UUSC in Haiti - "Thank You" and more

There is a big difference between charity and standing in solidarity to help people out. The UU Service Committee has been using your gifts to make sure Haitians are getting support. Here is a message from the president of the UUSC, Charlie Clement, reporting on their work in Haiti, and offering next-steps.

"Unitarian Universalists have reached out with great generosity to the people of Haiti in response to the devastating earthquake that struck the island nation on January 12. As of the date of this message, over $470,000 has been donated online. Your generous response has been tremendous and we are profoundly grateful.
"Thanks to the generosity of your and other UU congregations, UUSC has been able to get badly needed funds quickly to four Haitian grassroots organizations that have set up relief programs amidst the devastation. UUSC chose this approach because Haitian grassroots organizations know best the situation on the ground and have community networks in place to distribute aid efficiently and quickly. They have also shown extraordinary courage and determination in setting up this work despite losing offices, personnel, and equipment.
"With your support, UUSC was able to send $50,000 to a joint fund for two organizations – CROSE in Jacmel and COZPAM in Mariani, Port-au-Prince – to buy and distribute food, medicines, and emergency supplies like diapers for babies, in both areas.
"Hundreds of thousands of earthquake survivors have left Port-au-Prince seeking help elsewhere and many villages, already hard pressed, have doubled in size. UUSC has been able to get $35,000 to the Papaye Peasant Movement (MPP) and $30,000 to the Lambi Fund for immediate emergency relief in rural communities hosting earthquake survivors. (To learn more about UUSC’s work with Haitian grassroots partners, please visit our website.)
"UUSC has made these initial grants to enable these grassroots organizations to put their relief programs into action. A UUSC assessment team leaves for Haiti on February 5 for a weeklong mission and will meet with our four current partners and other organizations to discuss next steps for support. When this team returns, we will focus on the next round of emergency grants Also, around the one-month anniversary of the earthquake, we will provide in-depth, from-the-ground reporting about the situation and our recovery work. In the meantime, please visit our website, to which we’re posting frequent updates.
"In the midst of the terrible devastation, it was the Haitians who rescued each other and set up camps for the displaced when international aid was bottlenecked. Consistent with the Unitarian Universalist recognition of the inherent worth and dignity of every person, we believe that we must extend our hands to Haitians in solidarity and not charity.
"At UUSC we deeply appreciate the solidarity with the Haitian people that you have shown, and with your support we will work with them as they determine and act on the best ways to rebuild their country."

Sincerely,

Charlie Clements
President & CEO
If you have already contributed to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee-Unitarian Universalist Association Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, thank you.

As of January 29, 1:30 p.m., the Fund had received 4,701 donations, and more than $471,750 had been raised.

Funds are still needed. If you have not yet contributed, please consider doing so now. Organizations receiving UUSC-UUA funding include the Papaye Peasant Movement (MPP), the Lambi Fund of Haiti, Platform of
Community Organizations of the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan Zone (COZPAM) in Port-au-Prince and Regional Coordination of Southeast Organizations (CROSE) in Jacmel. See "Conditions remain critical in Haiti" -
a href="http://www.uusc.org/content/conditions_remain_critical_haiti">http://www.uusc.org/content/conditions_remain_critical_haiti> - for more information.

The UUSC will be sending an assessment mission to Haiti on February 5 to work with partners in developing a mid- and long-term response. Contributions may be made by going to the UUSC website:
http://tinyurl.com/yzxootm a href="http://tinyurl.com/yzxootm">http://tinyurl.com/yzxootm> .

Contributions toward Haiti relief are deductible for 2009 taxes. See a href="http://tinyurl.com/yl58lcd">http://tinyurl.com/yl58lcd> for details.
American Express (AMEX) will be waiving transaction fees for credit card donations until February 28, 2010, to UUSC and other InterAction members that are participating in the Haiti earthquake relief effort.

For more information on the UUSC-UUA Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund, visit the new UUA.org: http://tinyurl.com/ykd6d7l a href="http://tinyurl.com/ykd6d7l">http://tinyurl.com/ykd6d7l> .