Disaster Relief – Rotarian Action Group
Haiti
From: eberhard [mailto:eberhard@uwo.ca]
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 5:47 PM
To: Charles F. Adams
Subject: RE: DR Haiti Disaster Relief Committee
Thank you Charles. This is very helpful.
As you will know, DRRAG will be making several recommendations that will attract funds to Rotary’s efforts in the Haiti disaster. We will direct Rotarians to your accounts and try to provide inquiries with answers to the question: “What will you do with this money”.
We would like you (for 4060)and Dick (7020) to provide a succinct answer so that Rotarians will have a choice and feel the comfort of knowing that Rotarians are in charge and they have a plan. It would be expected that many non-Americans (who have no reason to look for tax receipts) will donate to both funds. It is really encouraging so see the amounts now coming into the 7020 account.
It would also be useful to have some sense of how the DAF funds will be used. I presume, like the Katrina fund, much will be in second responder (rebuilding and community development) phase but it would be useful to be able to tell our audience something tangible. I have copied DRRAG Secretary PRID Bob on this because he has had a lot of experience with the former DAF along with Barry. Perhaps between the two of them, we can put together a statement of purpose for these funds as well.
I know you are really busy and this all seems burocratic but I have no doubt that you understand the reasons why we would want this information to be passed along. This information will be on the DRRAG web site.
Many thanks and thank you for what you are doing to help those in need!
From: Charles F. Adams [mailto:charles@taeria.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 4:17 PM
To: eberhard@uwo.ca
Subject: DR Haiti Disaster Relief Committee
Importance: High
To: Mr. John Eberhard
Executive Director, CRCID, and Chair,
Disaster Relief – Rotarian Action Group
Phone: 519-473-2100
Fax: 519-471-8982
Web: www.DRRAG.org
From: Charles F. Adams
International Coordinator
Haiti Disaster Relief Committee
District 4060, Dominican Republic
U.S. phone to the DR: 518-685-4285
DR cell phone: 829-509-5505 or 809-753-5505
Electronic Fax ( U.S. ): 518-338-0124
Re: Credentials of the DR Haiti Disaster Relief Committee
Dear John:
On behalf of 4060 DG Ramiro Sanchez and all the members of our Haiti Disaster Relief Committee, I am pleased to convey the background information and documentation about our committee that you requested in our phone conversation, this morning.
District 4060 is not just motivated by its commitment to “Service Above Self” with respect to the tragedy of Haiti , its island neighbor. After all, we know all too well what tragedy is after the devastating hurricanes we experience, ourselves. But the Dominican Republic , by accident of geography, is also uniquely situated to be an effective route for delivering emergency goods and services to Haiti . In fact, for many things, the DR may be the least expensive and fastest way to acquire and ship materials and supplies into Haiti .
What Haiti needs the most is not available in Haiti – at any price. One cannot buy food when there is no food, nor medicines when there are none. But most of what is needed is available in the Dominican Republic , and the Dominican government is firmly committed to facilitating aid initiatives to Haiti . Accordingly, the DR’s 64 Rotary Clubs believe that we can play a useful role by creating an effective supply chain of emergency goods from the DR to Haiti .
Our Haiti Disaster Relief Committee, therefore, has two initiatives. One is to marshal the contributions of goods from our own 64 Rotary Clubs for delivery to Haiti . DG Ramiro has already published that request, and individual clubs have already begun collecting needed supplies. The second is to solicit the support of the international Rotary community.
Many foreign Rotary clubs and districts do not know how to work directly with the Rotary clubs in Haiti – and it is not always easy to do so, even under the best of circumstances. However, we know the Haitian Rotarians well. For the past three years while managing the national campaign “Pure Water for Haiti ,” for example, the Petion-Ville club was my “home” club. Dr. Claude Surena, a dear friend of mine and with whom you’ve spoken by phone, is an eminent member of that club as well as being the president of the Haitian Medical Association. Dr. Surena has agreed to manage the storage and distribution of supplies sent from the DR to Haiti by our committee.
