Help for Haiti

Members,

Here is a list of organizations that are not main line, who you might consider for making a contribution to help fund post earthquake relief efforts.

You can use the Comments to add your own favorite group. When you do so, please be sure to include a link to the organization's web site, so their programs and other essential information about it can be seen by others.

Help Haiti Today

1.

FYI: another Haiti donation link below, courtesy of my longtime college friend:

---------- Forwarded message ----------

From: Elizabeth Fox

Date: Fri, Jan 15, 2010 at 3:44 PM

Subject: Thank You and News of Haiti

Dear Friends and Family,

As many of you know, a 7.0+ earthquake hit Haiti on Tuesday evening devastating Port-au-Prince and many of its surrounding areas. I had been in Haiti for a little less than a week when it had occurred, as I was beginning a job with the GHESKIO-IMIS centers in conjunction with Cornell's Division of Nutritional Sciences as the Nutrition Training Coordinator of the clinic. I have not been physically hurt; and am currently safe in Santo Domingo with my family, extremely grateful for all of the support that I’ve received.

I was at the GHESKIO clinic at the time of the quake only a few kilometers away from the epicenter - the buildings at the clinic have some damage but are for the most part intact. Beyond the clinic, however, has suffered a great deal. My colleagues and I walked home that evening (~1 hr walk) and stayed at Le Clos (where we lived) for that night and the next day with our neighbors and friends. The following evening, our neighbors returned to take us with them to the French embassy. Thursday morning, Rebecca Heidkamp and I were able to make it out of the city by bus to Santo Domingo. None of this would have been possible had we not been graced with the help of many incredibly generous neighbors and friends.

Many people are helping one another in Haiti, and it’s been the heart of the efforts that I’ve been able to witness - people helping family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, strangers, etc. The aid is “coming” but while I was there, it had not been very well organized or in effect. The first response (first 48hrs) came from the community, not internationally. Although there has been chaos, sorrow and many losses, the first few days after the quake were marked by people working and supporting one another to a tremendous degree. That first night, there were waves of crying and silence, but also of song and prayer. People were working to support one another in this time of need. It has been a true example of community, and I am extremely appreciative to have been able to witness it. Many of the GHESKIO doctors, on their own accord and despite of their own personal losses, have already returned to the clinic and have been spending their days treating those who have been injured and also providing anti-retrovirals/ TB medication to patients who were on-site. This has been incredibly important as GHESKIO is in the center of many destroyed neighborhoods, among many people who are homeless and in need of help. American medical doctors are arriving to GHESKIO today or tomorrow, and will be providing medical care there as well.

I am blessed to have been able to have left Haiti without even a bruise. However, many are not nearly as fortunate. It is not the best of situations - few tools to remove concrete from bodies, limited food and water, very cold nights, etc. Haiti and its people are in need of support. While I was there, most people were still very calm. But, as water, food, clothing, etc becomes more scarce, the tide may change. There will be a need for food, water, clothing, medical supplies, doctors, etc in the short-term. But there will also be a need for support in rebuilding homes, hospitals, micro-credits, etc. in the long-run (and many times this sort of relief is forgotten a few months after an incident).

I am no longer in the country, and can no longer tell a story beyond this point. I am trying to find the best ways to help Haiti from where I am now - realizing that if I were to have stayed or returned, I would be using up the limited resources that are available, instead of providing needed support. I believe that at this point in time, support of relief efforts is one of the best ways to contribute. I am not aware of many specific programs, but do know of a few. Specifically, GHESKIO, the organization I was working for, has been providing support to the surrounding areas (http://weill.cornell.edu/globalhealth/online-global-health-journal/global_health_news/january_2010-_earthquake_devastates_haiti/). Its website to provide support is http://wcmchelpshaiti.org/. The clinic is close to many areas that have high need and is a good place to direct donations because it is working for both short and long-term goals in Haiti.

I hope that you keep Haiti in your thoughts in the coming months, as it is a place full of love and life, but also full of great need.

Best wishes,

Elizabeth Fox

2.

An efficient and effective alternative channel to help those in Haiti, follows:

To the readers of the Bay Area Francophile List:

Accounts of the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti have been
heart-wrenching, and many opportunities for making financial contributions
have been widely publicized throughout the Bay Area. I wanted to add one
more to the list: the Berkeley-based What If? Foundation. Founder
Margaret Trost has been raising money to feed and educate children in
Haiti for nearly ten years, and the results have been simply stunning. If
you aren't comfortable donating to a huge organization, and want to give
to a group that is remarkably cost-effective, please do consider the What
If? Foundation. In 2008, over 92% of the donations received by the
Foundation went directly to Haiti. For more information on the What If?
Foundation, go to: http://whatiffoundation.org/

Thanks for listening,
Suzanne


"Each in his own way imagines Paradise;
since childhood I have envisioned it as a library."
--Jorge Luis Borges

****************************************************
Suzanne C. Toczyski, Ph.D.
Professor of French
Sonoma State University
1801 E. Cotati Avenue
Rohnert Park, CA 94928
http://www.sonoma.edu/users/t/toczyski/
Telephone: 707.664.4177
Fax: 707.664.2363
****************************************************

Skating on Ice at Waller St.

Here is the text of the message from Chris Mack, a planner at the Rec & Park Dept. :

"The Recreation and Park Department is planning to enter into a temporary

permit for an ice skating rink to be located on the Waller Street paved

area. This will be for approximately 2 months beginning this Thanksgiving

week and running through January. It is anticipated that it will be for 2

years with a 1 year option to extend. It is something that the Department

needs to increase the recreational activities in the park, especially the

East end that could use some positive activity."

Please note that ice skating there will be a FEE activity.

