Joseph's collapsed in the quake. All of the boys were safe--they were outside playing right before the bell rang for dinner, I hear. I can only imagine the other buildings around--and in the worse areas of the city that we weren't even able to visit...I can only imagine...but I don't want to.
I don't want to believe that this is happening to such a poor people.
I don't want to think of all the people who have died, who are still barely alive but unable to be reached under the rubble.
I don't want to think of all of the people who my brother lived with and cared for over the years--what they are going through, some of them still missing.
i don't want to feel sick to my stomach when i think of a country with almost no infrastructure--with the small bits destroyed in the quake--trying to figure out how to rebuild.
BUT I HAVE TO. WE ALL HAVE TO.

As citizens of the WORLD, we have to think about these people. As people of faith, we are called to love and help these neighbors who need it most.

My brother, Jamie, has lived in Haiti off and on for the past 5+ years. He speaks fluent creole. We have learned so much about the Haitian culture and people from him over the years. They are a spirited people--I hear many people could be heard singing on the streets on the night of the quake. this is such a horrible tragedy. He was actually in France (and still is, since he wouldnt' be able to get back to Haiti right now) when the quake hit, so he is safe. All the people he works with in Cap Hatien are safe. He still has many friends around Port au Prince who are unaccounted for, which is so scary. Please pray for all these people.

And if you are wondering about the perspective on giving to organizations from someone who lives and works there, I have copied an email that I just received from Jamie.

all the tuttles are well, by the way. Heath had an ear infection that he has recovered from like a "regular" kid. Chris is away off and on this week and next for a DMin class--(whew--I have a great respect for single parents!) I will write more on the holidays and Heath's birthday (this coming Monday!!) when I have a few moments this weekend.
I had a much different update to write until the other day. now nothing seems more important than Haiti.
love to you all.
carrie

an email from my brother, Jamie:
Hi Chris- everyone...

Many people have been asking the question of where to give, so I just started adding names to the list of recipients and tried to touch as many of my networks as I could think of not connected with facebook. I don't really know how to answer this question, but here is my current thoughts on the subject.

The country director of the American Red Cross and several other of their employees are friends of mine and I think that would be a good place to give.

Partners in Health is still functional in the central plateau and undoubtedly will be quite active in the immediate response.

However, I want to make one argument. There is a HUGE popular response to the demands of these organizations. I don't think that they will be in need of money for the immediate future. I'm reminded of friends from grad school who found employment in the areas devastated by the tsunami working for organizations that previously had no presence in those areas simply because they had so much ear marked money left over that they had to find ways to spend it... sometimes years after many of those areas had "recovered." By no means am I saying they don't need it, but they have the US news media and the international community doing their fund raising for them.


I've been trying to imagine what the next steps are for bringing some semblance of safety, security, order... recovery? I read the first person account published by my friend Jonathan Katz, the permanent AP reporter in Haiti (http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/01/13/world/AP-CB-Surviving-Haiti.html)
and wondered the same question he did:


"But what will happen after that help, like so much here, has vanished? Will there be an after?"
9 million people live in Haiti. There will be an after. It can't disappear into the ocean. The bottom just dropped out of the bottomless pit, but it will be rebuilt.

It seems selfish to ask for money for the people that I work for at this moment, even though we specifically don't do "relief," but I have a feeling that everything will be relief for a while. I have no hesitation to ask for funds for either the Haiti Fund or Meds & Food for Kids. I chose to work for both of these groups and they are reliable stewards of money and are committed to the long term success of Haiti. Both of these organizations will no doubt be completely stretched by the last few days events.

The Haiti Fund works in the area reportedly the most damaged by the quake. The epicenter was a few miles from my old house. We have no word on the conditions there except to hear about most of the towns around there are totally leveled. Perhaps as many as 500 people rely directly on HFI for support and thousands more indirectly. The need there was already overwhelming and I can't imagine what it is like right now.
http://www.haitifundinc.org/

Meds & Food for Kids is located in Cap Haitian, which has been mostly unaffected by the physical results of the quake. We will, however, be overwhelmed with demand for our product (a nutrient dense peanut butter used to treat and prevent malnutrition) and will probably run into cost problems in trying to meet the anticipated demand.
http://www.mfkhaiti.org/

Other smaller organizations that I know well, work directly in the affected areas, are committed to long term change in Haiti and I believe do good things:


Family Health Ministries: http://www.familyhm.org/index.html

They are located in the Triangle and do medical and development work in PaP and areas in the mountains directly affected by the storm. My neighbor and very close friend from when I lived near Fondwa, Jamalyn Williamson, was leading a group there currently and still has not been heard from since the quake. Communication there is hard on a good day, so I am still very hopeful.

Children's Nutrition Project: http://cnphaiti.org/

They are also friends and located in Leogane. From what I have gathered, their offices were totally destroyed.

I can keep going for a long time listing good organizations, but I mostly just want to make the point that everyone will be hurting there right now. When you give money, give to groups that are known and established in Haiti (there are supposedly 10,000 private volunteer orgs working in Haiti!), but pick one that won't be the recipient of the general bubble of funds. Also, pick one that is focused on Haiti's future beyond the next few days and weeks, when it has fallen from the top story in the news.

In rereading this email before I send it, I see the word "overwhelmed" a lot... That's how I feel, but please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. If you do want the names of more organizations, I can come up with more. Obviously, feel free to share this email w/ whomever.

-jamie