DG Ramiro has named the following Rotarians to the Haiti Disaster Relief Committee;
Ramiro Sanchez, DG 09-10. Email: ferreteriamelo1@gmail.com Phone: 809-399-0978 (in Spanish)
Aura Baslis, DG 10-11. Email: auribasilis@yahoo.com
Jacqueline Medina, DG 11-12. Email: emilce@codetel.net.do
Alexandra Martinez de Adams, DG 12-13. Email: doctoralexandra@gmail.com
Jose Augusto Mella, PDG 06-07 and District Secretary 09-10. Email: jmella@codetel.net.do
Jose Ma [Zhema] Fernandez, AG 09-10, Webmaster and PR. Email: zhema.jmfm@gmail.com
Ambiorix de la Cruz, P 09-010, Santo Domingo Naco. Email: ambiorix.delacruz@francoacra.com
Marilis Perez, PP, Santo Domingo Colonial. Email: marilisp@hotmail.com
Ruben Goico Rodriguez, National Coordinator of the Committee. Email: rubengoico@yahoo.com
Charles F. Adams, International Coordinator of the Committee. Email: charles@taeria.com
To facilitate the receipt and disbursements of funds by bank wire, DG Ramiro has set up the following dedicated bank account at Banco BHD. The name of the account and the payee on all bank wires should be:
Gobernacion 4060 Desastre Haiti CR Higuey Inc.
These are the instructions for bank wires:
Correspondent Bank: Wachovia Bank
New York , NY
ABA Number: 026005092
SWIFT Number: PNBPUS3NNYC
In favor of: Account # 2000192003764
SWIFT # BCBHDOSDXXX
To be credited to the client account: Gobernacion 4060 Desastre Haiti CR Higuey Inc.
Client account number: 1006359-003-7
Dominican Bank Contact Information: BANCO BHD
Ave. 27 de Fevbrero exq. Ave. Winston Churchill
Santo Domingo , D.N.
Phone: 809-243-3232
Fax: 809-541-4949
Email: servicio@bhd.com.do
We know that individuals and small clubs or organizations are often not acquainted with using bank wires — or it is just not economic for them to do so. Therefore, to facilitate the handling of smaller contributions by check or money order in the U.S. and Canada, Safe Water Institute, Inc., a 509(c)(3) in Grand Rapids, MI (which is also officially registered to do business in the DR) has agreed to serve as the agent for the Haiti Disaster Relief Committee. Safe Water Institute will accept checks, money orders, or cash on behalf of the Haiti Disaster Relief Committee and convey those funds immediately to our committee in the DR.
Checks or money orders should be made out to Safe Water Institute, Inc. and sent to:
Safe Water Institute, Inc.
Attn: Harry J. Knopke, CEO
P.O. Box 68007
Grand Rapids , MI 49516
Phone: 616-774-8017
Cell: 616-540-4094
I will also attach a letter ( as you requested) from DG Ramiro which authorizes me to solicit funds for our committee.
Finally, I know you by reputation, of course; however, we have never met. Accordingly, I will attach some background information for your “due diligence” file.
It would be an honor if District 4060 Rotarians could make it possible for other clubs, districts, foundations, and aid agencies in the U.S. and elsewhere to come to the rescue of people in Haiti who are suffering and dying. And time is of the essence. If you feel that this would be a productive way for other Rotarians to help, kindly feel free to tell other districts and clubs about our committee and our willingness to be of service.
The Future of Haiti Is In Our Hands.
