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To: Mavis Greene, Unitarian Universalist Church
of Jacksonville
From: Charlie Clements, UUSC (President & CEO)
Dear Mavis:
Unitarian Universalists have reached out with great generosity to the
people of Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the
island nation on January 12. Many UU congregations made special collections
for the UUSC-UUA
Joint Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, and many individuals gave
generously. As of the date of this message, over $470,000 has been donated
online. Your generous response has been tremendous and we are profoundly
grateful.
Thanks to the generosity of your and other UU congregations, UUSC has been
able to get badly needed funds quickly to four Haitian grassroots
organizations that have set up relief programs amidst the devastation. UUSC
chose this approach because Haitian grassroots organizations know best the
situation on the ground and have community networks in place to distribute
aid efficiently and quickly. They have also shown extraordinary courage and
determination in setting up this work despite losing offices, personnel,
and equipment.
With your support, UUSC was able to send $50,000 to a joint fund for two
organizations -- CROSE in Jacmel and COZPAM in Mariani, Port-au-Prince --
to buy and distribute
food, medicines, and emergency supplies like diapers for babies, in both
areas.
Hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors have left Port-au-Prince
seeking help elsewhere and many villages, already hard pressed, have
doubled in size. UUSC has been able to get $35,000 to the Papaye Peasant
Movement (MPP) and $30,000 to the Lambi Fund for immediate emergency relief
in rural communities hosting earthquake survivors. (To learn more about
UUSC’s work with Haitian grassroots partners, please
visit our website.)
UUSC has made these initial grants to enable these grassroots organizations
to put their relief programs into action. A UUSC assessment team leaves for
Haiti on February 5 for a weeklong mission and will meet with our four
current partners and other organizations to discuss next steps for support.
When this team returns, we will focus on the next round of emergency grants
Also, around the one-month anniversary of the earthquake, we will provide
in-depth, from-the-ground reporting about the situation and our recovery
work. In the meantime, please visit our
website, to which we’re posting frequent updates.
In the midst of the terrible devastation, it was the Haitians who rescued
each other and set up camps for the displaced when international aid was
bottlenecked. Consistent with the Unitarian Universalist recognition of the
inherent worth and dignity of every person, we believe that we must extend
our hands to Haitians in solidarity and not charity.
At UUSC we deeply appreciate the solidarity with the Haitian people that
you have shown, and with your support we will work with them as they
determine and act on the best ways to rebuild their country.
Sincerely,
Charlie Clements
President & CEO
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