NAACP Continues Haiti Outreach Efforts
BALTIMORE, MD – One year after the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the NAACP has announced the recipients of over $200,000 that were raised through its local units for the Haiti Relief Fund, while calling for all Americans to help rebuild and strengthen the ravaged nation. “The NAACP has historically had a strong relationship with the people of Haiti and understands that a tragedy of this magnitude demands a sustained response. In January of 2009, the NAACP created the NAACP for Haiti Relief Fund and challenged its members, staff, leadership and our 2200 local units to raise funds or do whatever possible in support of Haiti during this crisis. The response was and continues to be overwhelming, and shows the commitment of this organization to assist those in need,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “This donation represents the hearts of tens of thousands of people who recognize that all of us have to make a commitment to rebuilding and strengthening Haiti for years to come. These contributions came in one dollar, five dollar and ten dollar bills—in small denominations raised in faith communities, branches, youth and high school meetings and rallies across the nation. Those who couldn’t monetarily donate gave food, clothes, toys and other necessities for the people of Haiti. The fates of the people of Haiti and this hemisphere, the people of the Diaspora are inextricably linked in the past, the present and the future. The people of Haiti can count on the NAACP to do whatever we can to restore Haiti’s prosperity and rebuild the spirit of their great nation,” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous. The NAACP has disbursed the relief funds to four different organizations, two that deal with direct advocacy for Haitians in the Diaspora and two direct service organizations that build housing and help the women and children affected by the earthquake. The organizations that received monies from the NAACP for Haiti Relief Fund are: · The Global Orphan Project The Global Orphan Project, Inc. (‘GO Project’ or ‘GO’) is a global orphan care ministry headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. The GO project is using the NAACP’s funds to re-build local churches, including Source de la Grace, into a full church-based children's village. The six-acre complex includes an expanded church; a school for hundreds of orphaned or impoverished children; and homes for local orphaned or abandoned children. The students will receive the gift of education, and a hot meal each day. · The Haitian Congress The Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti is a non-profit organization that works to improve Homeland, Civic Engagement & Education, Youth, Community & Culture and Business & Economics. The NAACP’s funds will be used for numerous programs that include construction of permanent green homes in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity; education programs that promote the reintegration of the Haitian Diaspora; a skills transfer program that would return skilled workers to Haiti. · Habitat for Humanity International & The African American Baptist Mission Collaboration The NAACP contributed funding for a partnership effort between Habitat and the African American Baptist Mission Collaboration. The funding will go toward the construction of permanent housing for 80 families in Leogane, as well as the advancement of an advocacy agenda in the United States. Specifically, the contribution supports Habitat Resource Center services delivery; site preparation and infrastructure costs; core home instruction; community engagement and livelihoods development. · Haiti Support Project Working under the auspices of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, the Haiti Support Project is focused on mobilizing African Americans and other people of African descent to partner with Haitian Americans and participate in the process of democracy and development in Haiti. The NAACP’s funds will go toward support for the Oasis Institute concept as a model for government policy for orphans; an inclusive reconstruction and political process to maximize the engagement of all sectors in building the new Haiti; and continued advocacy efforts in Haiti and the United States, including support for the passage of the H.R. 6021, the Haiti Empowerment, Assistance and Rebuilding Act (HEAR), which would guarantee allocations of $3.5 billion over the next five years to “promote long-term, sustainable rebuilding and development in Haiti.” “Helping our brothers and sisters in Haiti and across the globe is not a new experience for the NAACP. We have had a rich history of being engaged internationally, and we look forward to building our legacy of global impact to help make a difference in the future of Haiti. Through grassroots organizing, personal appeals and events ranging from fundraisers to holiday toy drives, the NAACP has raised a significant amount for four different charities, and we remain committed to helping to restore, rebuild and renew the spirit and nation of Haiti,” stated Dr. David Emmanuel Goatley, Chairman International Affair Committee of the NAACP National Board of Directors. “New York has a large population of Haitian Americans that lost family members and loved ones and saw their capital city virtually destroyed,” stated NAACP New York State Conference President Hazel N. Dukes. “It is uplifting to see the support of our membership, the staff and the board of directors band together to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti.” “The outpouring of support from our local branches has been monumental,” stated NAACP Florida State Conference Adora Obi Nweze. “We look forward to continuing our work to renew and rebuild the great nation of Haiti.” Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.
