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01.26.2010 Latino community collects $40,000 for Haiti relief

On Jan. 12, a series of earthquakes with magnitude 6.5 to 7.3 struck Haiti in the highly populated area of Department Ouest, 10 miles from Port-au-Prince.

Here in Charlotte, the American Red Cross has seen an outpouring of support from community organizations and individuals.

On Sunday, the Latino community came together with Compare Foods, Jesus Ministry Inc., Norsan Radio Group and Alex Ruiz Productions to collect funds during a radio-thon at the Compare Foods Supermarkets in Charlotte, Monroe and Gastonia. The events raised more than $40,000, all of which will go toward helping the people in Haiti.
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How the money for Haiti relief is being used:


  • More than 400 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers from 30 countries are in Haiti supporting thousands of local volunteers. Of that, more than 100 represent the American Red Cross
  • 50 percent of what has been committed or spent is being used to deliver food and water. 
  • Shelter remains an urgent need. Together with relief partners like the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the Red Cross is helping meet temporary shelter needs, and is working to provide support for host families sheltering the displaced. At the same time, we are developing a strategy to meet long-term housing reconstruction needs.
  • While we still need to reach many more people, in two days (Wednesday and Thursday), the American Red Cross and our partners on the ground were able to provide 1,900 families (9,500 people) with basic supplies like tarps, hygiene kits, water purification tablets and blankets.
  • So far, more than 100 tons of Red Cross aid has arrived in Haiti. Planes and trucks carrying Red Cross humanitarian assistance are arriving in the region every day.
  • The American Red Cross is also coordinating shipments of blood and blood products to Haiti at the request of the Pan American Health Organization.
  • A total of 19 Red Cross Emergency Response Units (ERUs) have been activated for the response, of which eleven have arrived and are operational, delivering medical care, clean water, logistics and telecommunications support.

How you can help
For an international response, a monetary gift is the best way to help those in need. Certain in-kind donations may not be appropriate for cultural, political, economic or administrative reasons. You can donate money by:

  • Sending a check to the American Red Cross, P.O. Box 37243, Washington, D.C. 20013
  • Calling 1-800-REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish)
  • Going online to http://www.redcross.org

    The Red Cross is also receiving money through a third party mobile fundraising effort in which mobile donors can text “Haiti” to 90999 to send a $10 donation to the Red Cross.  The funds will go to support the Red Cross relief efforts in Haiti.