Geoffrey Philp - Two More Ways to Help With Haiti Relief

And you know that I'll be buying into the first of them for sure!!! Via Geoffrey Philp.

I'll be making a contribution to Cafe Cocano because it represents some of the things in which I believe: the ability of Caribbean peoples to overcome any situation and that we are responsible for creating the changes we want to see. Unless we (InI) do it for ourselves, nothing will happen.***Because I also believe in the power of the Word and that with giving, we can also speak/write/do great good, I'm recommending a site--thanks Randy!-- VWA{Poems for Haiti):VWA: Poems For Haiti was created by Caper Literary Journal as a way to inspire people to think about the tragedy in Haiti. We want people — readers and writers alike — to generate hope through a time that is very dark. We have luxuries many do not, and though some of us cannot help in major ways, sharing your work in the name of their pain and strength is something we can do. VWA, the kreyòl word for voice, aims to turn the pain and inspiration into literary works.via Two More Ways to Help With Haiti Relief.

How we Bahamians are helping

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).

We can start with these:

• 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 CanadaMore details available from the original article
• Rotary Clubs in Bahamas already sent in supply flightsMethodist churches in The Bahamas already have a team on the ground in Haiti to assist relief effortsBahamian 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!)