February 15, 2010

Additional information on city efforts to help Haiti is available at usmayors.org and will appear in future editions of U.S.Mayor. Mayors wishing to submit descriptions of their efforts to help Haiti should e-mail them to lwaxman@usmayors.org.

Cities across America mobilized in the days following the January 12 earthquake that devastated the island nation of Haiti, sending rescue teams and critically needed medical personnel, equipment and supplies. Mayors and leaders of churches and charities reached out to their communities, providing information on the donations most needed by the tens of thousands of Haitians who found themselves without shelter, food, or water in the wake of the disaster, and serving as collection points for donations.

National organizations, such as the American Red Cross and the Clinton-Bush Haiti relief effort established by The White House, were highly visible and trusted channels for donations of the money that was most desperately needed for the massive initial rescue and stabilization effort. Less visible were the locally created responses to the disaster that were launched in individual cities, large and small, across the nation. Recently, several of those cities reported on their efforts – both single initiatives and broad citywide programs – to The U.S. Conference of Mayors.

Florida’s cities, not surprisingly, have been actively engaged in relief efforts.

Riviera Beach Mayor Thomas A. Masters has been organizing the larger Palm Beach County community on behalf of Haiti since 2008, when a series of major hurricanes struck the island. At that time, the mayor created Palm Beach County Haiti Relief, and marshaled his considerable volunteer resources and effort to support the struggling nation. In that year, Masters established a Sister City relationship with Port-au-Prince, inviting the city’s mayor to Riviera Beach city hall on two occasions. He organized a huge outreach effort that saw more than 24,000 pounds of food collected from his office in city hall. Because of his close ties to the Riviera Beach-based Port of Palm Beach and the involvement of a port commissioner in the effort, the donated container was shipped at no charge. Through World Harvest Missions, which was already working in Haiti, arrangements were made for the container to be docked and opened, and people quickly served.

Based on this experience, Masters was able to act quickly when the earthquake struck. He reactivated Palm Beach County Haiti Relief, and it fast became a coalition of governments and non-governmental organizations, including the local Urban League, the Minority Law Enforcement Association, the offices of a local state representative and a Congressman, and the Haitian Nurses Coalition. Another partner, Missionary Flights International, provided free charter jet service. All fire stations stayed open to accept donations. As the bishop of a local Baptist church, the mayor also networked with area houses of worship to receive donations, and he called on his fellow council members to seek donations in their districts. He brought a short-term storage container company on board, which in turn located boxes across the county at no charge.

The first flight went to Haiti on January 18, loaded with medical supplies, able-bodied help, food and water, doctors and nurses. A second flight arrived a week later, bringing 65 doctors and nurses aboard, plus more than 3,200 pounds of medical supplies. The medical personnel on this trip were able to establish a makeshift hospital/clinic and pharmacy in Petionville, and staffed it themselves with the supplies they brought. Masters indicated that because there was no middleman they were able to get their supplies directly to the people.

Once in Haiti, the mayor was told by local security to wear his cleric’s collar and hat to be safe. He was able to walk alone amongst the Haitian people and helped set up the hospital/clinic pharmacy; spoke directly to other caregivers and medical personnel on the ground about their service needs; coordinated lodging, transportation and security on the ground for the personnel and volunteers who came over with him; conducted interviews with local media as part of an appeal for help; and communicated directly with the Haitian people offering encouragement, comfort and prayer. The mayor plans a third trip to Haiti in the coming weeks to continue his work with sister city Port-au-Prince.

Doral has joined the Miami-Dade League of Cities’ Haiti earthquake relief efforts, contributing $50,000 to those efforts, and is also getting the Doral community involved in donating food, clothing, and medical supplies, and volunteering to get as much help as possible to Haiti. The city currently has four drop-off locations for donations of supplies and has created a Haiti Relief Efforts Hotline for residents wanting information on how to donate or volunteer. Cash donations are being handled by the Rotary Club of Doral Foundation, which is partnering with the city in relief efforts. Staff and volunteers are working most weekdays and weekends to pack the supplies that come in; they are being transported to Haiti through the assistance of private donors and delivered there to the Rotary Club in Haiti for distribution. The city is in the process of shipping two 40-foot containers, one filled with essential supplies such as water, food, and medicine, the other filled with items such as clothing, shoes, and bedding. Logistics for landings in Haiti are being arranged through the locally based U.S. Southern Command.

