Darlene Love, The Bacon Brothers, Patty Smyth and Others to Perform
WHAT: A group of celebrated actors and musicians from New York City will be playing for a cause this Thursday night as The Canal Room hosts “Hope for Haiti,” an evening benefit to support Save the Children’s Haiti Relief Fund.
General admission tickets are $20; a four-hour top shelf open bar will also be available to V.I.P. attendees at a cost of $150. This is a 21 and over event.
To purchase tickets, please visit www.canalroom.com
WHO: * Darlene Love * The Bacon Brothers * Patty Smyth * Pete Francis (of Dispatch) * Tabitha Fair * The Bev Leslies
* And other special guests in association with Save the Children and The Canal Room
WHEN: 7:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., Thursday, February 4, 2010 (Doors open at 7:00 p.m.)
WHERE: The Canal Room, 285 West Broadway at Canal Street, New York City, NY 10013
On February 7th, 2010 (Super Bowl Sunday) World Famous Pepe’s Pizza will donate 15% of that days’ sales to The American Red Cross for the Haiti Relief and Development to help people affected by the earthquake in Haiti.
On January 12, a series of earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 6.5 to 7.3 devastated Haiti. The American Red Cross is working with its partners in the Global Red Cross and Red Crescent network, including the Haitian Red Cross, and other partners to assist those a ected by this disaster.
More than 430 Red Cross and Red Crescent workers from at least 30 countries are in the country supporting thousands of local volunteers. Of them, more than 100 represent the American Red Cross, including a group of Creole interpreters on board the USNS Comfort.
Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana, Est. 1925, and known around the world as Pepe’s Pizza, has a simple menu: Pizza, Beer and Soda. The “World Famous” Pepe’s Pizza has the same recipe as always, and is reviewed as “the best pizza on the planet” by Zagat’s.
Alexis Ann, editor & publisher, the Resident, gives David Schmahmann a thumbs up on his new novel “Nibble & Kuhn.” Look out for David’s next novel, “Ivory from Paradise” due out this fall. Read the interview with David.
Resident reporter, Maren Schober, gives us a very touching view of “A Day of Hope”, which was observed in Norwich, home of 4,000 Haitians, on January 23rd. The mission of Beverly Goulet, director of Human Services, Norwich, was to set aside a day where we come together with the Haitian community and listen to how Norwich can help. Join in this wonderful day of unity here.
Lions Hope for Haiti is Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International, working together to provide relief and hope for the people of Haiti. Donations are continuing to pour in from individuals, clubs and districts. More here.
Our own Ken Capano, Sr., owner of ShopRites in New London and Norwich, is part of the Wakefern Food Corporation, which on behalf of its ShopRite and PriceRite stores donated $250,000 to the American Red Cross to assist in the relief efforts in Haiti. See here.
Resident reporter, Chris Annino scored us an exclusive with Blues Legend Professor Harp. Find out how a little bit of luck, a lot of spunk and the ability to play the harmonica sparked the take-off of his career here.
Venture Smith, Stonington’s link to Western Africa began in 1736, when an eight year old boy was captured in Africa along with hundreds of others and sent across the Atlantic in a terrifying journey to America to be sold as a slave. This compelling story of history is told by Resident reporter Crystal Harpstreit here and is a must read!
Thanks for reading the Resident, the Good News that Rocks! Please remember to patronize our advertisers as they’re helping to make the “good news” happen.
Supplies are being distributed by Haitian Lions and Leos in a relief camp they have established in Port au Prince, Haiti.
Lions Hope for Haiti mobilized more than $650,000 to date. Lions Hope for Haiti is Lions and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International, working together to provide relief and hope for the people of Haiti. Following the devastating earthquakes, Lions around the world responded generously and quickly to the LCIF designated fund for this disaster. Donations are continuing to pour in from individuals, clubs and districts.
LCIF is working directly with Lions of Haiti as well as Lions in neighboring countries to assess the immediate needs and also develop a long-term reconstruction plan. Al Brandel, Chairperson, LCIF and his wife, Dr. Maureen Murphy, led a team of 40 Dominican Republic Lions to deliver urgently needed supplies into Port au Prince, Haiti on January 22. Supplies will be distributed by Haitian Lions and Leos in a relief camp they have established. They also met with local Lions to develop an immediate and long-term plan for assistance.
Lions around the world are also assisting:
• Lions in neighboring Caribbean countries are sending cargo containers of targeted supplies through connections with transportation companies.
• Tents from Lions in Sweden sent through the Swedish government are being set up by local Lions to provide housing for those who are now homeless as well as relief workers.
• Lions from District A-9, Ontario, Canada were in the area when the earthquake hit, helping to establish a clean water system for an orphanage and established a make-shift medical clinic, treating 600 people.
• Lions are contributing generously, some examples include: $100,000 from District 63, which includes several neighboring islands to Haiti; $86,000 from Lions in Norway; $20,000 from Lions in China; $14,000 from District 105-I, Ireland.
