Haiti
Haiti Crisis & Emergency Student Relief Fund
Emergency Student Relief Fund
Due to the recent tragic events that have affected members of the NYU-Poly community, it is important to create an Emergency Student Relief Fund to support students and their families who suffer unexpected emergencies.
Background information on Haiti Crisis
On January 12, 2010 at 4:53 PM, a major earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti, starting a chain of devastation throughout the country and in turn throughout the world. Thirty-three aftershocks, ranging from magnitudes of 4.2 – 5.9, added to the chaos. On January 20, 2010 at 6:03 AM, another earthquake of magnitude 6.1 attacked the country. These are the most severe earthquakes to strike Haiti in the last 200 years. The capital, Port Au Prince, has been reduced to rubble. According to MSNBC, 1.5 million Haitians were left homeless and over 100,000 lost their lives. Now, over 3 million people are in need of emergency aid.
Why do we need to send cash instead of supplies?
Due to the current state of the country, a constant shipment of supplies would be logistically impossible. There is no organized distribution of these supplies, as well as a major backup of air traffic. The airport in Port Au Prince has only one runway and limited ramp space. Planes are forced to circle the airport until there is room to land, which has caused a ground stop in the US (which means that no planes are allowed to leave with supplies because of the air traffic). This has led to a major congestion of supplies in Florida, and this does not stop at the US – worldwide supplies have been delayed. Money is the only item which is able to actually reach the country and can then be properly utilized.
In the words of President George W. Bush, “I know a lot of people want to send blankets and water.” [Shakes head] “Just send your cash.”
I want to contribute, but where is my money going?
Half of the funds contributed now will go directly to select first response organizations (see back of this sheet) working to provide relief in Haiti. The other half of the funds collected will be put into an NYU-Poly bank account to begin an emergency fund that will be available for future tragedies (known as the Emergency Student Relief Fund). Every cent collected will be used as assistance to those in need of aid.
Where do I make my check payable to?
Checks should be made payable to Polytechnic Institute of NYU, with Haiti/ESRF on the memo line.
Haiti Crisis & Emergency Student Relief Fund, page 2
What else inside poly is being done to help this situation?
Many organizations have begun to fundraise for the Haiti relief as well and should be noted here. The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is holding a Date Auction on February 12, 2010. The Programming Advisory Board (PAB) is hosting a Flea Market on February 1, 2010. The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) at NYU-Poly is offering free walk-in sessions to those who need someone with whom to talk. These are only three of the organizations at NYU-Poly that are helping the relief effort.
Again, where is my money going?
As stated earlier, half of the money raised will be going to the Emergency Student Relief Fund and the other half will be going to one or more of the following first-response organizations:
International Relief Teams
- Nonprofit, international relief dedicated to organizing volunteer teams to provide medical and non-medical assistance to the victims of disaster and profound poverty worldwide
- 99 % of income is allocated to Program expenses, while the other one percent is used for administrative and fundraising expenses.
- One of the highest rated charity organization by Charity Navigator
(For more information go to the following site: http://www.irteams.org/ )
Clinton Bush Haiti Fund
- Created at the request of President Barack Obama
- Founded by Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush
- President Obama has promised the people of Haiti that “you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten.”
(For more information go to the following site: http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/ )
Partners In Health (PIH)
- Provides a preferential option for the poor in healthcare
- PIH has been working on the ground in Haiti for over 20 years
- Highly rated by Charity Navigator
(For more information go to the following site: http://www.standwithhaiti.org/haiti )
For more information on how to help out at school, or to donate after February 1, 2010, please contact the Department of Student Development, JB158, E-mail: studentdevelopment@poly.edu .
Thank you again for your support.
