In the aftermath of the devasting 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Haiti on 14 August, our Club has undertaken an urgent project to send relief supplies to the stricken people of Haiti. The Club Board has approved the purchase of 12 barrels to be loaded up with clothing, non-perishable food items, and school supplies. Club Volunteers will load up these barrels with the donated supplies on 8 September 2021 at 5 pm. The project headquarters is at the office of Club Membership Chair George John, Century 21 Royal at 679 Central Avenue, Scarsdale.These supplies will be shipped directly to a number of orphanages in Haiti with whom the Club has had prior dealings. These are Orphanage Notre Dame du Perpétuel Secours, Bahon’s Community in Action, Maria’s Children. Another orphanage - Orphanage Ste. Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus is run by the President of the Delmas Rotary Club in Haiti.
A committee has been set up to coordinate the arrangements of the supplies, the packing, and the shipment of the barrels to their destination. With full support from President Steve, Fr. Philippe Charles leads this Committee with Maria Abdullah and Wilner Luctamer as members.
Donations have been received from Club members as well as members of other Clubs, particularly the Heritage NY E-Club. Our Club had earlier sent 7 barrels of supplies to Haiti in November. Those barrels were received there by the Delmas Rotary Club and distributed among the children in the orphanages. That project consisted largely of non-perishable food supplies and masks.
In the meantime, the Rotary District 7020 which Haiti is part of, has established an Earthquake Response Committee which has conducted a needs assessment and determined that the most needed items right now are the following: drinking water, tents, and tarps, food, hygiene kits, medical materials, , wool blankets, large, portable water containers, First Aid kits, kitchen materials, buckets. They have arranged for swift clearance of all items to get them out quickly into the areas in greatest need. Also urgently needed are Doctors, Volunteers, first responders,