A Call For Help

(Photo taken by Edwards Muzoz/Reuters and lifted from this site.)


(Photo taken from Somebody Cares America.)

I have been very touched by seeing the outpouring of people wanting to help on several of the other blogs. I know that we are all deeply concerned for the people of Haiti. I would like to recommend Somebody Cares America. Doug Stringer is the founder. They have a history of doing a lot with very little, and they have experience with disaster relief. My husband and I are personal friends of Doug and have known him for over 20 years; so we can vouch for the integrity of this ministry. I hope you will take the time to go to their website and read the "About Us" and other sections of their website and consider sending your donations to them. Thank you for your consideration.

The text below is taken directly from their site.

"Working with our Somebody Cares Caribbean chapter and it's network of churches, we are getting firsthand accounts of the situation and needs. The infra-structure in the Haitian capital is overwhelmed by the destruction. The scope of human suffering is unfathomable. But the Church is a beacon of hope and integrity in the midst of the chaos and pain.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE:
Gathering resources to assist Frienships set up a base for relief workers in Haiti. The ship is scheduled to depart a port in the Gulf the middle of next week. Specific needs include:
Generators of all sizes- gas or diesel
Rope/nylon line- ¼" in 600 ft. rolls. At least 1 pallet worth
100 lbs. of dried rice, beans
MRE's
Cooking oil
#10 Cans of beans and other vegetables
Portable halogen lights with stands - 500 watt
#12 extension cords (any length)
Flashlights
Work gloves
Powdered milk
Dust masks
UV Lightbulb for water purifier (The bulb costs $500 and is urgently needed).
Shower/toilet trailer (Length no greater than 24 feet, height no greater than 11 feet).

Please call the Somebody Cares office at 713-621-1498 and ask for Vickie Gaskins to discuss details and logistics of any donations.

DISASTER RESPONSE:

The Somebody Cares Disaster Response approach is that of Church-Based response. Throughout the many disasters the Somebody Cares network has been part of—from Tropical Storm Allison flooding in 2001 to the Southeast Asia tsunami to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Ivan and Wilma—we’ve seen over and over again how the church responds quicker and more precisely than any other agency. Even the government has taken note of this! A Homeland Security Institute report issued in December 2006 states: “It was neighborhood congregations….—the local fabric of America—that appeared to have carried the day to a great degree.”

That’s because the church is the heart of its community, and our highest common denominator is Jesus. We were made for adversity because we were made to be the peacemakers in the midst of the storms – to bring hope in the midst of despair.

Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars on administrative overhead; the Somebody Cares network funnels donated funds and urgently needed resources directly to communities that are hardest hit – to be distributed by church-based volunteers who know and love their neighbors and neighborhoods. Being a tangible expression of God’s love to our neighbors means we must excel at unity, organization, and giving.

Our goal is to see churches empowered to reach their communities and be there on the ground with tangible resources to meet the desperate needs of disaster survivors. To do this we recognize that we need to work with government agencies and other organizations without losing our distinctiveness.

When disasters happen, real people have very desperate needs. Often, resources to meet the needs become tied up in bureaucracy and bottlenecks. We work with agencies like FEMA, the Red Cross, Salvation Army and others—to be an asset, but not to be controlled. They have great systems, but the church has people who know their communities. But these agencies are not our source for disaster response; rather we look are a resource to facilitate aid directly in communities affected by disaster – all across the country and around the world!

Join the Somebody Cares Disaster Response team by giving generously today!"