If philanthropy’s mission is to serve the common good, this is indeed one of those moments.
As daily news reports illustrate the devastation and desperation in Haiti from the January 12th earthquake, we should do our part to support the immediate rescue and relief aspects of the disaster. The most urgent need is financial – to support those organizations that are equipped to provide immediate disaster relief and medical care. There are many international aid agencies working hard to provide this care. Across the nation, Community foundations are also responding to the recent disaster in Haiti, giving their donors recommended options for contributions.

NCCF shares our community’s deep concern for the people of Haiti. We encourage you to donate to those organizations that have experience in disaster relief and an established presence in Haiti.

At NCCF we would like you to Think Globally, and Give Locally. With that in mind, we are recommending supporting the rescue and relief efforts in Haiti by donating to AmeriCares.

AmeriCares, founded in New Canaan and now based in Stamford, is a nonprofit international disaster relief and humanitarian aid organization, which delivers medicines, medical supplies and aid to people in crisis around the world. Since it was established in 1982, AmeriCares has distributed more than $9 billion in humanitarian aid to 137 countries. AmeriCares has been working in Haiti since 1984, and since that time has delivered over $145 million in aid to the country.

On January 17th, AmeriCares first emergency airlift carrying over $6 million worth of critically needed medical aid for Haiti earthquake survivors arrived in Port-au-Prince.
The airlift included antibiotics that fight infections and pain medicines for survivors with broken bones, as well as other critically needed relief supplies. The AmeriCares emergency response team in Haiti is working to quickly distribute the medicines and supplies to hospitals and health clinics treating the injured.

For more information about AmeriCares and their work in Haiti or to donate to the relief work, please visit their web site at www.americares.org.