When a massive earthquake devastated this impoverished island nation on Jan. 12, demolishing the capital and leaving an estimated 200,000 dead and over 1.2 million homeless, support began rushing into Haiti as the entire world looked on.
In Clark County, 3,400 miles away from the disaster, a number of local businesses and organizations have stepped up to funnel aid to Haiti, collecting money from a wide array of sources – clubs, churches, shoe stores and even the First Family.
Helping to lead the way were several Clark County chapters of Rotary International, a nonpartisan, nonsectarian and secular organization focused on philanthropic activities.
According to Sue Coates, president of the Lewis River Rotary Club in Battle Ground, each club picks its own projects for domestic and international causes. Shortly after the catastrophic Haiti earthquake and before she was even aware of the scope of the disaster, Coates said she was approached by retired businessman and Rotarian Glenn Waller with $1,000 for the ShelterBox program.
"It was evident on the news that Haiti was the worst disaster in decades with people in dire need of everything – water, food, shelter, medical aid, sanitation, you name it," Coates said.
Invented by a Rotary club member in 2000, ShelterBoxes are pre-made, pre-stocked boxes packed with tents which can house and provide for 10 people. They have been used to provide relief to refugees in several other natural and man-made disasters, including the deadly 2008 earthquake in Pakistan, the 2005 Indian Ocean tsunami and post-invasion Iraq.
According to Coates, Lewis River ended up raising $2,381 at their Jan. 20 meeting, with $3,381 total raised as of early this week.
Afterwards, Coates made a friendly challenge to Vancouver Rotary Club. "I went to [Vancouver Rotary president] Keith Upkes and said, ‘Think you can beat that?'" she said.
The gauntlet was picked up by the Vancouver Rotarians, who collectively raised $9,271 – including two $1,000 donations from Dean and Roxanna Sutherland and Corwin Beverage – to add to the ShelterBox coffers. According to Brad Erikson, president of the Greater Clark County Rotary, his group also pitched in $3,320 for the program.
As of press time, five Rotary Clubs in Clark County reported over $17,000 in donations for Haiti.
Erikson estimates the number of ShelterBoxes, which cost approximately $1,000 each, shipped overseas by various Rotary Clubs in the U.S. and Canada to be close to 500.
Along with Vancouver retailer When The Shoe Fits, Coates took up yet another giving initiative, this time gathering shoes for the people of Haiti through a Nashville, Tenn.-based charity, Souls4Soles.
According to When the Shoe Fits founder Alan O'Hara, the store began its push for donations shortly after the earthquake struck by sending a few emails to customers. "The response was amazing," he said.
In just over three weeks, the store received 8,000 pairs of shoes, compared with 1,200 pairs donated all of last year, O'Hara said.
Local businesses and organizations aren't the only one rushing to Haiti's relief. For over 30 years, Vancouver residents Joe and Linda Markee have provided free medical care for the people of Haiti during their frequent trips to the island country.
Founded by the Markees in 2005, the Haiti Foundation of Hope eventually helped build a free medical clinic in the city of Terre Blanche, according to Larry Moore, the couple's son-in-law and chairman of the foundation.
In the years since, the organization has attracted a growing base of support, including a surprise gift from another, extremely influential couple. Shortly after the 2008 Presidential election, the faith-based Haiti Foundation received a $2,000 check from then President-elect Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, to further their efforts.
"It took a lot of verification to cash that check," Moore said.
Buoyed by nearly $70,000 raised by Clark County families, businesses and places of worship, along with another $2,000 from the President and First Lady, the Markees again set off for Haiti three days after the earthquake. According to Moore, the Foundation's medical clinic was far enough away from the epicenter near the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, to have received relatively little damage.
However, that facility is now at the receiving end of a seemingly unending line of wounded Haitians fleeing the capital.
Moore spoke to Linda Markee earlier this week regarding the scene in Haiti.
"She said the scope is incomprehensible. Just chaos everywhere, government buildings wrecked, carbon copies of people's papers blowing around wreckage, all the records, history destroyed," Moore said. "She said it's like Armageddon."
How to give:
For instructions on donating to the Rotary International,
visit www.rotary.org.
A one time $5 donation can be made by texting Rotary to 90999.
Gently worn or unwanted shoes can be dropped off at both When the Shoe Fits locations, located at
819 S.E. 160th Ave. in
Fisher's Landing and
13305 N.E. Hwy. 99 in Salmon Creek.
Donation forms for the Haiti Foundation of Hope can be found at www.haitfoundationofhope.org.
