Many people have been impacted by what they are seeing and hearing about things here in Haiti and have contacted us, as well as other missionaries we know to find out when they can come help and how etc. Some are contacting us to find out the best ways to help right now.
I think I can probably write this on behalf of everyone who is living here and trying to cope with things at the moment. We appreciate your desire to help out, but now is not a good time. Unless you have medical skills now is not a good time. The immediate need right now is to get medical and relief personnel on the ground here so they can do what they do well.
If you do have medical training and are willing to come please contact one of the larger relief organizations and work with them to get in here. Missionaries and other NGO’s on the ground are just trying to manage things right now and don’t have access to the resources that they need to figure out your accommodation etc while those other relief organizations do.
For those of you that want to help by coming in but don’t have medical skills you need to wait. It will be quite a while until your services can be used. The people coming in to do relief work are trained and have the resources available to deal with things here and we need to let them do their jobs. Filling planes with people that want to do some good rather than people that are skilled is not the best use of limited resources right now. Food is going to be hard to find and the situation here is something that only trained people should be dealing with. If you really want to help take the money that you have available for a plane ticket and donate it to any one of the organizations that are on the ground now.
I would also like to recommend that you read this article that was posted on Slate.com. I appreciate it’s emphasis on supporting organizations that are already in the country that can continue their work after relief efforts are moving out.
Rollings in Haiti 
Thanks for all u r doing. I have made a donation, but wish I could do more. I am a member of local search and rescue team in Georgia with basic red cross skills. My prayers are with the Haiti. I cannot imagine how these people are coping. I just hope food, water and medical care reach the survivers soon. God Bless
This weblog is being featured on Five Star Friday – http://www.fivestarfriday.com/2010/01/five-star-fridays-edition-87.html
Leslie & Chris,
We came across your blog via Marshall Krueger and another link. We’ll be praying for you in the next days and weeks.
Terry & Juanita Stauffer
(from Sunnybrae, 1996)
Hi There, Rev Ray Parker shared your earthquake day blog with the staff and Kamloops Regional Correctional Center and we wanted you to know that our hearts are with you. I’m part of the team that will be coming down with Rv Ray.. most likely on Friday the 22. Please let me know if there is anything you need from back here in BC… we’ll be with the Wray family in Les Cayes… God bless.
Bri
HI Leslie … I am here in Vernon BC and would like to contact some of the people/organizations you have worked with in the past …. I would like to raise lots of money to send to the Clean Water for Haiti project …. after your last posting I feel it in my heart that your work in Haiti will continue in due time and that Haitains are still in need of access to clean water ….. in the long run … I would like to send any money raised to the project…..for so many reasons … I have big dreams of making this happen and would prefer to work with people you trust and who might be interested in working together in the Vernon area so if you could please as k these people to contact me or share with me their contact info I would like to see what we can do ….. please let me know thanks … j
Hi Jessie,
Why don’t you contact the people at Vernon Alliance. I know that they are looking for ways to help and maybe combining efforts would give you a larger reach. Gerry Malnis would be a good person there to talk to.
hi jessie, i am in vernon bc currently working with vac staff on a benefit concert in a few weeks. feel free to contact me through email at c_msalewski@hotmail.com,
I hope that Haiti comes out on top with this devastating tragedy. I also hope that Haiti doesn’t make the same mistakes it has done in the past. This is really an opportunity for Haiti to show that they are capable of becoming an asset to to the rest of the world, especially since Haiti is the first black independant country.
You make an excellent point, but I would also be asking people for money. Money can be used whenever, but the sentiment that makes people open their wallets may go away long before the need has been filled. I for one am canvassing anyone who will listen to give to Clean Water for Haiti. There is a fundraiser for Haiti in Port Angeles this weekend and I am going to get up and talk about Clean Water for Haiti, as well as paper the local churches with information on how to give. If I were you I would not feel shy about making the case that your mission is a safe place to give to right now where their money can do great good. Thank You both and hang in there!
Absolutely! If people want to donate we will take it!
Here is what I did last night. I wrote a little note, copied and pasted “Earthquake Day” into it and then emailed it to my entire Yahoo contact list, that being 847 people. Yahoo banned me for a while, but eventually let me back on. :) I have had good response and some have now sent to their own lists. So, If I tell and you tell, who knows how many people we will reach.
Clean Water For Haiti’s work is important and will have a lasting benefit beyond what any of us can see.
Just to let you know that we have contacted my niece and all is well but I wanted to thank you simply for being on the end of an internet connection. It made us feel that assistnace was possible. We will now look at other ways to support the earthquake victims in Port au Prince.
Blessings Maggie Kenyon (Australia)
Hi, I came to your blog from Ben’s Facebook page and I have been really impressed by what you are doing there. Thanks so much for a first person perspective, I have found it really engaging and I am so glad you are “discouraging” non-medical personnel to try and come now, since that would likely just create more chaos in a time when people need immediate help. I hope the supplies are making their way from the airport – the images we are seeing of food and water just sitting on the tarmac is heartbreaking. I’ve seen some interesting posts recently — satellite images of before and after the quake: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/01/satellite-photos-of-haiti-before-and-after-the-earthquake/3/ and the AP had an article that on how many Haitian adoptions have been put on hold and unfortunately the paperwork is now probably destroyed. I won’t link it in case you don’t want to read it since it is pretty heart wrenching. Keep up your good work and I will be holding your family in my thoughts.