Charles
Charles F. Adams
Dom.Rep. Home: 809-226-8565
Dom.Rep. Cell: 829-509-5505 or 809-753-5505
U.S. Line to Dom.Rep.: 518-685-4285
Electronic Fax: 518-338-0124
From: ed mattson [mailto:emattson0711@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 8:37 AM
To: Robert Ketron; Barry Rassin
Subject: Re: Fwd: Our coordination website + update re Haiti
Barry,
We have a load coming into Dom Rep (we have heard the Haiti airport is closed except to military relief traffic). I need the contact person in Dom Rep who can see to the delivery through to Port Au Prince. We are shipping by our makeshift “Air Haiti ” we set-up with George Lee who will be staging goods Rotarians and our Network Partners want to ship. We will try to schedule a shipment each day once we get the channels established. According to George, we can send a payload of a couple tons each trip, which is the space we will have available to us. MY club in Mishawaka is looking to line-up other General Aviation plane to join Air Haiti . I will follow-up on that.
I have been talking to JB Roberts at Hunger Plus and LeSea Int’l., and with the port still closeed I think this is the best avenue to help get goods in. We need a secure delivery system for Dom Rep to Port au Prince.
We can ship tons of Medical supplies…easy to do. We have 80 plus medical warehouses. There is some cost to the warehouses to do this so we need Rotarians to let us know which clubs can help sponsor this project by contributing to the medical warehouses. In most cases The Network can arrange for low cost and no cost shipments, but everyone will be limited if the port remains closed and the airport shut down. Establishing a Rotarian connection and our Air Haiti look to be the best option going into Dom Rep. We need their help.
The Network is not set-up to collect money but there are vendors which need to be paid for their overhead in many of these shipments. We have a couple of very fast-quickie fund raisers which are being made available to clubs to raise money almost over night. We should have those on line shortly, and will do a general mailer the rest of the day.
Sorry, I crashed last night and just had to get some sleep, so I didn’t get started until about 7:30 AM today. We are moving as quickly as humanly possible.
RTN. Ed Mattson PHF (Cell: 630.440.7912)
Member, Romanian Association of Preventive Oncology
Member, Rotary Club of Mishawaka , IN – District 6540
Co-Chair, International Project Symposium and Workshop
National Membership Chair, Disaster Relief Rotarian Action Group-DRRAG
Board Chair, Cancer Support Group
— On Fri, 1/15/10, Barry Rassin <barryjras@yahoo.com> wrote:
From: Barry Rassin <barryjras@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: Fwd: Our coordination website + update re Haiti
To: “Robert Ketron” <rob.ketron@gmail.com>
Date: Friday, January 15, 2010, 7:40 AM
Thank you Rob,
To that list add medical supplies and blankets. They have pretty much run out of bandages and the ability to prevent infection. As you can imagine the wounds are many. We have two planes going in from Tortola with Medical Supplies and getting a DC 3 from Nassau full of Medical Supplies.
Thanks for what you and Leigh and so many are doing to help.
Barry
Barry Rassin, FACHE
RI Director 2006-08
office 242-302-4765
cell 242-424-3650
home 242-327-7318/9
barry@rassin.org
Join The Caribbean Partnership at www.caribbeanpartnership.org and www.thinkcaribbean.org
From: Robert Ketron <rob.ketron@gmail.com>
To: Barry Rassin <barryjras@yahoo.com>
Sent: Fri, January 15, 2010 3:26:25 AM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Our coordination website + update re Haiti
PRID Barry:
Ditto, many thanx for the info on Guy and Claude. Pls keep us posted.
We’re trying to get as much good info as possible into the hadnd of the leadership, as Evanston just cannot move quickly enough…. and it certainly does not help that the Rotary world is descending on San Diego right now. I’m only glad I deferred going to the Reunion this year.
I think we have excellent formats in place with funds that can go to 4060 or to 7020 in New York or in Santo Domingo or Cayman, and that John already has a new DAF up an running as well for those who feel more comfortable with sending money only to RI
The email from Santo Domingo made great sense, and shipment into Haiti from there may well prove far easier than awaiting SeaBees or other repair groups upgrade accessibility to the airport or harbor at Port-au-Prince .
And I agree that we shoud put shelter boxes on the back burner in favor of MONEY, WATER AND FOOD, along with PLASTIC, TARPING and DUCT TAPE…. from my experience with Ivan, I would consider GENERATORS to be a priority as well…. I wonder how many surplus ones are just gathering dust in Cayman at the moment?
