The Haiti Earthquake: How You Can Help

(image from Startribune.com)

You have probably heard about the devastating earthquake hit Haiti yesterday. We’re slowly getting news, but it’s clear that this disaster is even worse than the hurricanes that hit the country in 2008. It is estimated that up to 3 million people are now in need of emergency relief.

Kids Against Hunger and its satellites are mobilizing whatever they can to help out. Here is what the South Minneapolis and Bloomington sites are doing and how you can help:

• Donations are urgently needed for us to be able to buy and ship more food down there. Between our two satellites the goal for 2010 is to package 1.5 million meals. This will provide meals for 4,100 kids for a year, which would mean 91% of the students currently in the schools we support would get a meal every day. The total cost to purchase, pack, and ship these meals is $345,000. Can you please help?
• The organizations we work with also need your support during this crisis. Please consider supporting Lifeline Haiti (which runs the schools) and Joy in Hope (which runs the orphanages).
• We are working to add extra packing sessions to our schedule so more volunteers can come and pack food. Stay tuned for the dates and times of the extra sessions.
• The Bloomington satellite is holding their first 250,000 Meals Packathon on February 20 and 27. This event was planned before the earthquake, but the need for volunteers is much more urgent now.

We appreciate the work and support that all our volunteers give. Thank you for making a difference in this time of enormous need.