Dear friends,
Port-au-Prince is a city buzzing with activity. There are convoys of military from all corners of the world. The streets are filled with street vendors, and the major rush of medical priorities is slowing down to the regular pace of desperate poverty and the ills of unmet medical needs. There will be much to do here for many years. Housing is a major issue here. People do not have homes to live in, and those who have homes standing cannot return to them because they are cracked and unsteady. It is favorable that there has been no rain for a long time, so people sleeping on the ground (hundreds of thousands) are able to stay dry and relatively warm at night.
There is so much to do…. Where to start…
Let me begin with what I see as a place to begin for our part. A great issue here is transportation for supplies from staging points to the people in need, and transporting volunteers/medical people. We have been utilizing a rented vehicle to deliver medical supplies/food/volunteers throughout the city, but must soon return the vehicle to the owners in the Dominican Republic (DR). I would like to purchase a vehicle in the DR and drive it back here to Haiti with supplies and volunteers. This is an urgent need, but where are we going to get that kind of money in a short amount of time. It is impossible… isn't it? I think that we could find a good used vehicle for about $7000-$9000 US. If you can help with this, or you know someone who can help, please do so. We will be here for years to come, and it will be utilized to the maximum.
We are also beginning to work as a liaison between volunteers coming into the country. We have partnered with local Haitian friends up the mountain above PAP who can take as many volunteers as necessary. There is much work here, but few organizations are accepting volunteers because of logistical issues. We are filling a need in this respect as well.
If you would like to come, please contact me via email at admin@mercyleague.org
Please do your work on your end and it will have resonating effects for us on the ground here!
Remember Haiti in your prayers,
Shane