Please know that I have included AG Ray Whittaker in all of my communications as I have known him for decades. The only resource new to you is Dr. Leigh Readdy from Seattle , as he served on the COMFORT last year and has superb credentials, experience and rapport with the US military, especially the navy. You will find Leigh a great help as this all unfolds.
Yours in Rotary service,
Rob
On Thu, Jan 14, 2010 at 8:37 PM, Barry Rassin <barryjras@yahoo.com> wrote:
Claude and Guy are both okay. Unfortunately we have not been able to get anything from Amos as yet.
Barry
Barry Rassin, FACHE
RI Director 2006-08
office 242-302-4765
cell 242-424-3650
home 242-327-7318/9
barry@rassin.org
Join The Caribbean Partnership at www.caribbeanpartnership.org and www.thinkcaribbean.org
From: “readdyla@aol.com” <readdyla@aol.com>
To: baywolf@isomedia.com; siderrods@comcast.net; ezera@ezerateshome.com; Charles@taeria.com; doctoralexandra@gmail.com; fcmltd@candw.ky; barryjras@yahoo.com; barry@rassin.org; csurena@gmail.com; rubengoico@yahoo.com; ray@candw.ky; dchong@wtjam.net; rmccombe@gussiemae.org
Sent: Thu, January 14, 2010 8:26:04 PM
Subject: Fwd: Our coordination website + update re Haiti
Greetings Rotary Colleagues,
I am sure that John Eberhard has been in touch with most if not all of you that are directly involved with DRRAG and the humanitarian effort focused on the disaster in Haiti . The reason for this email is to fill in some blanks and provide some additional details. This message is primarily focused on District 5030 clubs but is provided as background info for others. Feel free to distribute elsewhere.
May I suggest that any movement of funds be by direct wire transfer as this reduces the time required to meet the needs. Our fellow Rotarians in the Dominican Republic are mobilized and ready to buy and get the much needed materials into Haiti . Haiti does not have the needed materials.
Many clubs in District 5030 and other districts want to help. Part of the reason for sending this to our District leadership is so they can advise all the clubs as to how they can help. This will reduce the amount of confusion and the “clogging” of the extremely important communications network in the active area.(Claude, Guy’s email box is clogged so could not send this to him, is he OK? When he is available will you send on to him. Thx) The folks on the ground have enough going on without being deluged by emails, even well meaning ones. DRRAG is on this and a team is working to coordinate efforts. So the best way to help is to send funds by wire to either the fund set up by Rotarians in the Cayman Islands (listed below) or even better but a bit slower to make these contributions to the District Foundation with the notation that this is for Haiti Disaster Relief. There will be a Fund set up in the Dominican Republic for this effort as well and there will be a TRF fund and also a 501-c3 in Florida . Rotary District 5000 ( Hawaii ) has also set up a fund. More information on these will be sent as soon as received.
As part of DRRAG and a liaison with the military humanitarian efforts around the world I am fairly well plugged into what is happening and will endeavor to keep you all informed as to needs and progress. Some of you know that I have been working with the military on missions to help with disaster relief and was in both Haiti and the Dominican Republic with the USNS Comfort, a 1000 bed hospital ship last year. As part of this deployment I met and worked with the fine Rotarians who are now coordinating the efforts on the ground.
Word from the area indicates that the biggest needs right now are medical supplies, water, and sanitation supplies in that order. Clothing is NOT needed. While Shelter boxes are a great product they are not the best or cheapest way to go for Haiti . Temperatures are mild and tarps and duct tape are cheaper and quite adequate for temporary shelters. There are already over 150 shelter boxes en route to Haiti . Biosand filters are also en route and more of these could be purchased and delivered to Haiti . Emergency water purification packets are also available. Food is being mobilized.
