Donation Drive for Haitian Orphans – This Sunday January 22nd
Restonians,
We need your help! Two years ago the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti, was hit by a massive 7.0 earthquake that decimated much of Port-au-Prince and outlying areas. The rebuilding has been slow and Haitians continue to suffer. How can you help?. Each one of us can do our part to make a difference to one small Haitian community. Please help us collect and deliver children’s goods to Abricots, Haiti to mark the 2nd anniversary of Haiti’s devastating earthquake. We are counting on our Reston donation drive to be the biggest yet and need your help in spreading the word and donating:
Sunday, January 22nd: US Tennis Association / Mid-Atlantic Office - 11410 Isaac Newton Square North, Suite 270, Reston, VA 20190 – 10am to 3pm.
Did you know that as a result of the earthquake two years ago, the orphan population of Haiti is estimated to have more than doubled from a previous 360,000? Please join us in making a difference in one small community in Haiti, Abricots, by donating goods to the children of this village.
Here’s what we are collecting for ages 0 to 18 years:
Basic needs: shoes, underwear, rain gear, school bags, lunchboxes, dress and everyday clothes (no winter), toiletries, and toys
Educational needs: musical instruments, board games, school and craft supplies, early reader and comic books, teacher’s edition books, and translation dictionaries in English to French / Spanish to French.
Sporting equipment: soccer and basketballs, goal nets and basketball hoop rings, sporting gear for these games like jerseys, shoes and socks. Camping gear including backpacks, tents, sleeping bags, and equipment.
Uniforms: 11-15 matching used khaki and navy and light blue uniforms for newly established girl and boy scout troops in Abricots.
We are looking for 11 – 15 matching boys’ basketball and soccer jerseys in sizes medium and large and 11 -15 matching girls’ soccer and basketball uniforms in sizes small and medium.
Abricots is a small fishing village located in the Grand d’Anse region of Haiti. Access to this part of the country is difficult, especially during the rainy season. Roads to the surrounding villages are in some cases non-existent. Many thousands of Abricots’ residents are part of the post-earthquake mass exodus out of Port-au-Prince. Included in this number are several hundred orphans that have been transplanted to this region. The four local orphanages are filled beyond capacity, and local families have reached out to host the remaining children in their homes. Grant money from the city council and aid organizations has run out, and many of these children do not have the most basic of supplies.
Visit us at http://www.destinationabricots.com/ for more information.
By: Lisa McCabe Hobbs