Haiti Relief Project
On Thursday, Jan. 14, a prayer vigil for Haiti was held on campus. It is difficult to know how to respond when something like this happens. Prayer is one critical response, generosity is another.
USAID Urban Search and Rescue team Miami-Dade performs search and rescue operations in Haiti, January 18, 2010 (U.S. State Dept./USAID)
During our time together at the vigil, we discussed ways that we might respond as a community. There are many organizations/agencies in Haiti that are assisting with recovery efforts in that devastated country. Our challenge was to find something/someone that we can all support, and it’s always gratifying to see how your gift is being used. With that in mind, the Shelter Box is the perfect project.
The Shelter Box project was developed by Tom Henderson, a member of a Rotary Club in England, and is now an international organization. The Shelter Box provides families with immediate relief in the form of a large tent and typically tools, blankets, waterproof ponchos, a multi-fuel stove, cooking pans and utensils, water containers and purification tablets, and a children’s pack (crayons, drawing books, etc.) Each “box” costs $1,000.
Shelter Box aims to connect donors directly with the people they help. By giving each box a unique number, and recording where each one goes, donors can track (online) their box to its final destination.
Shelter Box also believes that the generosity of its donors should be recognized and celebrated. To this end, it maintains an honor roll of donors.
For more information, go to http://shelterbox.org.
If you would like to support the Haiti relief efforts through Keuka, please make your check payable to Keuka College and write Shelter Boxes for Haiti, and write # 91-9108 in the memo line. Checks, as well as cash donations, may be brought to the Center for Spiritual Life in Dahlstrom Student Center throughout the spring semester. In an effort to put our gifts to work as quickly as possible, we will forward our gift as soon as each $1,000 threshold is met. At the end of the semester, we will send whatever sum is left, even if it’s not $1,000.
We will continue to bring this to the attention of our community. Our hope is that clubs, organizations and departments might come together to find ways to make a difference for the people of Haiti.
We have been blessed. May we continue to be a blessing.
Sincerely,
Jim Blackburn, Vice President for Student Development
Eric Detar, Chaplain