Military humanitarian aid is on scene with more on the way. Not only US but also Canadian, French, Chinese, UK and others. There are at least two US Coast Guard cutters with some helicopter support on site, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vincen with many helicopters and some medical capabilities is now on station. The 1000 bed hospital ship USNS Comfort is leaving the US and will be on station by the 22nd. Another large ship with engineering and helicopter support is en route. The military is also air lifting supplies and have been doing so from within 24 hours of the earthquake. This is truly an international aid effort.
Many clubs have been committing funds. My club the RC of Northshore’s International Chair, Bill Christopher, has also been tracking the disaster relief efforts and recommended to the club that they donate funds. The club authorized $1000. Bill is following up on this. Our District leadership will be forwarding this information to all the clubs.
More information to follow.
YIRS
Leigh Readdy
PP RC of Northshore
District 5030 DRRAG representative
Chief Liaison, Rotarian-Military Liaison Group
—–Original Message—–
From: eberhard <eberhard@uwo.ca>
To: ‘ed mattson’ <emattson0711@yahoo.com>; ‘Leigh Readdy’ <Readdyla@aol.com>
Sent: Thu, Jan 14, 2010 6:41 am
Subject: RE: Our coordination website
Ed Here is a letter I just sent to President Kenny
Dear President John
I write this note to assist with your briefings on Haiti . I am sure that you are getting good information from many sources. The Rotary world is looking to you for leadership in these difficult times.
As you will know, there has been a tremendous outpouring of aid now being mobilized from governments and aid agencies from around the world. Rotarians, as we would expect, are wanting to respond. There are several initiatives which will be important. Already modest but symbolically important Rotarian steps are being taken. They might be summarized as follows:
1. District 7020 has Rotarians on the ground, including the DGN and AGs, providing water, food, and rescue operations. Communication is possible with satellite phones—purchased for this very reason.
2. Rotarian Claude Surena the Haiti Disaster Chair is our primary contact on this and is working very closely with the Government of Haiti and the Red Cross on behalf of the District. By 7:00 PM last night he had over 100 injured people in his yard and was out of food, blankets and space.
3. With your help RIDE John Smarge and PDG Barry Rassin are assisting the process of setting up a Donor Advised Fund for Haiti in our Rotary Foundation. We are looking forward to details on this so that DRRAG can encourage its members (particularly those in the USA ) to donate funds through this single source. This is not inconsistent with DRRAGs hope of establishing a permanent pooled fund for this very purpose.
4. It would be our hope that Associate Foundations such as TRFC might do the same thing.
5. District 4060 – Dominican Republic . These 64 Clubs are in the best position to immediately respond to the expanding need for consumer goods (water, medicines, shelter, first aid supplies, shelter). Arrangements are being made to have Rotary truck convoys move across the frontier even though transportation in Haiti is difficult. They have contact with Haiti Rotarians. A Committee has been established by DG Ramiro Melo and headed up by ADG Alexandria Adams and her husband Charles (both of whom are experienced in over 30 years of humanitarian work in Haiti ). A bank account is being established to allow for local purchases of goods (most of which do not exist in Haiti ). Therefore the most urgent commodity is money. Details of this will be available by the end of the day today (January 14th)
6. Rotary Club sponsored initiatives are mobilizing. Aquabox, Shelter Box, WaterWorks and Aqua Box all bean to make arrangements to be on the ground. The DRRAG web site and the individual web sites are carrying details about these important initiatives.
7. The DRRAG District Operations Officer, PDG Dick McCombe has been appointed by the DG of D. 7020 to be the point person. They have communicated by Satellite Phone or Satellite e-mail to most of the Haiti Task Force Team. The situation is so grave they are not yet in a position to move or check on others. Currently we know that ADG Ted Lazarre lost his house and his business and he and his wife and child are on the street in front of the Palace with nowhere to go. This message was received via satellite phone and it went dead almost immediately during the conversation. They are trying to coordinate some assistance. This morning there is some power and Rotarians from d 4060 are slowing making contacts.
