Dollars And Nonsense » Blog Archive » Students helping Haiti …

* Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

* about 54 percent of its more than 9 million residents live in abject poverty.

* Haiti is slightly smaller than Maryland and shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic.

* the population is 95 percent black and 80 percent Roman Catholic.

* French and Creole are the official languages.

* about half the population practices voodoo.

* the nation has four airports with paved runways and is favored by Columbian drug dealers for routing cocaine shipments, in part because of widespread corruption.

Source: CIA World Factbook

Several local organizations are accepting donations or asking for volunteers to help with the relief effort:

* the Greater Chattanooga Area Chapter of the American Red Cross is accepting contributions to the organization’s Disaster Relief Fund that will go to Haiti relief efforts. Donate online at www.chattanoogaredcross.org/donate/ or send them to the local Red Cross chapter office at 801 McCallie Ave., Chattanooga, TN 37403.

* Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, call 495-1122 or visit http://cnphaiti.org

* Score International, call 423-894-7111 or visit https://scoreinternational.org/give. specify help Haitians Rapid Response.

* American Haitian Foundation, checks can be mailed to: 3602 Anderson Pike, Signal Mountain, TN 37377 or visit www.americanhaitianfoundation.org.

* the Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations via www.salvationarmyusa.org, 1-800-SAL-ARMY and postal mail at: the Salvation Army World Service Office, International Disaster Relief Fund, P.O. Box 630728, Baltimore, MD 21263-0728; or donors can text the word “HAITI” to 52000, to automatically give $10 to the Salvation Army’s relief efforts. Note that the money will go directly to the Salvation Army’s World Service Office.

* the Center for Rural Development of Milot Foundation (CRUDEM) is accepting to support the Hopital Sacre Coeur, a hospital in the north of Haiti. the foundation, based in Ludlow, Maine, was set up in 1968. for more information or to donate, go to www.crudem.org.

* the Samaritan Center will host a matching gift campaign for the disaster relief efforts in Haiti. since Katrina, that account has grown to $8,000, and the Samaritan Center is going to use that money to match any gifts that come in for Haitian disaster relief. Visit www.thesamaritancenter.net or call 423-238-7777.

* Habitat for Humanity International is gathering funds for rebuilding efforts. Area residents can give through www.habitat.org or send donations to: HFH of Greater Chattanooga, 1201 E. Main St., Chattanooga, TN 37408. please note that they are for Haiti.

* bright School students will decorate wooden bells which will be sold for $5, proceeds will go to the Children’s Nutrition Program in Haiti.

* Vision Ministries of Chattanooga, a local church with a multicultural congregation, including Haitians, is accepting donations to coordinate with other organizations. to donate, visit www.visionministries.webs.com or call 423-475-5563.

* BI-LO Charities launched a donation program where shoppers can donate to the American Red Cross to assist those in Haiti and in turn, they will match customer donations up to $25,000. this in-store donation program begins Monday and will continue through Feb. 9 in stores in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

* AMG International, visit www.amginternational.org

* the Jean Cadet Restavek Foundation provides direct relief and education opportunities for children in restavek, advocates for these children throughout Haiti and raises global awareness of this horrible system, which takes advantage of the poorest of the poor. Donations can be made at www.restavekfreedom.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=donate.start&destination=G or individuals can help raise relief funds by forming a group and inviting friends and family to help: www.restavekfreedom.org/event/restavek.

Volunteers may travel to Haiti with Score for $1,200, which includes airfare, meals, lodging, supplies, and ground transportation overseas.

Dates include: Jan. 30-Feb. 4 and every Saturday through Thursday for the following six weeks.

For more information, contact Trey Bailey at trey@scoreinternational.org or call 423-894-7111.

Students helping Haiti Elementary students helping Haiti