The largest earthquake ever recorded in Haiti rocked the area near its capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12, killing an estimated 200,000 people, injuring some 250,000 more and leaving about 1.5 million homeless as an international aid effort struggles to help the impoverished nation.
We encourage you to view these images and determine what you can do to make a difference.
Watch and admire the courage of this young warrior; and take a moment to give thanks for your sight.
Not since Hurricane Katrina has our hemisphere seen such destruction. And not since the depression have we seen an economy like we have now. Like many of you, I have been moved by the destruction I have seen in the newscasts from Haiti. And, like many of you, I have felt the effects of the recession. I have talked with many business owners who are looking for creative ways to separate themselves from the competition and give customers a reason to choose their business over the other guy.
For A Limited Time MDC Group Is Going To Give You A Change To Help Yourself While Helping The People of Haiti Recover From Horrific Devastation!
MDC Group will donate 25% of every sale to The Haitian Health Foundation, an organization of health professionals who have been working in Haiti for years with very little overhead. Why The Haitian Health Foundation? Because ninety-two cents out of every dollar goes directly to the poor and devastated in Haiti.
Help Change The Lives of People In One of The Poorest And Now Most Devastated Nations While Helping Your Business Grow.
SPECIAL OFFER: The Getaway For Two is typically $13.00 each but for a limited time only you can get them for ONLY $6.00 each & 25% of each sale will go directly to help the relief efforts in Haiti…
Getaway Incentives can improve your ad pull and sales by 30% with travel, golf, spa and gift card incentive awards that are valued as much as 10 times what you pay for them. TEN TIMES more value than your cost. For example, our Getaway for Two award - on sale now for only $6.00 each valued up to $200 or more. Or, a 5-Day Carnival Cruise for two for only $50.00. Or an 8-Day Resort stay for $60.00.
Discounts of $25, $50 or $100 can’t match the perceived value of these and other awards we offer.
No words can adequately describe the devastation, pain and hunger that the people of Haiti must be enduring. And while we have the pain of a difficult economy, I am sure you agree with me - we have it great in comparison. This limited time offer from MDC Group allows you to grow your business and help these people in crisis.
Call 1-888-851-0466 or go online to http://www.getawayincentives.com to get started today!
HHF’s main facilities are located in Jérémie, Haiti, in the western end of Haiti-where people depend on subsistence farming, charcoal production, and other menial jobs for their livelihood. The average income is just $90-$300 US per year.
The area is very isolated, and even under the most favorable conditions communication is scant, with no health services for the poor. Living conditions are dehumanizing-families crushed into hovels of banana leaves and thatch, shacks unsuitable for human habitation. It is heartbreaking to see children rooting with animals through the garbage for scraps of food.
HHF founder and president Dr. Jeremiah Lowney with two of his favorites: the children
HHF has created a stable and loving preventive and curative health and development program in the poorest area of the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. In addition to the city of Jérémie, HHF provides support to over 100 rural mountain villages.
Our mission is to improve the health and well-being of the poor, the sick, and the infirm of Jérémie and to break the bonds of poverty, which tie so many Haitians to a life of great deprivation.
While cynics decry the impotence of individuals to change the world, HHF continues to change lives-one person at a time.
HHF is proud of an overhead of less than 8 cents per donated dollar, with over 92 percent of funds collected going directly to services for the poor.
January 17th Update on Haiti Earthquake
Posted January 17, 2010
The past 36 hours have brought the start of the expected migration of people from Port au Prince to Jérémie, and The Haitian Health Foundation’s immediate focus is on addressing their needs. Supplies necessary to aid the influx are scarce, a problem compounded by the collapse of banking and the absence of currency. However, partnerships with such agencies as AmeriCares, Cross International, and the Red Cross are being forged to bridge the gaps in the area’s needs.
Homecomings
Dr. Bette Gebrian, HHF’s Director of Public Health, reports that people seeking the refuge of their families and homes in the Grand’Anse began arriving yesterday, with an estimated 2000+ having arrived by early Sunday. About 1,500 came by boat from Port au Prince, with the remainder having traveled the difficult overland route.
Buses and trucks that arrived yesterday were greeted by loved ones, Croix Rouge Hatienne (Red Cross of Haiti), MINUSTAH (United Nations), and local Scouts. HHF personnel were on hand with partner organizations to address the injured, transferring those with the most severe injuries to the public hospital and helping to treat others with less severe conditions. Although HHF does not operate a trauma center, it has committed its support to treating injuries not requiring hospitalization, offering its pharmacy, X-ray, sonogram, and other medical services and supplies.
Overland travelers described the difficult trip: one truck teeming with people broke down, and another was involved in an accident, causing passengers to pack together in whatever other vehicles they encountered. The injured traveled alongside the uninjured, and stories abound of Haitians caring for their own. Those fortunate enough to ride described passing many people who had undertaken the route on foot, a journey that will take about 6 days. Among those walking westward, some were seen carrying the caskets of family members.
Just the Beginning
The Grand’Anse Department Director of Croix Rouge pointed out that a large percentage of the people in Port au Prince migrated from southwest Haiti, and arrivals thus far are just a fraction of those expected to return. Many are coming with severe injuries, broken bones, and burns. HHF is a member of the partnership of organizations that will welcome them back and help to provide for their needs in food, shelter, and health care.
The boat carrying the 1,500 returning Grand’Anse residents was met by an orderly debarkation that included UN security personnel and local police, screening offloading passengers for potential security risks. There were at least 10 pregnant women among the passengers who were assessed. One was reported to be in labor and was immediately transported to the hospital; three others were brought to HHF’s Center of Hope Maternal Waiting Home for assessment. Other passengers, most of whom left Port au Prince with only the clothes on their backs, were given clothing, juice, protein bars, and soap. Potable water was supplied by HHF’s 4,000 gallon water truck, which Cross International provided two years ago.
In under 5 hours, trucks and private vehicles were on their way to drop off the exhausted travelers in all corners of the Grand’Anse. Those waiting in Jérémie were able to stay in a schoolyard in tents supplied by Croix Rouge.
The Need Continues
Many more trucks and buses were anticipated to arrive today, which will require more supplies. The lack of fuel has reportedly kept the boat anchored, unable to make the return trip to Port au Prince. Like other organizations, HHF is currently unable to purchase diesel. Unfortunately, it is also not uncommon for prices of the unavailable commodities to quadruple when they finally do become available.
With over 2,000 people having returned to Jérémie in the first day, it is clear that HHF’s resources will be severely strained over the coming months and beyond. The Haitian Health Foundation thanks you for your generosity during this period. Children-orphaned or not-will become a part of HHF’s comprehensive children’s health programs. Expectant mothers will be monitored and treated as indicated by their conditions. The injured will require both short and long-term care. All may become recipients of HHF’s services in feeding programs, education, housing, or other initiatives.
To our friends, we ask that you keep this story before the public; although we did not have the crumbling buildings of Port au Prince-and we do pray for the rescue of those still trapped and the recovery of the survivors-we readily accept the challenge of helping to repair the lives in the Grand’Anse devastated by this catastrophe. Bette Gebrian says, “We are heartened by the generosity of HHF’s legions of supporters, who have sent donations from all over the United States to help their struggling neighbors.”
Some of the many people disembarking from the boat from Port au Prince, 1/17/2010.