Haiti Relief

(AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Montreal La Presse, Ivanoh Demers)

(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

It's with a heavy heart that I write this. I have been completely overwhelmed by the devastation in Haiti. I'm sitting here, staring at the images, reading the stories, desperately clinging to every new bit of information.

These are not times to shake our heads and say that's a shame. Not moments to insulate ourselves from the hurt, the pain, the tears. This is a time for action.

GSM is not currently active on the ground in Haiti. Our focus has been east Africa up to this point. While I wish for nothing more than to actually BE in Haiti right now doing whatever I can, at this moment it is not realistic, nor do we personally have the relationships with locals.

There is a group that is working on the ground with locals in Jacmel that we know, love and trust. They are not disimilar to GSM in that 100% of the money raised goes directly to work on the ground. They are Conduit Mission. Here is an overview and update from Conduit's Vice President, Jeremy Hezlep:

"Conduit Mission has been onsite in Jacmel, Haiti for the last few years. They launched a feeding and sponsorship program that has been very successful in reaching the Haitian people of Jacmel. Conduit Mission is currently communicating with people they have onsite about the relief efforts and the needs of Jacmel. All contact and communication between Jacmel and Port Au Prince has been disconnected. The roads are destroyed so there has been no aid or relief so far to Jacmel. Conduit Mission has been in communication with Mark Stuart lead singer of Audio Adrenaline and founder of the Hands and Feet project. He and his wife are actually currently in Jacmel and working hard. Mark has informed us that the situation in Jacmel is getting very serious. The people are getting very restless and the situation could turn violent any moment. Conduit Mission is working very hard to get support to Jacmel. Please consider donating to www.conduitmission.org where 100% of the money will go to their relief effort in Haiti."

I would ask that you visit their site and consider giving to relief efforts in Jacmel. Here is an email from Mark Stuart, in response to a question about getting a ship with relief docked in Jacmel:

"yes. I met with the mayor tonight. The port can be used, cruise ships can come in there. We need help bad here is the city. What kind of supplies are on the boat? How fast can they get here? We are starting to feel people get frustrated and scared and that usually predicates looting and riots as you know. Also…we are donating money to the city of jacmel. The mayor said we were the only ones that have helped at all. Its crazy…I told him we could give 10k tomorrow and he almost cried. He is doing everything himself on his credit card. The mayor has the infrastructure and connections to get major things done if we can help rent equipment and buy food/supplies . But the city has no money. There are big machines here just sitting because the money is gone. If your organization can raise money for jacmel we can get it to best people to help the most pressing needs. There are dead bodies in the rubble and maybe one small front loader doing everything. Sad. - Mark "

You, the Global Support community has been incredibly generous with Know.Think.Act. and I cannot thank you enough for it. Now, at this moment, I would ask you to turn your attention to Haiti and consider what action you are to take. We all can give something. Whether it be $1 or $1,000. A nation long stricken with economic woes and poor leadership now needs the global community to rally around it and birth hope into a people that have gone without for what amounts to almost the entirety of the country's existence. If we link arms and love these people unconditionally, I am convinced that we can and will see an incredible good come out of devastating tragedy.

Compassion = Action,

Jeremy Stanley

U.S. Programs Director