Kris Allen, last year's American Idol winner, teamed up with the UN to pay a special visit to The Salvation Army in Port au Prince

Alexandria, VA – Courtesy of the United Nations, Kris Allen, the 2009 winner of American Idol, recently visited Haiti. The visit’s intention was to bring awareness to the work in Haiti as well as the continued need for support in the ongoing efforts to help those affected by the January 12 earthquake.
The Salvation Army camp in Port-Au-Prince was chosen as one of four locations for Kris to tour while on his whirlwind visit.

The camp is currently home to more than 4,000 Haitian families. Kris toured the camp, visited with staff, and played with children as well as communicated with camp residents through an interpreter.

The Salvation Army and our partner agency on the camp, Concern Worldwide, met with the most recent American Idol. Damaris Frick, Camp Manager from The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters and Major Cedric Hills, Incident Commander for Organization represented The Salvation Army and provided information to Kris as he toured the camp. He was also introduced to the Chair and Vice Chair of the Camp Committee. (The Camp Committee is formed of Haiti citizens who help provide leadership and act as liaisons for the camp residents).

During Kris’ visit, he met with Major Agnes Wahli who was busy with the registration process and issuing new ration cards as part of the new UPS Trackpad program. The Salvation Army is replacing handwritten paper index cards with high-tech barcode technology to ensure that families receive food, shelter and medical supplies in a highly efficient manner. UPS donated the technology and adapted it for disaster relief supply distribution. This technology will allow Salvation Army staff members to be able to confirm what goods each family receives by tracking the information embedded in a laminated card that bears unique barcodes associated with the family. Kris even helped with one of the registrations!

Kris’ visit ended after chatting with Concern Worldwide and visiting their mother and infant tent and singing Amazing Grace.   Last Thursday’s American Idol results show on Fox featured Kris’s visit as a fund-raiser for the Idol Gives Back charity.

Via Peter Iversen – Bloomington Salvation Army Corp

Lt. Jonathan Fitzgerald has eclipsed his half-way point in Haiti, and international generosity has been keeping him busy.

Spending most of the day ensuring supplies are shipped to the area of greatest need, Lt. Jonathan and his team of local Haitians, the U.N. and the United States military are the link between the cargo plane and the residents of tent cities. Arriving on enormous pallets, The Salvation Army ships meals, medical supplies, tents and other necessary items. From there, the supplies are trucked to multiple centers of aid throughout the country.

The largest center is in Port-au-Prince where The Salvation Army oversees the wellbeing of 20,000 Haitians living on the grounds of what used to be a soccer stadium. Lt. Jonathan spent some time walking through that tent city and what he saw was encouraging. People were smiling and going about their lives as best they could. As someone who has travelled throughout the country before, Lt. Jonathan notes that life is returning to a degree of normalcy. His presence in Haiti as a young officer who speaks the language and understands the culture makes recovery a more relational process and Haitians appreciate the work of The Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army has been in Haiti since 1950 and was able to immediately respond to the earthquake. That response is ongoing as the shipments, which Lt. Jonathan and his team oversee, are still arriving in large numbers because the need is still great.

The Salvation Army’s efforts to feed and care for these families in Haiti depends on your donations. Please consider sending a donation today by using the Haiti donation button located in the upper left-hand corner of our website, or by texting “Haiti” to 52000 and $10 will be added to your monthly bill.

The Salvation Army was chosen to set-up and run the distribution. Thanks to Roxanne Haley, Salvation Army Business Administrator, organizations who provide food to those in need arrived throughout the morning with vehicles of all kinds.

The City of New Albany provided volunteers from the Streets Department, Flood Control and Fire Departments to help make the transfers from the semi-trailer.   David Stemler of PC Building provided a forklift and driver that helped to make the work go quickly.

“It’s always exciting”, noted Major Stephen Kiger-corps officer in New Albany, “when generous donors combine with willing volunteers to reach out to so many people in our area.”

EDS Director Jerry Larsen is gets a hug from his daughter upon arriving at Indpls. International Airport on Sunday, February 14, 2010.

