Yesterday marked one year since the devastating earthquake in Haiti. It was an anniversary that seems to have passed almost unnoticed. A local radio station here in Portland did a radiothon yesterday, which is the only reason I became aware of the anniversary. The sad thing is that, a year later, it appears that there’s been progress in Haiti, but not nearly anything close to the crushing needs that still exist a year and a day later.
While listening to the radiothon yesterday, I heard something that put things into perspective for me. Port-au-Prince, Haiti is similar in size to Portland. Yet there are still 800,000 homeless people in Port-au-Prince. To get some perspective on that number, imagine that virtually every public space- PGE Park, Memorial Coliseum, the Rose Garden, Waterfront Park, St. John’s Park, Washington Park…and more was filled with the homeless. There would STILL be a vast shortage of space, never mind the accompanying shortage of basic services and infrastructure…this a full YEAR after the earthquake. The need is overwhelming…and it will continue to be overwhelming for the foreseeable future. There are many organizations doing good work in Haiti, work that’s deserving of support. The following list is a merely a start; it’s not intended to be exhaustive, but these groups are definitely deserving of support. I will be throwing a few dollars at one of these groups…and I hope that you’ll join me.
