Hope for Haiti
A testament to the good people of Columbus, and a desperate cry for more
By David Lewis |
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On January 12, 2010, Haiti was crushed in the maw of vengeful Earth. The foundations of their dwellings were torn from underneath a people whose societal foundations have ranged from timorous to deadly since the violent slave rebellion that gained the island nation's independence in 1804, 206 years and 11 days before the Magnitude 7.0 earthquake forced them to start over yet again. Up to 200,000 could be dead, although survivors are still being sought amid the crumbled buildings of Port-au-Prince and beyond. Over 1 million Haitians are now homeless. The National Cathedral, the Presidential Palace, Parliament, and the UN base have all been destroyed.
Randy Malloy, CD101 general manager, gratefully accepts a donation for drive-through disaster relief
Photo: Chris Casella
A little over a week later, the people of Columbus banded together in a powerful way, showing support and solidarity with the Haitian people by generously donating $142,591 at a drive-up Columbus Hope for Haiti event held in the parking lot of the Ohio Historical Society.
The event, which was attended by Mayor Michael Coleman and members from across the spectrum of Columbus media, including representatives from NBC4 and CD101, was held in part in a pouring rain, those volunteers partnering with those of the Red Cross collecting donations from nearly 2,400 vehicles.
"Yesterday's Columbus Hope for Haiti event was affirming on so many levels. Local citizens, many with their own troubles, came by to give whatever they could while government, the media community and the Red Cross demonstrated how well we work together," said Michael Carroll, CEO of the American Red Cross, in a release. "Now we'll put the donations to work in Haiti."
Mayor Coleman, like other leaders in the city, expressed pride in the efforts of the city, but urged the generosity not cease helping as the media's attention span wanes.
"I'm so proud of the way Columbus has stepped up for the people of Haiti, and I would ask them to continue to find ways to help through the Red Cross and other organizations even after the television cameras have left," wrote the Mayor in an e-mail.
I worked as a reporter in New Orleans for nearly a year after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita decimated the American Gulf Coast in 2005. Like many in the area, I was appalled at how quickly national attention on the disaster faded, which was nowhere near on the scale of the total destruction that has been visited upon Haiti. Like the citizens of the city I was covering, the sensation that you had been abandoned, that apathy towards the destruction of an entire city's way of life, was nearly as hard to understand as the wreckage wrought by those vicious storms.
Haiti is a stone's throw from the U.S., powerful close to many of our interests and allies. Although the generosity of the 2,400 cars' worth of Columbusites that made their way out on a cold and, at times, rainy Thursday to pledge their support was truly inspiring, I know there are so many more cars in Columbus, so many more citizens that could help. There are many ways to donate; listed here are a few certain to be reputable. If you can, I beg you: do.
Three ways you can help the Red Cross help Haiti
-Call 1 (800) HELP NOW or 1 (800) 257-7575 (Espanol).
-Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting Redcross.org. They can choose to designate their contribution to the International Response Fund, or for the Haiti response specifically.
-Donors can text "Haiti" to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross. The funds will go to support the Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.
Originally Published: February 1, 2010