North Miami is seeking contributions from residents for the American Red Cross’s Haiti relief effort, and the city council approved a $25,000 donation. The city is partnering with the Center for International Disaster Information on a community outreach campaign focusing on long-range emergency responses to the earthquake. Another partnership, with Family Corners, Inc., provides counseling for South Floridians who have suffered a loss as a result of the tragedy or are trying to cope with other problems related to the disaster.

North Miami Mayor Andre D. Pierre, the North Miami Community Redevelopment Agency, and the Haitian Lawyers Association, Inc. hosted a free Temporary Protected Status (TPS) application drive for qualifying Haitian nationals, which helped 200 eligible nationals complete the required applications. The city’s Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) hosted children, parents, and guardians affected by the events in Haiti in an afternoon of art-making February 13. In “HeArt to HeArt for Haiti,” MOCA instructors, including Creole'speaking instructors, will guide participants through exercises designed to encourage expression, exploration, and healing.

The city partnered with Radio Coin and WLQY 1320 AM in an effort designed to collect specific items needed by North Miami’s sister city in Haiti, Delmas. The donations were accepted, containerized, shipped, and distributed in Delmas through a unique inter-city relationship involving elected officials in both municipalities.

Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio contacted the American Red Cross to ascertain the most pressing need for assistance, then used emails and newsletters to encourage all city employees and residents to donate to the Red Cross. The mayor met with a cadre of leaders from Tampa’s Caribbean and Haitian community to pledge the city’s support in addressing the crisis. A city liaison and the mayor’s Administrative Assistant have been appointed to assist with Tampa’s relief efforts. Initiatives include a 5K run held February 6; a public service memorial to be held February 19 at the city’s new waterfront park; and a fund-raising telethon/concert to be held March 3.

Coral Gables is collecting donations for the victims of the earthquake at all of the city’s police and fire stations. The city’s Office of Public Affairs is serving as the central contact point for information on how to help Haiti, encouraging cash donations and providing information on how to contact the American Red Cross and other organizations involved in relief efforts. The Coral Gables branch of the Miami-Dade Public Library System is also serving as a donation collection site.

Coconut Creek launched a food, water, and clothing drive within a few days of the earthquake, promoting it in the city’s e-newsletter and Facebook page. Community support is described as overwhelming and donations continue to pour into city hall, the Community Center, and the Recreation Complex. Monarch High School students are learning to produce “Houses for Haiti,” miniature houses mounted on pins and magnets and sold to raise additional funds for Haiti relief.

Hallandale Beach responded immediately to the earthquake in Haiti. The relief effort, led by the city and Hallandale High School, included placement of collection boxes for food, clothing, medical supplies, tents, sleeping bags, and other necessary supplies in all city parks and city facilities and at the high school. No less than two city employees worked around the clock collecting the donated items and transporting them to the high school, which served as the local collection site. Hallandale Beach’s elementary school has enrolled five Haitian children affected by the earthquake. Information on the relief effort was placed on the city website and sent out via the e-mail notification system, carried in the local newspaper, and broadcast on the city’s AM radio station.

Sunrise city officials contacted the regional Sun Sentinel newspaper within 72 hours of the earthquake, getting into print information on the city’s receiving points for Haiti relief donations. An employee newsletter and the city website were used to inform city workers about opportunities to make donations at selected public buildings throughout the city. The business community was contacted directly and through the local Chamber of Commerce.

A fire station served as the main collection point for the public at large. Received were more than 20,000 pounds of clothes, enough to fill four 24-foot-long U-Haul trucks to the top; 150 pounds of non-perishable food, 100 pounds of first aid supplies, and other medical equipment. Additional help in categorizing the donations, coordinating the community organizations involved in collections, and otherwise documenting the effort was provided by approximately 20 management and administrative employees of Leisure Services and Utilities.

Chicago has been transporting relief workers and emergency supplies to Haiti and welcoming Haitian evacuees to the city. A January 20 United Airlines flight from Chicago to Port-au-Prince carried 15,000 pounds of water donated by Walgreens; more than 300 tents donated by Feed the Children; communications equipment donated by Airline Ambassadors; and approximately 60 relief workers and United Airlines operations employees. This was the first of more than four relief flights chartered by United Airlines to deliver emergency aid and bring evacuees back to Chicago.

The 350 evacuees who made it to the city were processed through customs and transported to Chicago’s welcome center where they were assessed by the American Red Cross to determine their immediate needs. The Chicago Department of Family and Support Services worked closely with the Red Cross to provide food, water, hygiene kits, and basic comfort needs. A team of physicians, nurses, and others from the Chicago Department of Public Health were also on hand to provide on'site evaluation and care for those evacuees in need of medical services. The Salvation Army provided clothing and spiritual care to evacuees, while Travelers Aid, in partnership with Heartland Alliance, helped connect individuals with family members in various cities throughout the United States.

