Haiti Earthquake Relief Overview

News From OEM/NYC

Office of Emergency Management/New York

To help with the disaster relief efforts, aLanguageBank has launched GiveWord, a new initiative that seeks to provide free professional language services to efforts related to charitable and non-profit organizations working on disaster relief. For more information about receiving or providing language services, please contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit: http://www.alanguagebank.com <http://www.alanguagebank.com/>   *

NYC USAR Team is still active and operating in Haiti.  Since arriving on Saturday, the team has rescued six people from collapsed buildings. Check out the video footage at the New York Times online <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/19/world/americas/19rescue.html?scp=1&sq =Urban%20Search%20and%20Rescue&st=cse> .  The most up-to-date information about the NYC USAR team can be found on the OEM website <http://www.nyc.gov/oem> .

The NY Times ran an interesting article on the Haitian community in NYC:http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/01/15/nyregion/Haitidiaspora.html ? Immigration/Adoption:

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Office of Public Engagement will be facilitating two stakeholder sessions on January 21, to address issues related to the response of USCIS to the situation in Haiti. Further details can be found in the attached invitation.

The first session will take place at 11am EST and will focus on the topic of Haitian adoptions policy.  The second session will take place at 2pm EST and will cover filing instructions for both the TPS form and employment authorization form and guidance on fee waivers.

The New York City Immigrant Advocacy Initiative Invites the Haitian community to a free TPS clinic.  Lawyers will provide free, confidential assistance preparing applications for Temporary Protected Status (TPS). Thursday, January 28, 2010 from 5:30 - 8:00 pm at New York City Bar Association 42 W. 44th Street New York, NY 10036   *

Catholic Charities Immigration Hotline has been trained to assist individuals with immigration issues around this disaster and speak Creole and French.  Please call 212-419-3737 or 800-566-7636 to receive assistance. For information on immigration issues associated with the Haiti earthquake disaster, see the US Customs and Immigration Services (US CIS) webpage:  http://www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis.

The Office of Temporary and Disability Office has set up a toll-free phone number to address immigration related issues and concerns: 1-800-566-7636.  Additional information can be found at: http://www.otda.state.ny.us/main/bria/immigrationhotline.htm.  Temporary Protected Status is being granted for those of Haitian descent that were not citizens as of January 12, 2010.  This designation will allow eligible Haitian nationals in the United States to continue living and working the country for the next 18 months.

CUNY Citizenship and Immigration Project is offering tips on getting help with Haitian Temporary Protection Status at: http://web.cuny.edu/about/citizenship/HaitianTPS.html

Counseling/Community Mental Health: NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH):   * Tip sheets regarding coping with disaster are available on the following web page: http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/mhdpr/mhdpr-fact.shtml * Links to information from the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. These guides are specific to caregivers and school personnel and provide good information on children's reactions to traumatic events:           * http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/Earthquake_Caregiver_071008_Forma tted.pdf          * http://www.nctsn.org/nctsn_assets/pdfs/Earthquake_School_Personnel_07100 8_Formatted.pdf

American Red Cross in Greater New York: * ARC/GNY working with Haitian community pastors, DCS, and NYDIS to support a resource center at the First Haitian Church of the Brethren on Flatbush Avenue.  *ARC/GNY is working with DOE regarding crisis-counseling teams in the NYC School system, with additional teams scheduled for this week.  Diversity Preparedness at Drexel University:

National Resource Center has highlighted a number of resources that may be useful and can be found on its homepage: http://www.diversitypreparedness.org/.  These resources include translated material, toolkits, online training, and guides.

Disaster Chaplaincy Services (DCS): * DCS volunteer chaplains have been providing support to the Haitian community at the request of the American Red Cross in Greater New York. DCS chaplains were at four public schools in Brooklyn providing crisis interventions and support to the affected students and staff.

Working with ARC and other NYDIS member agencies to set up a community support center at the Haitian Church of the Brethren in East Flatbush to offer:Emotional and spiritual care for families with deceased or missing relatives in Haiti.Additional assistance/computer for families to register missing relatives online. Limited legal aid or caseworkers to help families trying to secure TPS or get dependent orphaned children in Haiti to the U.S. Creole speaking volunteers.

NYDIS is offering full scholarships for Haitian religious leaders and spiritual care providers from Haitian houses of worship to cover the registration fee of $195 for the NDIN Disaster Chaplain training course scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday, January 26 and 27, at 4 West 43rd Street in Manhattan.  To register please click here <http://www.n-din.org/ndin_trainings/t4t_ESC1-1.php> .

