February 4, 2010

Just three weeks after the January 12 earthquake, compassionate and creative donors across the U.S. and Canada have given more than $2.174 million to fund emergency relief efforts in Haiti through the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee.

"There is an outpouring of concern for Haiti's people from around the world, including the faith community," says Ken Little, a senior relief manager for the agency. "Teachers are organizing rock-a-thons, chefs are donating five-course dinners, and school sports teams are hosting bake sales. The destruction of Port au Prince is massive, but our capacity for compassion is bigger."

Ken Little flew out of Haiti's capital early this week after two weeks assessing needs, coordinating CRWRC's response, and establishing distribution points in both Port au Prince and the Dominican Republic. CRWRC began its response just a few days after the destructive tremblers began. Ken Little was soon joined by volunteer and specialist staff on the ground are supporting the existing country staff, all of which survived the quake.

CRWRC is working with long-time partner, the Union of Baptist Churches in Haiti (UBCH), and other Christian Reformed and international relief agencies, to continue to provide emergency aid, including food, water, shelter tarps, and blankets to quake survivors in Port au Prince over the next few weeks.

At the same time, CRWRC Haiti earthquake response team members are gearing up for a multi-year recovery and reconstruction program that will last at least 24 months.

"CRWRC has identified six villages in Leogane for the next phase of our response," said Jacob Kramer, disaster response director. "We are working with village leaders to survey needs of each family." Kramer replaced Ken Little in Haiti this week as lead staff in the response. Kramer said they and the UBCH are centrally based in a boarding school in Flon.

CRWRC's work in Leogane, the area at the center of a second earthquake that destroyed about 90 percent of the existing homes, will likely include construction of transitional and permanent housing, micro-credit activities, re-establishing livelihoods, providing for psycho-social needs, forming community groups, and providing for children. It will also include rebuilding infrastructure such as wells and latrines.

CRWRC director Andrew Ryskamp estimates that the organization's opportunities to continue rehabilitation and recovery work in Haiti could total significantly more than the current funding level. The agency launched a $9 million response to 9/11, and in June 2009 completed a five-year, $10 million Asia Tsunami relief and reconstruction program in Indonesia, and even more in other tsunami-affected countries. CRWRC's North American relief arm, Disaster Response Services, continues rehabilitation and reconstruction work in Slidell, Louisiana and Galveston, Texas, after catastrophic Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005.

CRWRC has had a 30 year presence in Haiti, building long-term partnerships with Haitian national organizations, coming alongside them to build their capacity and reach out into some of the poorest communities to organize their members, improve living standards, educate, train, and build human rights awareness. CRWRC's community development programs in more than 30 countries around the world target the "poorest of the poor," those who are marginalized even in the poorest communities – the elderly, single women, orphaned children, those who are ill or disabled, and those who are at risk.

CRWRC is seeking provision of aid in Haiti in collaboration with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and the ACT Alliance.

CRWRC's multi-year rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in Haiti need additional funding. Those who wish to contribute to CRWRC's earthquake response effort in Haiti, give online at http://www.crwrc.org/donate/, text "crwrc haiti" to 20222 to give a $10 gift by cell phone, or call 1-800-55-CRWRC to give by credit card. Checks, marked "Haiti Earthquake 2010," can be mailed to: CRWRC, 2850 Kalamazoo Avenue SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49560-0600.

Those wishing to donate through CRWRC's Annual Gift Catalog at http://www.crwrc.org/blessed, can provide a warm blanket ($10), an emergency kit ($34.50) including pots, dishes, soap, blankets, water, and a shelter tarp ($50), or a Bible in Haitian Creole ($5).

CRWRC is a Christian, non-profit organization of the Christian Reformed Church in North America ministering in development, relief, and justice education to people in need in more than 30 countries around the world since 1962.

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee