All right, enough responding to the inappropriate reactions of Bahamians to the Haitian earthquake. You know what the old people say: don’t mind the noise in the market, just mind the price of the fish. So what the fish costing these days?
I thought I’d start a list of things that ordinary Bahamians are doing. As often happens, people involved in doing good are too busy working to make noise, and so it’s easy to get distracted by the more vocal among us and imagine that we Bahamians are not giving or assisting. So I thought I’d make a list of what we are doing. I am absolutely certain that I will miss many people out, so I invite anyone who wants to add to this list. Let’s make it as long as we can. (I’ve got a list over on FB too but let’s push it here to the blog, where it can last for a long long time).
- The Tribune, Ways to Help Haiti
- Red Cross accepting non-perishable foods, water, blankets, sheets, towels, cots, clothing and packing boxes. Help will be sent to Haiti and Inagua (which is preparing to receive refugees)
- Salvation Army looking for medical personnel and accepting donations of goods and money
- New Providence Community Centre (NPCC) organizing mission trip and working through their connections in Haiti and Dominican Republic; accepting donations of money
- Christian Council overseeing and coordinating relief and maintaining contact with churches in Haiti to ascertain needs
- Grand Bahama Haitian Bahamian Society accepting donations through Jetta Baptiste’s Multi-Service Centre, Freeport
- Haitian Embassy has opened up an account through Royal Bank of Canada
More details available from the original article
- Rotary Clubs in Bahamas already sent in supply flights
Methodist churches in The Bahamas already have a team on the ground in Haiti to assist relief efforts
Bahamian government, through NEMA, is coordinating teams of doctors, counsellors and construction workers to go to Haiti in the days and weeks and months to come (in conjunction with CDEMA)
- Bahamian government established a Haiti emergency assistance fund
- CARICOM efforts in Haiti may to be coordinated from Bahamas Embassy in Port-au-Prince, which was not damaged in the quake
- Freeport and Nassau being used as ports of call for transshipments of goods to Haiti in conjunction with Florida
- Massive relief efforts ongoing in Grand Bahama
- Private pilots providing supply flights to Haiti
- Sky Bahamas airline organizing relief assistance
- Bahamas Society of Engineers working with Methodists to send assistance
Use the comment thread to post more info! (one note – please be patient when you post your comment – you need to have had a comment approved for it to show up immediately — if you’re a first-time commenter your comment will be held for moderation till I approve it – but be patient, I will!)
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You can add this one too if you’d like –
In Nassau – gather up your spare change — doesn’t matter if it’s *just* a handful of pennies — and bring them to collection bins at Scotiabank East Street & Soldier Road; Wulff & Jerome; Thompson Blvd; and Rawson Square. 100 Jamz, Y98.7, Joy 101.9 and Cool 96 teaming up with Scotiabank and BurnsHouse to make a difference. Live remotes from 7am-6pm. Tuesday. Coins for Haiti. Surely you can spare a few.
RM Bailey High School is running a relief drive… “Five Days, Dolla’ a Day”…
Not literally expecting one dollar a day (many of our student’s themselves are going hungry and are “homeless” in one form or another)… but the drive is for funds and clothing, etc.
We will see if we can make it a school district initiative… will update
Hey Everyone..
Thanks Nico for the posting of the different organizations doing their part in the Bahamas and I do love that old island saying..I mention it to my girlfriend all the time concerning the happenings here in the US & the world.
