The Haiti Partnership Task Force is working on the issues of short-and long-term responses to Haiti's needs. 

Short-Term:

• Pray for Haiti (eg. Prayers of the People, create prayer cards, etc.)
• Hold prayer services dedicated to the Haitian people
• Begin fund-raising, especially if you can include a wide participation by the parish (ex. bake sales, special offerings, etc.)
• Donate generously to organizations such as Episcopal Relief and Development and the Society of St. Margaret. For more information, visit the Contacts & Links page
  
• Support first-responders (eg. medical personnel, trauma specialists, etc.) from the diocese who may be able to join a team working in Haiti in the short term such as Christ Church International Medical Team.
  

Long Term:

• The diocese will plan to lead several mission trips to Haiti for reconstruction, once volunteers can be accommodated
  
• We foresee a continuing need for medical and construction mission groups after the initial crisis has past, a time when much international attention fades, but inter-parish partnerships can be maintained or created.

Volunteering

The highest demand right now is medical support and supplies. If you have some kind of healthcare skills, have disaster training, and are prepared to travel to Haiti, here is some information that may help.

Contacts:

Doctors without Borders 212.679.6800  -- has an online volunteer form and probably won't accept anyone who lacks disaster experience and/or training.

Partners in Health 617.432.5256 -- is based out of Boston and has medical programs and facilities in Haiti (PiH has set up a temporary field hospital in Port-Au-Prince and all medical facilities are reporting a lack of sufficient staff and medical supplies).

Episcopal Relief & Development 800.334.7626, ext. 5129 -- has a disaster relief program and may have a channel for volunteers.

The Episcopal Church of Haiti  http://www.egliseepiscopaledhaiti.org and the local contact through the diocesan offices in Haiti is The Rev. Kesner Ajax at kesnerajax@yahoo.com . Though communication in Haiti is currently a challenge, Kesner has had some internet access.

Credentials

It's recommended that you carry a copy of any current valid medical credentials or licenses. You might plan to keep one in your bag and another physically on you. That's also the case with your passport. Be sure to keep a copy of your passport separate from your actual passport. (If your passport is lost or stolen, a copy will significantly expedite replacement.)

Self-Care

You'll be going in to difficult places and be exposed to increasing health risks. If you haven't been to a travel clinic recently, you should do so. Get things like malaria tablets. Unlike a typical mission-related trip, you'll want to remember to take supplies such as water treatment tablets which are usually available in stores like Eastern Mountain Sports and REI.

Packing

Plan to pack extremely light. You'lll probably be carrying your personal belongings much of the time. A good rule is for all of your personal items to fit in one carry-on. Keep in mind that you're in a disaster area, so keeping up appearances isn't really an issue. If you're a medical professional, you may want to restrict the majority of your wardrobe to scrubs. Scrubs are appropriate for just about any healthcare environment and provide an added advantage of identifying you as medical.

Take as many checked bags as you can handle and that are allowed, filled with all types of medical supplies (you might call the airline prior to departure to see if you can get luggage fees waived for humanitarian efforts). Think in terms of any kind of bandaging or wound cleansing materials, as well as any antibiotics, Benedryl, Ibuprofen, extra strength Ibuprofen, Vitamins, Children's Tylenol, basic personal items such as a toothbrushes, lotions, hand sanitizers, and so forth.

Provided by The Global Mission Partnership Task Force