Chicago’s Human Relations Commission worked with city colleges, Haitian community organizations, faith-based groups, and elected officials to organize informational workshops on how Haitians could receive Temporary Protection Status from the Department of Homeland Security.

Three Fire Department ambulances stocked with cots, blankets, masks, bandages, gloves, food, and other critical supplies also left Chicago January 23 for Haiti. The donated ambulances were driven by volunteers to Miami and shipped from there to Haiti. The city paid for their gasoline and NAPA Genuine Parts Company paid for the drivers’ food, lodging and return trip. Some of the supplies transported were donated by Every Blooming Industry, Progressive Industries, and Romeoville.

The Chicago’s Sister Cities program continues working with “Share Your Soles” program to send 10,000 pairs of shoes to victims of the earthquake, and the American Red Cross remains the city’s central point for donations.

In Highland Park (IL), the city’s Emergency Relief Task Force was activated by Mayor Michael D. Belsky shortly after the Haiti earthquake – the fourth time the group has come together to respond to an emergency since 2005. The Task Force, which includes all key stakeholders from both public and private sectors of the community, decided to focus on collecting monetary donations to help address the most urgent needs of the Haitian people. A widely disseminated letter informed the community that the Task Force would be accepting donations through the Highland Park Community Foundation, and a flyer promoting the effort was posted in locations across the city. Collection containers were placed in all city facilities and all Task Force members were asked to place them in their facilities. In one week over $2,000 in donations were received by the Foundation. Individuals and businesses also began to contact the Task Force to see how they could support the relief efforts. In one weekend, a local business collected over $10,000 from parents of soccer players whose donations were then matched by corporate dollars.

Throughout Highland Park, people are engaged in activities to help the people of Haiti. This includes fund-raising efforts in schools and at the Music Institute of Chicago-Highland Park Campus, in individual businesses, and through the Downtown Business Alliance and the Chamber of Commerce.

Louisville (KY) experienced three FEMA-designated natural disasters during the last year. This recent experience equipped Mayor Jerry Abramson to focus quickly on Louisville’s help for Haiti. He appointed a senior staff member who used social marketing tools to match needs and resources. A community-call went out for people who wanted to volunteer, donate money, or donate supplies; that group was matched with not-for-profit organizations working on relief efforts that needed volunteers and donations of money or supplies.

A partnership was formed with a national and a local not-for-profit organization in order to focus the donations made by Louisville residents. The American Red Cross was chosen as the national organization, and the president of the local Red Cross chapter attended the city’s press conference to explain how local residents could partner with them to help Haiti.

Edge Outreach was chosen as the local organization; it established roots in Haiti in 2007, working with individuals and organizations to offer training in sustainable water solutions, hand pump repair, vision clinics, and local humanitarian efforts. The earthquake shifted their work from sustainable community development to disaster relief overnight. The mayor asked the water company and sewer company to join in this effort; the utilities and the city provided cash contributions to Edge Outreach and secured supplies and air transportation for them. An appeal for cash donations netted Edge Outreach over $300,000. Across Haiti, Edge Outreach installed nine water purifiers, each capable of providing 10,000 gallons of clean water per day.

Abramson also called for volunteers and donations for a local not-for-profit group working to provide medical supplies for Haiti. As a result, Supplies Overseas coordinated over 400 volunteers who prepared medical supplies that were airlifted to Haiti.

Boston is home to the third largest population of Haitian Americans and Haitian immigrants in the United States and its residents felt the impact of the disaster instantly. On the night of the earthquake, Mayor Thomas M. Menino began identifying resources in the city that could be used for disaster recovery and relief and support for Boston’s Haitian population. The next morning, he convened his cabinet and immediately created a strategy to manage the city’s response and to provide services to its Haitian residents. Menino designated his chief of Programs and Partnerships to coordinate the city’s efforts with the Mayor’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and the Boston Public Health Commission.

Within 36 hours of the earthquake, Boston’s Haitian Referral and Support Center was fully operational and offering telephone lines and internet access so that residents could connect with relatives in Haiti, mental health counseling, immigration attorneys who offered legal assistance and consultation, child care for families using the Center, resource materials and information, and translation. The Mayor’s Office of New Bostonians recruited attorneys to answer questions at the Haitian Referral and Support Center, and Boston provides support for those seeking to apply for Temporary Protective Status (TPS).

