HELP HAITI.

You're all probably very aware of the tragedy that is going on in Haiti right now. The most devistating thing that I have ever witnessed has happened on the very same (yet very divided island) where I was married back in October 2009.

While in the Dominican, I spent a lot of time meeting and talking to Haitian people and learning a lot about the poorest country in the western hemisphere.  Port-au-Prince, a city of about two million residents, and nestled among the hills overlooking the Gulf of Gonave, was all but leveled by the earthquake and subsequent aftershocks. 

As of yesterday, there were still no signs of organized rescue operations to free those trapped in debris or to remove bodies, and doctors in Haiti were ill-equipped to treat the injured, according to Reuters. 

Ladies, lets rally. How can we help?  My Caribbean Lithe Escape Partner, Liz Solms, recommends Doctors Without Borders. Liz currently lives in Jamaica and her business, Banana Tree Consulting is planting relief gardens for Haiti. Check out her blog.

Another Lither, Alison Stein, wrote me this morning:

Lauren, my parents have volunteered in Haiti for decades, at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS).  We (Sam, Joey and I) have gone to Haiti to work with our parents on three different summers. My dad was there just weeks ago.  Needless to say, we are deeply saddened by what has happened in Haiti and want to help as much as can, particularly given our connection to the country. The area where the hospital is located is in central Haiti (Deschapelle) and was not hit by the earthquake.  As a result, hundreds of thousands of people have traveled there, on foot, seeking medical care. 

According to our direct sources, the hospital is flooded with people, and the halls are literally full of dead bodies because there is simply not enough medicine to treat the people waiting in the halls. Someone said that they don't have enough pain medication (like Tylenol) for all of the people with broken bones, and people are dying in the hallways just from pain. 

I know it is sometimes hard to know where your money is going when you donate, or what to give money to in a situation like this.  So- I thought I would ask if you might be willing to donate to our hospital. It's mostly volunteer-run and so you know your money is going directly to buy medicine, and not to any overhead.  Moreover, I thought you might be inspired given the Stein family connection to the hospital and the fact that we can promise you that the money will go directly to buying medicine (even things like Tylenol) and medical supplies, and that we can all vouch that people we know are working around the clock to save lives.  Here is the link to the website where you can donate. 

Everyone, please join in with me and help out.  Anything helps...even $5. 

Image via Google.

Comments

[Celia]

What a horrible tragedy. The need is so immense--it's hard not to feel overwhelmed with who we should support. This post is a great help. Lauren and Alison, thanks so much for the info.

[Rosemary]

An easy to contribute to the Red Cross is to text HAITI to 90999 on your cell phone. Your cell will be billed $10.

[Alison Stein]

Thank you Lauren for posting this. I really appreciate it. Thanks in advance to any lithers who donate. xxx, Alison