8. District 4060 – Dominican Republic . These 64 Clubs are in the best position to immediately respond to the expanding need for consumer goods (water, medicines, shelter, first aid supplies, shelter). Arrangements are being made to have Rotary truck convoys move across the frontier even though transportation in Haiti is difficult. They have increasing contact with Haiti Rotarians.
9. A Committee has been established by DG Ramiro Melo and headed up by ADG Alexandria Adams and her husband Charles (both of whom are experienced in over 30 years of humanitarian work in Haiti ). A bank account is being established to allow for local purchases of goods (most of which do not exist in Haiti ). Therefore the most urgent commodity is money. Details of this will be available by the end of the day today (January 14th)
We would be grateful if you would consider communicating to the Rotary world the following:
The immediate need if money. We are very pleased that residents of the USA will soon have a DAF operated in cooperation with TRF. In order of priority, PDG Richard McCombe and PRID Barry Rassin have asked for money first and will advise DRAG of the Foundation DAF account some time later today.
A. Might this information be provided through the Rotary web site?
B. District 7020 Haiti Relief Account:
US$ Payment by Wire Transfer:
Donors should be asked to kindly send e-mail advice of transfer to PDG Richard W. Harris rwh@candw.ky and (state name and email address of any other D7020 intended recipient)
Send to: Wachovia Bank, New York
SWIFT Code: PNBPUS3NNYC
ABA Code: 026005092
For credit to: First Caribbean International Bank (Cayman) Limited
SWIFT Code: FCIBKYKY
Account Number: 2000192002655
For further credit to: Rotary International District 7020
Account Number 3481106
Reference “ Haiti Earthquake Relief”
US$ Payment by Bank Draft or Cheque (Check):
Mailed payment must be an official Bank Draft drawn on a US clearing bank or a cheque drawn on a US domestic bank.
(US$ denominated cheques drawn on a bank outside of the continental USA are discouraged as they may be difficult to negotiate)
Mail to:
PDG Richard W. Harris
Rotary International District 7020
P.O. Box 557
Grand Cayman KY1-1502
CAYMAN ISLANDS
C. Information of the Account in the Dominican Republic (d. 4060) will be available later today. Non-Americans who do not need a tax receipt will be well advised to donate to either of these two District operated funds.
D. DRRAG desperately needs a reprieve from the impediments of the Rotarian Action Group rules on communication. It is heartbreaking to know that DRRAG is not able to communicate with non-members or Clubs or Districts for the purpose of responding to these tragic events. We look to you to provide this authority.
John J. Eberhard,
Executive Director, CRCID
Chair: Disaster Relief – Rotarian Action Group
Director, Rotary International 2003-2005
1579 Hyde Park Road,
London, Ontario,
Canada N6H5L4
tel 519-473-2100
fax 519-471-8982
From: ed mattson [mailto:emattson0711@yahoo.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 8:15 AM
To: Leigh Readdyd
Subject: Our coordination website
I forgot to send you this link. Rest of site will be up today sometime, with quick fundraising projects for clubs and projects they can adopt, like the hospitals, portable toilets, waterboxes, med supplies, transitional housing wards and dorms.
We’ll also be posting emails from in-country keeping people in the loop. I will do a general mailer to our complete database directing them to this site to “stay tuned” as soon as I complete my inclusion of the 60,000 expatriates listed in Yahoo groups and the social networks.
RTN. Ed Mattson PHF (Cell: 630.440.7912)
Member, Romanian Association of Preventive Oncology
Member, Rotary Club of Mishawaka , IN – District 6540
Co-Chair, International Project Symposium and Workshop
National Membership Chair, Disaster Relief Rotarian Action Group-DRRAG
Board Chair, Cancer Support Group
–
Robert G. Ketron PDG
Rotary District 7620
Washington DC , Baltimore & Central Maryland
1992-1993 “Real Happiness Is Helping Others”
http://www.ketron.org
http://www.globalrevision.org
http://www.gosf.org
410.464.2788 [cell: 410.952.8933]
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