From January 14 through January 26, the Center was open every day from 9:00 am until 9:00 pm at SEIU Local 1199. On January 27, the Center relocated to the Mattapan branch of the Boston Public Library and remains in operation there. In addition to the space, food, and staffing resources SEIU Local 1199 offered, the city received food donations from Whole Foods Market, Stop and Shop, local restaurants El Oriental de Cuba, Merengue, Flames, Deadwood Café, Au Bon Pain, W.W. Grainger, Inc., University of Massachusetts Boston, and Senator John F. Kerry’s Office. Telephone and computer lines were donated by SEIU Local 1199, additional telephone and computer lines by Verizon Communications, and wireless telephones and international calling cards by Metro PCS.

Bridgeport (CT) reached out to its Haitian community as soon as the devastation of the earthquake became apparent, with Mayor Bill Finch arranging to host a meeting of community leaders, staff, and local clergy to chart a course to help the Haitian community. By week’s end, the Latino community, through its umbrella organization Greater Bridgeport United, joined with the Haitian community to host a radiothon, raising $32,000 in one day.

Ten days after the quake, the city donated office space, telephones, computer, and Internet access for a Haiti Relief Resources Office in the city hall annex. Long distance service is provided by AT&T. The office is staffed by local volunteers from the city’s Haitian community and by representatives from area non-profit organizations such as the American Red Cross and AmeriCares. The volunteers quickly mobilized the entire community to donate time and resources to aid the earthquake victims in their native country.

Finch and Congressman Jim Himes recently attended a Temporary Protective Status workshop, one of five planned around the state, to help Haitians in the United States who may have been visiting or living here at the time of the earthquake. More than 100 people attended the event, and lawyers from across Connecticut gathered to help staff it.

In Hartford, which has the nation’s third-largest West Indian population, Mayor Eddie A. Perez has led a community outreach effort on relief for Haiti that has involved news releases and flyers, emailed letters to city employees, and neighborhood meetings. This has included work with the Connecticut Haitian-American Organization, which has set-up an account with Webster Bank through which tax-deductible donations can be made to the Connecticut Haitian Earthquake Relief Fund. Through this group, donation barrels for needed non-perishable items have been set up in the bank’s branches and city hall, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Hartford Public Library, the Police Department, the Fire Department, and other city buildings. Also, with assistance from the mayor’s office, the Community Renewal Team and the American Red Cross will conduct a blood drive on March 3 to help replace blood products being sent to Haiti.

In Albany, the city, the Palace Theatre, and the Albany Medical Center partnered to present a “Hearts for Haiti” benefit concert and launch a related fundraising effort. The February 11 concert included five blues, rock, and jazz bands and artists well known in the Northeast. All proceeds of the concert benefit Partners in Health, an affiliate of the Albany Medical Center, which has been operating in Haiti for 20 years and which now is providing medical personnel, volunteers, and supplies for the relief effort. In conjunction with the concert, the Medical Center is launching a “Hearts For Haiti” fundraising campaign, an idea promoted by a first-year medical student there. Through the campaign, the public can purchase a paper red heart for a contribution of $1 or more, with all proceeds benefiting Partners in Health.

Southfield (MI) officials have been informed by experts “on the ground,” that the best thing for earthquake victims now and in the near future is to provide cash donations, which can be used to meet their immediate needs and those of the people helping them. Partnering with the Salvation Army Southeastern Michigan Headquarters (SA), which is based in Southfield, city officials are conducting a Donation Drive. For over 50 years, the SA has sponsored Le Maison du Bonheur (The Home of Happiness) in Haiti, which houses orphaned and abandoned children. The Home suffered damage to the perimeter safety walls and the building itself in the earthquake, and immediately afterward the children had to sleep in the parking lot. City efforts will benefit the Children’s home. Officials are planning a weeklong donation drive effort directed at city staff, residents and businesses. Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence is committing available city services to help in this effort.

Lawrence is committing available city services to help in this effort.

Laredo has established an account at a local bank for the Laredo Haitian Relief Project through which residents can donate funds for Haitian relief; the funds are directed to the American Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and Habitat for Humanity. Several fundraising efforts have supported the Project. Both local school districts, along with many charter and private schools, have joined in the fundraising effort. Later this month, the city-owned Laredo Entertainment Center will host a Skating for Haiti fundraiser, and even later will donate the proceeds of a VIP parking program to the Project. The city’s fundraising will continue through February.

