September 14, 2008

Storm Weary…

As we watch the news coming out of Texas today, it is hard to grasp the true extent of the devastation that occurred when Hurricane Ike hit the coast at the start of the weekend. What makes the situation even more tragic is that this particular hurricane came quickly on the heels of two other storms that destroyed homes and killed hundreds in the Caribbean.

Our friend, Ray Buchanan, founder of Stop Hunger Now, an international relief agency, was in touch on Friday and shared word of some of the destruction that had occurred in Haiti when Hurricane Gustave hit the island two weeks ago. Stop Hunger Now is our "go-to" place when we want to send funds to help in the relief effort but have no personal connection on the ground. We trust Ray and his staff and know that any funds we send them will be used quickly and efficiently, which is why we are now responding to his latest email which offered the following:

More than 500 people have been reported dead and more than 650,000 people have been affected in Haiti since the crushing storms Hurricane Gustov, Hurricane Fay and Tropical Storm Hanna. Stop Hunger Now is responding during this vital time of Haiti’s crisis. It is feared more deaths could emerge since aid is trickling slowly into the country. "The toll is increasing hourly," warned United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Hum anitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Stop Hunger Now is working to send four shipments of life saving food and clothing valued at $1 million to provide much needed relief for the victims in Haiti who are facing life threatening situations.

Stop Hunger Now must raise $28,000 to finance the costs of shipping these containers. Although this need is considerable, the need for relief in Haiti is greater.

The Good People Fund has sent some funds to help cover the shipping expenses involved in sending this humanitarian aid to a storm-weary island which could face even more turmoil as the hurricane season continues. (http://www.stophungernow.org/)