I will give some sound advice to everyone back home and do pass it on…PLEASE DO NOT SEND CLOTHES OR FOOD ITEMS!!!! They will go to waste .I was a part of a mission to Haiti years ago and organized a food drive for Hurricane Katrina victims when I was active duty military. At all times most of the food went to waste and alot of clothing were discarded.I have good friends who are still active duty stationed on the USS Carl Vinson USNS Comfort and their telling me that there tons of food not being use and that the supplies being airbourne in are not getting distributed to the people who need it..There is alot of disorganization right now and the US & other NGO`s are trying their best so please tell all “MONEY” is best; unless there is a specific small NGO that they are working with.There is about ten or more villages on the coast like Saint-marc & Jacmel that has been effected and emergency response and supplies will be needed so hold the food & clothing for now because Haiti will definitly need it for later. Thank you my people and give as much as you can.
via Jessica Robertson: Stuffed animals for kids in Haiti. It would be wonderful for some of these kids who’ve lost everything and experienced something a child should never have to, to have a stuffed animal to hug. If you have gently used or new stuffed toys, please drop off to Windermere Harbour Bay or Caves Village. They’ll go over with Rotary as space permits.
via Victoria Sarne:
From Winderemere Spa.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
I wanted to update you on our relief efforts. Windermere sent out an email last Thursday. The response has been overwhelming. The email was passed on thru mailing lists all over. The donations started pouring in right away. Our partners are Doctor’s Hospital, The Bahamas Methodist Habitate and the main driver is Rotary International. Rotary has 350 Hatian Rotarians in Haiti who provided us with a means to have the goods delivered where they were needed. The senior team of Rotarians have Satellite Phones which allows us to keep in touch with them. To by pass the confusion of the Port au Prince airport we have been flying into Cap Hatien, Port de Paix, Pignon and Les Cayes. The majority of the planes have been provided by the BMH. Sagaboy Holdings who operate a Caravan have been working with us providing flights into Haiti and a staging area in Inagua. Pilots from Kentuky, Georgia, N.Carolina, Tortolla and lots of other places have volunteered their aircarfts as well. Rotary is paying the fuel charges. There are so many others that are assisting I don’t want to leave anyone out.
We collected a full size gym of medical supplies, blankets and clothing. We have sent over 40 flights carrying over 50,000 lbs of medical supplies into the above airports which were then loaded into trucks, school buses and SUVs and dispatched to the areas most in need. Although the TV hasn’t shown it many of the injured have been moved to the outlying areas to hospitals such as Verrettes and Pignon. We are in touch with these hospitals for direction on specific needs.
Although we are still accepting donations of all types we are especially in need of funds. I feel it is important that you know that 100% of the funds that come into Rotary International are used for the cause. There is no overhead to cover.
I am planning to go to Haiti with a team of Rotarians in the next week or so and would like to take stuffed animals for the children with me. So here I go again begging! If you have any stuffed animals they would be greatly appreciated. Although medical supplies etc take preference, I think they will let me take a few bags of light stuffed animals.
Thank you all for the incredible support. Windermere truly does have the best clients in the world. You have proven that to the Bahamas.
Carla
Sky Bahamas airline just completing its 3rd relief flight to Haiti. Also, if you purchase a ticket for any destination on Sky today (Wednesday January 20th) $5 of the ticket price will be donated to the relief effort.
College of The Bahamas Relief effort:
View As Web Page
Help Haiti NOW Relief Effort!
In a race against time, an international aid effort is underway to help the survivors of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck Haiti on Tuesday. Haitian President Rene Preval said he fears several hundred people were killed and there are unconfirmed reports of at least 50,000 deaths. The Red Cross has estimated that approximately 3 million people are affected by the calamity and search and rescue teams are gearing up to help people trapped inside the rubble of collapsed buildings.
The Campus Life Department and COBUS are eager to assist Haiti and are appealing to students to make donations towards a special relief effort. Beginning today, students may make cash donations at the Business Office where a special account has been set up. Remember, no donation is too small. Financial contributions will be forwarded to the National Emergency Management Agency which is coordinating aid from The Bahamas.
For more information call the Campus Life Department at 302-4577, 302-4525 or e-mail campuslife@cob.edu.bs . At the Northern Bahamas Campus students may contact Autherine Turnquest at 352-2961, ext. 5941 or e-mail aturnquest@cob.edu.bs.
COB Law Society collecting new or gently used clothes for the relief effort today (Thursday January 21) between 2-4 PM at COB.
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