From Mark_Johnson at shepherd.org Wed Jan 20 09:38:20 2010 From: Mark_Johnson at shepherd.org (Mark_Johnson at shepherd.org) Date: Wed, 20 Jan 2010 09:38:20 -0500 Subject: [LGT-National] Haiti, disability specific relief efforts Message-ID: Web Site: http://www.portlight.org/ Blog: http://www.wunderground.com/blog/Portlight/comment.html?entrynum=29#commenttop Announcement: http://communities.kintera.org/REEVE/blogs/daily_dose/archive/2010/01/15/69062.aspx Update from Portlight Strategies, Inc. Our efforts to date include: -Secured ground, air, and sea freight for transportation of relief supplies. -Securing a truck which will be delivered by weeks? end to facilitate delivery of goods. -Creation of a sustainable distribution protocol which will serve to create a local network. -Shipment of a container of durable medical equipment into Haiti through the Dominican Republic. These goods are in the hands of clinic and shelter personnel and being used. -Formulating ongoing strategic shipments of relief goods. -We are encouraging individuals, groups and companies to ship durable medical equipment (wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, splints and braces especially), as well as clinical supplies (wound care goods especially) to: Portlight Strategies, Inc. 4900 Lewis Road, Stone Mountain, GA 30083. -Transportation of two water filtration systems capable of providing the needs of 3500 people per day. These systems will be placed strategically to serve the needs of people with disabilities. -Provided on scene financial assistance to our partners on Hispaniola. -Are placing a local coordinator on scene in Haiti. Our on scene coordinator, Richard Lamarque, will be leaving for Haiti in a few days. He is from there, is well connected there, and has a skill set and life experiences which will be invaluable to our work there. -Secured a satellite phone for use by our coordinator. -Identified several disability related and other organizations in Haiti with which we can work to most effectively serve needs. These include the Lambi Fund of Haiti, several Catholic agencies, and other organizations providing hands on service to people with disabilities there. -Established a blog @ http://www.wunderground.com/blog/Portlight/comment.html?entrynum=29#commenttop to facilitate communication with our supporters and workers. Please visit our blog frequently. It's also a good place to leave questions or ideas. -Secured funding from our support network to ensure the success of our efforts. Our most pressing need moving forward is for funds to facilitate transportation and delivery of relief supplies. Even with discounted freight rates, we still have transportation expenses. We are the only NGO focusing specifically on the needs of people with disabilities. Our Haiti coordinator, Richard Lamarque, will also need funds for unforeseen expenses on site. Because people with disabilities have traditionally been so segregated from Haitian society, he is going to have to spend some time and energy finding them in order to strategically assist them. Portlight Strategies, Inc., has years of experience in serving the post disaster needs of people with disabilities. We have worked on scene in Indonesia after the tsunami, Iraq after the invasion, New Orleans after hurricane Katrina, and Texas after hurricane Ike. Culturally, people with disabilities are stigmatized severely in Haiti. And, frankly, their numbers have swelled since the earthquake. Paul Timmons is coordinating all stateside activity for Portlight. He can be reached at (843) 817-2651 or at presslord at aol.com. Our most urgent needs are: 1.) Medical equipment and clinical supplies shipped to our Stone Mountain warehouse. 2.) Funds to support our work. Contributions can be made through the PayPal button @: http://www.portlight.org or checks can be mailed to : Portlight Strategies, Inc. 2043 Maybank Hwy. Charleston, SC, 29412 Please contribute...but also please forward news of our work far and wide. E-mails, tweets, facebook status updates, blog posts are invaluable. Also, please consider organizing some sort of fund-raiser. Even a simple yard sale can have a huge impact. Also, please help connect us with other groups with whom can work. ------------------------------------------ This message and accompanying documents are covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, and contain information intended for the specified individual(s) only. This information is Confidential, Protected by the Ga Peer Review Code and may be privileged. 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