Information About Supporting Relief Effort in Haiti
Message from the Phillips Brooks House Association
February 1st, 2010
After the widespread and shocking devastation that resulted from the earthquake in Haiti, we at Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) are deeply saddened by the magnitude of this catastrophe. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Haitian people who continue to endure tremendous hardship and suffering as well as their family and friends living abroad. While moments like this can leave us with feelings of loss, despair, and hopelessness, we must remind ourselves of the power of the human will and the immense possibilities of our common humanity. Currently, there are several ways in which PBHA volunteers, staff, alumni, and friends can help support the relief effort in Haiti.
According to humanitarian organizations working in Haiti, the immediate needs in Haiti are simple: funding for trained first responders and medical supplies. PBHA strongly encourages individuals wanting to make a difference to donate funds to a recognized and reputable organization. Harvard University’s President, Drew Faust, has identified a number of organizations providing humanitarian aid to the people of Haiti. To view this information, please visit: http://president.harvard.edu/news/100114_haiti.php.
On Friday, February 12, there will be a Benefit Concert at 7 pm in Sanders Theatre. Harvard student dance troupes, choruses, poets, and musicians have organized an event to raise money for relief efforts and celebrate Haitian culture. The event will be simulcast on the Internet. Specifics about Webcasts will be posted on www.harvard.edu/haiti as they become available.
In an effort to support members of the Boston and Cambridge Community – which boasts the third largest Haitian population in the United States – PBHA has established the “Local Haitian Support Fund,” which will provide calling cards to Haitian constituents in PBHA programs and Haitian university employees. To donate to this fund, visit http://pbha.org/donate and choose “Local Haitian Support Fund” as the designation. A phone calling card will be donated to a local Haitian family in your honor. Further, PBHA will be taking donations before the Haiti Benefit Concert on Friday, February 12 and during intermission.
As conveyed by Dean Evelynn Hammonds, Phillips Brooks House Association (PBHA) is exploring the feasibility of ongoing service efforts both for local Haitian families and in Haiti. For over one hundred years, the Phillips Brooks House Association has witnessed the power of students and communities working together for social change. In these hours of darkness and devastation, we will strive as an organization to make a difference for the people of Haiti.