Please enter your thoughts on this subject here, by clicking in the Post a Comment box following this post. Let others know what you think, what questions for which you would like answers, or if you or someone in your family would use this facility.

Skateboard Survey Results

Here are the results from the HAIA survey about the proposed skateboard park. There were 52 responses to the survey. Notice that questions 6 and 7 have percentages that do not add to 100%. That is because those questions offered multiple selections to the respondent.

Please address all questions about the survey to HAIA-SF@YAHOO.COM.

To view the survey, click on the link (in the next line of this post):
HAIA Skateboard Park Survey

(Use the BACK button of your browser when you are finished viewing the survey.)

You can add your thoughts by clicking on the COMMENTS to the post.

Thank you for participating in the survey.

Last Friday Upper Haight Monthly Salon

Friday, April 24th, 2009 marked the beginning of the Upper Haight Monthly Salon. Over 20 merchants participated by hosting a special event in their shops between the hours of 5pm -9pm. There were a lot of pedestrians strolling the street enjoying the various offerings along the way. Aqua Surf Shop had art in action. While visitors sipped Mai Tai's and nibbled cheese, they could watch a large canvas being transformed into an abstract painting. A live DJ completed the scene. DJ's were also spinning at other venues including Buffalo Exhange and CoCoLuxe. There were live performances at Soul Patch Tattoo, Mendel's Far Out Fabric and Art, and the Red Vic Peace Center. After playing in the cool wind for a while, the Jugtown Pirates were offered a space at the Peoples Cafe. If you stopped into the PureBeauty shop, you could walk away with a goodie bag of samples. Dollhouse Betty not only gave out wonderful tealights made with coconut essential oils (after the oiled wax melts, you use it to massage someone special,) but they also had a window tableau complete with a beautiful live model. Outside the window, an adorable young lady played accordian (which is the official instrument of San Francisco.) There were many exhibits of artwork by local artists, and OffBeat on Haight had some trunk shows set up. Paul Madonna met the public at the Booksmith politely talking about his style of capturing the city and signing his book "All Over Coffee." A small sampling of his work was on exhibit in the window. Coffee to the People also had some great art and the "photo booth" was a hoot - a fun idea. Other shops offered special discounts for the evening. I am sure that I am leaving a lot out...you just have to attend the next salon on the last Friday of the month to explore for yourself. There was a pleasant party atmosphere on the street and I personally enjoyed running into friends and neighbors as we explored the varied shops that make the Upper Haight corridor so special.

Acknowledgment must go to the good folks at Buffalo Exchange - in particular, Kate Morrow. They had the idea, energy, and organization to pull this event together. Congratulations on a successful endeavor. Let the good times roll.

May 9 Community Clean-Up

Much gratitude should be expressed to all the participants of the community clean-up. What a successful event it was! Most of the poles and garbage cans along Haight Street from Masonic to Stanyan received a face lift. Stickers were removed from signs and the flyers on the poles came down to allow a fresh coat of paint to be applied. This was a wonderful opportunity for folks to get to know one another better. The picnic afterwards was a wonderful way to relax and socialize further.

I personally was riding a high after the event. So many different factions of the community had joined together to beautify the street. An amazing amount of work was accomplished. It was inspiring to see how much can be done when so many come together.

On Sunday morning, the street ,for the most part, had remained sparkling and pristine. What a welcome sight!

The idea was born after a panel presentation at the Booksmith about homeless youth. Karen Growney, a HAIA member, helped coordinate the cleanup with the help from DPW, Vallie Brown in Supervisor Mirkarimi's office, and the homeless youth service providers: HYA, Larkin Street, and Huckleberry House. Three neighborhood organizations, HAIA, CVIA, HANC, gave donations and assistance to the effort as well. A special thanks goes to Escape from NY for the donation of the delicious pizzas. The biggest "thank you" goes to all those who participated and helped.

There was a lot of enthusiasm for another community clean-up...perhaps in August. Stay tuned and involved.

You probably heard that one idea to help close the City's budget deficit is to charge to enter the Arboretum. How much? Rec & Park suggests the admission would be $5 a person! You have an opportunity to speak your mind about this at a meeting next week. The attached flyer has the details. A quick summary of the vital information:

Monday, April 6th
6:30 - 8:00 PM
Hall of Flowers, at 9th Ave. and Lincoln
in Golden Gate Park

Add your comments here, whether you plan to attend the meeting or not.

I have good news this morning. I have been in contact with the Pacific Coast Farmers' Market Association about initiating a market at the 1800 block of Waller St. (closed area west of Stanyan). I am sending their proposal to Rec & Park, to work through the details of use of the site. You may recall that a couple of years ago, Cheryl Brodie led HAIA's support of legislation from the Board of Supervisors to authorize use of park land for a local farmers' market. Now, with a proposal in hand, we are hopefully not too far away from actually seeing this come together as a real, live market, on Sunday mornings from 9 to 1.

By working with the PCFMA, they provide all of the management and administration of the market, its setup and cleanup. Importantly, they also provide insurance for the weekly event. The content of the market, as proposed, is at least 60% fresh, locally grown produce, and as much as 40% artisanal local products, such as breads, cheese, fish, flowers and such. In this arrangement, HAIA will be the local sponsoring organization. As you will see in the story about a similar market in Seattle, the local traffic to the market also benefits area merchants, as well as promotes healthier eating and other positive impacts.

Here is a link to the story about a Seattle market, discussing their experiences with starting and supporting a local marketplace:
http://www.neighborhoodlife.net/features/index.php?id=56

Please post your entries, your questions, your suggestions. That way, everyone can see what you are thinking, and thus it becomes a great way to develop our dialog and consensus about having a local farmers' market.