Like other previous disasters, LCIF is not only committed to meeting the immediate needs of the people, but will be working through the Lions in the region to provide relief for years to come. After other relief organizations have moved out of the area, Lions will still be on the ground, overseeing long-term reconstruction projects.
Similar to other disasters, Lions hope to rebuild homes and hospitals, redevelop the eye care delivery system, human resource support and provide help for disabled, including those disabled as a result of this disaster.
Those wishing to offer additional assistance in other forms than monetary donations, may post their offers of assistance or other available resources on the Lions 2 Lions web page: www.lionsclubs.org/lion2lion.
Donations can be made in confidence to LCIF, as 100 percent of every donation will directly to Haiti relief, as administrative costs are paid by interest earned on investments. LCIF just recently received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, the highest rating possible from the independent charity evaluator. In 2007 LCIF was named the #1 non-governmental organization to partner with, a title our Foundation still holds today.
Donors can:
• Donate online at www.lcif.org/donate. Select Disaster and include “LCIF Haiti Earthquake Relief” in the comments section.
• Make a credit card donation with a MasterCard, Visa or American Express. Fax the following information to LCIF: name, address, phone number, credit card type, credit card number, expiration date, and amount of the donation. If you are a Lions member, please provide your clubs information. LCIF’s fax number is 630.571.5735.
• Mail LCIF a check. Make the check payable to Lions Clubs International Foundation, noting “LCIF Haiti Earthquake Relief” in the memo. Please send the check to LCIF, 300 W. 22nd St., Oak Brook, IL 60523, Attn.: Donor Services.
• Make a direct deposit of local currency into an existing LCI account. Send a copy to LCIF via fax to 630.571.5735.
• Do a direct wire transfer. For assistance with this option please contact LCIF Donor Assistance at donorassistance@lcif.org.
For questions, please contact LCIF at donorassistance@lcif.org or 630.203.3836. Donations from U.S. residents are tax deductible.
The Dieujuste family immigrated from Haiti ten years ago. “I have two uncles and aunts and many cousins in Haiti,” Sheila explains. “One of my aunts has 12 children. They are alive and living in their house, but they are afraid it might collapse on them. The have to try to get relief money and aid at night because during the day there are too many people in line.” (l-r, back) Richella, Pierre Richard (dad), Stephanie, Sheila Theodore (mom), (front) Gordon, Karen, and Judith Dieujuste.
story & photos
by Maren Schober
Two days before Haitian Hope Day, I talk with Beverly Goulet, director, Human Services, Norwich. “A Day of Hope is being planned for Saturday, January 23rd,” she tells me. “We are going to set aside a day where we come together with the Haitian community and listen to them, really listen to them. We don’t want to try and tell them what they should do; we want them to tell us what they need and how Norwich can help them.”
There are about 4,000 Haitians living in Norwich who are distressed, as they try to communicate with their relatives in Haiti, following the devastating earthquake of January 12th.
Haitian Hope Day was hosted by the Norwich Free Academy in the Slater Auditorium and many volunteers showed up to help. Joe Apicelli, along with 11 other volunteers from the Waterford American Red Cross, were on hand to greet the Haitian families and to give them some important new information.
“We want the Haitian community to know about the Family Links website. It is aimed at enabling people in Haiti to register names of relatives they are trying to connect with. Both those searching for people and people in the disaster area will be able to enter information and search for their loved ones on this site: www.icrc.org/familylinks,” shares Joe. Throughout the day, Haitians were shown exactly how to do this on a computer that was set up for this purpose.
NFA students sat at tables and accepted donations for the cause. At the end of the day it was announced that about $4,000 was collected, all of which is sent to the Red Cross working in Haiti!
Christian Haitian leaders, along with school and city officials, shared the podium on stage, conveying their hope and support. “The family is the central piece of Haitian culture,” Dr. Mark Cohen, Superintendent, NFA tells us. “We feel a strong connection with all Haitian family members. Haiti will be stronger because of this.”
Next at the podium was Pastor Olivio, First Haitian Baptist Church of Norwich. “I thank all Americans for letting us live here. If we were not living here, we would probably all be dead!” he stated emphatically referring to the earthquake. He also added “Please help us to reconstruct in Haiti.”
City Mayor Peter Nystrom was so moved he struggled to find the words. “Long lines of Haitians are pouring out of Port-au-Prince carrying their dead loved ones with them so they don’t lose them. Just imagine what that is like,” he remarked.
Leo Butler, Director of Diversity, NFA, reflected, “The day after the earthquake Haitian students filled my office and we prayed and cried together.” He exclaimed that “Two days after the earthquake not one Haitian student missed their exams!”
Words of love, support and unity were spoken and we were all encouraged. After the speeches various groups performed on stage including, Haitian Singers, Rose City Barbershop Chorus, America’s Best Defense Martial Arts, Artists in Motion, Bullybuster’s Rhythm Circle, Sarah Bouzon,Guitar, NFA Gospel Choir and Dance Team.
I met and talked with Haitian families who said that all their relatives are surviving and they are very happy about that. The day ended with renewed hope and cheer. Important connections were made and spirits were lifted. We will long remember this day of unity.
