I received the following message from a student concerning a campus drive to support relief efforts in Haiti on Monday, November 7.
Dear Faculty, Staff, and Students,
The Haitian Student Collective (HSC) is holding an electronic drive this Monday, November 7th, as part of an immediate contribution to the relief efforts for those recently affected by Hurricane Matthew. On top of the numerous lives taken, the hurricane caused severe physical damages as properties/personal belongings of many got destroyed.
Many groups and organizations are helping out with the distribution of water, food, and health supplies so response to some of urgent needs of people has been going well. However, assistance in other areas also heavily affected by the Hurricane is practically non-existent.
Professor Elizabeth McAlister, who’s maintained close ties to Haiti for a very long time, informed members of the HSC about the urgent needs for electronics, especially in the academic community. She is traveling to Haiti on November 9th for a conference and offered to carry the electronic devices that we collect during the drive. They will be distributed at a university in Haiti and make their way to many individuals in need of a new device.
The electronic drive will happen from 11am until 5pm in Usdan and we will be having bins to collect smartphones, tablets, and laptops in good working-condition.
Thus, throughout the week you can gather your devices and then on Friday stop by our table to drop off your items. The devices need to have their charger. You will receive a couple of reminders later this week so that we have a successful turn-out! We’re also asking you to spread the word to as many people as possible who might be interested.
We hope that you will participate in our efforts to ensure that Haitians continue to have access to resources essential to their livelihood. We sincerely appreciate your solidarity during these tough times and thank you in advance for your donations.
Kind regards,
The Haitian Student Collective (HSC)