For four weeks Jerry Larsen and Capt. Geff Crowell lived and worked amongst a nation of desperate, hungry, injured and dead. They were part of an international team originally sent to Haiti on a two-week rotation to assist with logistics and food/water distribution. Those two weeks turned into four when it became apparent that their skills were urgently needed for that additional time. It meant being  separated from their spouses, children and grandchildren for longer than had been anticipated. “It was the longest we’ve ever been apart”, said Capt. Crowell. How timely then, that flight arrangements called for the men to return home to their families on Valentine’s Day!  When the men arrived this afternoon at Indpls. International Airport, they were met with flowers, a handmade banner and plenty of hugs and smiles.

While glad to be home and excited to see their loved ones, Capt. Crowell reflected, “There is still lots of work to be done.” Over two million meals have been distributed by The Salvation Army in Haiti, as well as 500,000 gallons of water, tents and other aid. “Having been in Haiti for 60 years and having a footprint there has allowed the Army to make a lot of progress post- earthquake” added Capt. Crowell. “It felt a lot calmer than when we arrived. The people are starting to get back to normal. They’re in survival mode.”

Both Capt. Crowell, and EDS Director Jerry Larsen have served in other worldwide disasters. In comparison to those previous experiences, Larsen says, “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s the worst I’ve ever seen. They’re going to be dealing with it for a long time.”

Exhausted from what was certainly an emotionally and physically draining time in Haiti, both men described their time with the people with obvious compassion. When asked about his assessment of the spirit of the people in Haiti, Larsen teared up as he stated, “The resilience of the people was amazing…just amazing.”

Local Disaster Service responders will continue to be deployed to Haiti during the recovery period. This week, Lt. Jonathon Fitzgerald from the Bloomington corps left for Port au Prince on a 30-day deployment. The Salvation Army continues to meet needs in Haiti not only with meals and water, but also by treating an average of 300 patients a day at their clinic, which is being staffed by an international team of doctors and nurses.  At the Salvation Army clinic, staff and volunteers were able to witness the first baby being born after the earthquake, and most recently provided the initial treatment for the man who survived 28 days buried in the rubble.

A comprehensive collection of photos of  The Salvation Army’s relief efforts in Haiti can be viewed at http://www.flickr.com/photos/salvationarmyindiana/. For further information on The Salvation Army’s work in Haiti visit salvationarmyusa.org.

Update 2/06/10 Source: Captain Tawny Cowen-Zanders, SAWSO Haiti Incident Command Team, Public Information Officer

The Salvation Army continues to be a beacon of hope for individuals and families whose lives were devastated by the earthquake. While the Haiti Relief Team maintains support and provides assistance for 20,000 individuals in an area adjacent to their compound in Port-au-Prince, they have reached out to other areas of the country – diligently meeting needs at the point of need at the time of need. There has been a steady, marked improvement in the overall situation in the four weeks since the earthquake. Our own operation has been refined with improved local logistics, communication, accommodation. In addition, better coordination of air traffic means transportation for freight is improved, as well. Relief ministries include the following:
· The Salvation Army Relief Team has established service compounds in three communities – Port-au-Prince, Petit Goave (Satellite), and Jacmel (Satellite). In addition, services are provided to the communities of Croix-des-Bouquets (6 mi east of PAP) and Balan (18 mi east of PAP).
· After being alerted by personnel from the Canadian Military, The Army’s Jacmel Assessment Team investigated Decouze, which is a rural site between Port-au-Prince and Jacmel. The team discovered 500 families who had been completely without outside help since the earthquake. The community was clearly in shock but grateful that, finally, “someone from a foreign land had noticed their plight.” A determination of future service will be made in the coming days.
· The Salvation Army is being recognized internationally as an expert in effectively and efficiently handling this crisis. WORLD Magazine published an article on February 2nd highlighting this phenomenon. Excerpts include the following: “The UN estimates that as many as 1 million people are homeless, and UN emergency coordinator John Holmes acknowledged that aid delivery remains painfully slow. But in other parts of town, private aid groups are quietly getting work done…[The Army distributed] an estimated 552,000 meals [in] less than four hours…While the UN grapples with the maddening conditions of delivering aid in Haiti, groups like The Salvation Army are proving a point: Some of the best aid is coming from the groups with long standing connections on the ground…Despite the damage, within days Salvation Army staffers formed a plan to be the lead group providing care for a crowd nearing 20,000 people near their compound. At a UN meeting last Monday, The Salvation Army was one of just five non-governmental organizations with a concrete plan for managing a camp.”