The city hosted an “Interfaith Prayer Service for Haiti” that featured Catholic, Jewish, Buddhist, Episcopalian, Mormon, and non-denominational religious leaders and musical presentations from a local Catholic high school choir, the Laredo Philharmonic Choir, and individual singers. Catholic Schools are collecting money to go to Catholic Social Services’ relief efforts in Haiti, and the Diocese of Laredo recently held a second collection at their masses for Haiti. Other religious institutions have held similar collections. Laredo’s substantial transportation industry has also gotten involved, with several private warehouse companies storing items collected by local schools and others, and local trucking companies offering to haul the goods to ports for transport to Haiti.

Hinesville (GA) launched its relief efforts with a prayer vigil designed to inform the community of the efforts being undertaken by churches, schools, organizations, and individuals, including a local real estate developer who worked with contacts in the construction industry to quickly transport debris-clearing equipment and other resources to Haiti for a water well project. The city’s overall relief effort, “Hinesville Helps Haiti,” includes several components, among them:

• During a 30-day donation drive, city offices serve as drop-off locations for donations to the American Red Cross, which are picked up weekly by the Savannah Chapter of the Red Cross.

• City employees will be given an opportunity to authorize one-time or continuing payroll deductions specifically for Haiti relief efforts.

• The city’s Public Relations Manager serves as a source of information on relief efforts for individuals who contact the city and for news media outlets that provide information on how residents can help.

• The city is working with local churches and school organizations to host a benefit concert for Haiti, and is researching opportunities to form a sister city relationship with a city in Haiti.

In Santa Barbara, the focal point for earthquake relief efforts is Direct Relief International, a Santa Barbara-based nonprofit organization that delivers critically needed medicines and supplies to local healthcare providers worldwide. More than 16 tons of medical material aid departed Direct Relief’s warehouse January 29 for Haiti via donated airlift by FedEx. Prior to this shipment, Direct Relief had shipped more than $6 million in medical aid to its partners on the ground in Haiti caring for the injured. Direct Relief emergency response staff members have returned to Haiti to continue on-the-ground support following their initial ten days in Port-au-Prince coordinating Direct Relief’s aid shipments and other relief group efforts. Community awareness of Direct Relief’s efforts in Haiti and the local community was raised through a widely publicized briefing for Congresswoman Lois Capps, Mayor Helene Schneider, and other local elected officials on February 1.

Auburn (WA) is working in partnership with Northwest Caribbean Connection on a benefit to support its Help Haiti Relief Effort. The Help Haiti Benefit concert, to be held February 27 at the Auburn Avenue Theater, will feature many local Caribbean entertainers and the Auburn High Youth Choir. Many of the organizers of Northwest Caribbean Connection are from Haiti and their families have been directly affected by the tragic earthquake. The city is providing a venue, print materials, and personnel time is devoted to the promotion of the event. The local business community has rallied to support this event and is donating much of the food and beverages.

Firefighters and other emergency response personnel from cities across the country deployed to Haiti as members of both federal and international disaster response teams.

Seattle Firefighter/Paramedics Tim Frye and John Hinson and Firefighter Larry Doll were deployed to Haiti the day after the earthquake for nine days as part of the International Medical Surgical Response Team. The team was made up of orthopedic surgeons and nurses, pediatricians, anesthesiologists and firefighter paramedics from Seattle, Boston and Miami.

The team helped set up a field hospital in the courtyard of a small medical university in Port-Au-Prince. The site included areas for triage and wound care, pre-operative and post-operative tents, two operating rooms, a special procedures tent, a logistical area command center and a pharmacy. The Seattle Firefighters worked 12-13 hour shifts each day. During their deployment, they treated over 600 patients, delivered 15 babies and averaged 15 major surgeries. Frye and Hinson also joined the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne Division on a search and rescue operation.

Hallandale Beach (FL) Fire-Rescue Department’s Battalion Chief Mark Wilson was deployed with the Federal Urban Search and Rescue Team 2 (USAR-TF2) to Port-au-Prince the day following the earthquake. Wilson’s specific job was to act as a safety officer and oversee overall safety for crews searching in severely collapsed buildings. On arrival in Port-au-Prince, his team operated from a base camp located at the U.S. Embassy. During the course of the deployment the team ran numerous reconnaissance missions, conducted a 13-hour rescue operation resulting in the rescue of two teenage girls from a collapsed school building, and a multi-day rescue operation resulting in the rescue of five persons from a collapsed grocery store. The team was demobilized on January 23 and transported home from Port-au-Prince through the Dominican Republic.

Sunrise (FL) also contributed Fire-Rescue Department members to Florida’s USAR TF2. Brothers Battalion Chief Christopher Sorrentino and Captain Joe Sorrentino also deployed on the January 13 mission to Haiti.