The Klaxon:   *The Klaxon has mental health resources for coping with traumatic events in both English at:  Podcast: Coping with traumatic world events <http://theklaxon.com/coping-with-traumatic-events/4247>

World Cares Center: *Will be offering group counseling led by psychologist Dr. Serena Deutsch.  Times will be determined soon.  Contacting Haiti:  International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:

The ICRC Family Links Website is aimed at enabling persons in Haiti and abroad to register the names of relatives with whom they are striving to restore contact. It will progressively incorporate information offering responses to those queries. Persons seeking news from their loved ones can therefore register the name of the sought persons directly on the site at:  http://www.icrc.org/familylinks.

NY State Online Registry of New York Citizens in Haiti:  * To access the online registry, go to the Governor's website, www.ny.gov/governor/ and click on the New York State Registry of New York Citizens in Haiti.  *        For those who do not have access to the web, the Governor has established a hotline - 1-888-769-7243 - staffed at the Department of Taxation and Finance. which The hotline will operate from 9 AM to 9 PM weekdays and from 9 AM to 5 PM on weekends and holidays.

US Embassy: Contacting Haitian Disaster Victims:   * Callers seeking information about U.S. family members in Haiti can contact the U.S. Department of State at 1-888-407-4747.   The U.S. Embassy in Haiti is still in the early stages of contacting American Citizens. Haitian nationals can contact the Haitian Consulate in New York at 212-697-9767 for information. Due to heavy call volume to both numbers, some callers may receive a recording or busy signal. Communications are very difficult within Haiti at this time.

Donations:  NYC Employees: *Employees of the City of New York can set aside part of their paychecks to directly aid the Haitian disaster relief efforts.  These tax-deductible deductions will run for two months spread over four pay periods. Click here to donate <http://www.nyc.gov/html/misc/html/2010/haiti_relief.html> .

NYC Office of Emergency Management:   *Cash Donations are Best for Haiti Earthquake Relief: OEM encourages anyone wishing to contribute to relief efforts for the recent earthquake in Haiti to give cash.  * Cash donations allow relief agencies to purchase goods that meet victims' needs and help support the local economy. You can make donations through the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, which will be directing contributions to organizations working in the affected areas: Learn more about the Mayor's Fund <http://nyc.gov/html/fund/html/home/home.shtml>

Catholic Charities Brooklyn and Queens:  . Online donations for Haitian Relief can be made at: www.ccbq.org <http://www.ccbq.org/> .Checks can be made payable to Catholic Charities (Haiti Relief in the memo line) and mailed to Catholic Charities, Office of Development & Communications, 191 Joralemon Street, 12th Floor, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Donations received will be sent to Catholic Relief Services, Catholic Charities' sister agency for international relief.      Catholic Relief Services:    *  Catholic Relief Services has been on the ground in Haiti for years and has already committed $5M to Haiti with more to come as current donations come in.   *        To donate visit: http://donate.crs.org/site/PageServer?pagename=mg_emergency.

Disaster Chaplaincy Services (DCS): * DCS is working locally in NYC to provide spiritual care and listen, companion, and support all those in the Haitian community affected by this heartbreaking earthquake.  To donate visit: here <http://www.nycharities.org/donate/c_donate.asp?CharityCode=1737>

Dwa Fanm:  * Dwa Fanm has activated an emergency response through its connection with the Brooklyn Tabernacle.      * To give financial support, donate to www.dwafanm.org <http://www.dwafanm.org/> or www.brooklyntabernacle.org <http://www.brooklyntabernacle.org/> .

Islamic Relief USA *Islamic Relief USA (http://www.islamicreliefusa.org/emergencies/haiti-earthquake) has raised it to $2.5 million in the wake of the tragedy and is preparing a shipment of much-needed supplies.

Jewish Community Relations Council:  Is collecting and disseminating info at: http://jcrcsecurity.blogspot.com/.  *  Jewish Agency Response: http://jcrcsecurity.blogspot.com/2010/01/relief-for-haiti-earthquake-vic tims.html.

New York Times has published a list of organizations receiving donations at: http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/13/haiti-disaster-relief-how-to -contribute/.      United Sikhs:   * The Sikh Aid team is distributing emergency survival kits including food, water, and blankets. The team will also be providing emergency health services to the injured.  *        A United Sikhs shipment carrying imperishable food, water, cloths and medicines will be arriving to Haiti next week by sea from Miami.  * United Sikhs are assisting with food at the center on Flatbush Avenue in NYC.  *For more information or to donate please visit: http://unitedsikhs.org/haitiearthquake/.

World Vision: World Vision has been very active in Haiti for years and continues to provide necessary items such as food and clear water. To support these efforts, visit: http://www.worldvision.org/.