· In order to increase efficiency, a UPS Trackpad Project is being developed. The Trackpads, provided by UPS, are laptop/handheld scanner/laminated ID cards with barcodes, which will monitor which families receive food at the Point-au-Prince distribution point. This project is expected to begin within the coming weeks.
· The Salvation Army distributed food, blankets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, and hygiene kits to 600 families from the Jacmel compound.
· In collaboration with World Concern, The Salvation Army distributed hygiene kits at the Port-au-Prince distribution point.
· Well over 200 people being treated each day.

THE SALVATION ARMY PRESENCE IN HAITI (PRE-EMERGENCY)
The Salvation Army has been officially working in Haiti since 1950. Our present assets in the country include:
· 63 Commissioned Salvation Army Officers
· 161 Employees
· 39 Corps and 23 Outposts (Worship and Community Centers)
· 5 Social Institutions (Clinics, Children’s Homes)
· 46 Schools with 443 Teachers

INITIAL EMERGENCY PRIORITIES
The Salvation Army’s initial Emergency Assessment has confirmed the following priorities, in order of immediate importance:
1. Water – Safe drinking water
2. Nutrition – Food
3. Medical Assistance – Medical supplies and treatment
4. Shelter
5. Trauma, grief, and spiritual counseling

SHORT TERM RECOVERY
Once the initial needs have been met, the next step will be to provide sustainable solutions to make necessities available to the affect population:
· Repair/reestablish local water sources
· Provide water filtration capacity
· Provide assistance to local population to rebuild permanent, more earthquake resistant housing
· Develop strategic plans for long term Salvation Army Program and Facility Reconstruction

INTO THE FUTURE
The Salvation Army was active in Haiti before the earthquake. We will rebuild our damaged faculties, while continuing our already well established programs. We are committed to standing by the Haitian people as they move into the future.
· Medical clinics
· Education
· Long Term Relief and Reconstruction
· Community Development Projects / Income generation / Child Nutrition / HIV/AIDS
· Advocacy

Haiti Disaster Statistics as of February 6, 2010
FOOD TOTAL
Numama Rice delivered 2,041,400 meals
MEALS Ready Eat delivered 6,900 meals
Bottled Water 20oz delivered 23,328 servings
Jugs of Water delivered 6,720 gallons
Water Filtration Systems 30,000 gallons/day
Total Water Supplied 500,000 gallons
SHELTER
8×8 Tents delivered 2,900 tents
Cots delivered 480 cots
MEDICAL
Patients Served 16,110 individuals
MASH Tent delivered 1 tent
Medical Supplies delivered 8,710 lbs
Hygiene Kits delivered 1,500 kits
MISC
Rubbermaid Coolers delivered 480 coolers
Duffel Bags delivered 310 bags
Canvas Tote Bags delivered 10,000 bags
SHIPMENTS
Cargo Flights 10 flights
Cargo Items 556,000 lbs

Monetary donations and prayer are the two most critical needs as supplies and personnel are mobilized
· The Salvation Army had raised more than $9 million for relief efforts.
· Donors can text the word HAITI to 52000 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army’s relief efforts via their phone bill. It is important for donors to confirm their donation with the word, “yes.”
· Monetary donations can also be made through:
· www.salvationarmyusa.org and via PayPal
· 1-800-SAL-ARMY
· The Salvation Army World Service Office
International Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 630728
Baltimore, MD 21263-0728
*Please note that your donation is for Haiti Earthquake relief*
· Even before donations are processed, The Salvation Army is committing and spending money on relief efforts in Haiti. Donations are critical now and also help ensure that the long-term needs of the Haitian people are met.