The Board of Directors of the Group of Dominican Professionals in Washington, DC (GDP-WASH) is reaching out to friends and to the DC community in general, to request help for the people in Haiti after the 7.0 earthquake that hit the Caribbean country yesterday afternoon.  In 2008, Haiti was affected by floods caused by the devastating 2008 hurricane season.  But the 2008 storms pale in comparison to yesterday’s destructive earthquake, which affected mostly the southern part of the country, with its epicenter located southeast from the country’s capital, Port-au-Prince. 

On Saturday, January 16th, 2010, from noon until 3 pm, GDP-WASH and the Chi Upsilon Sigma National Latin Sorority, Inc., will have a fundraiser at the Johnson Center Dewberry Hall of George Mason University, 4400 University Drive, Fairfax, VA 22030 (parking available in Parking Lot A). Cash and check tax-deductible donations will be accepted on-site. You can also make a tax-deductible online donation on this webpage, by clicking on the yellow “Make A Donation” button below the Haitian flag (a portion will be deducted by PayPal for administrative fees; please provide us with your email address so we may forward you a tax-deduction charitable donation receipt.

Also, the Caribbean Professional Network DC will be conducting a Survival Kit Drive this Sunday, January 17, 2010, from 11am to 4pm at the Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC, located at 2311 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008; they will be collecting toiletries, baby food, baby formula, diapers, hand sanitizers, vitamins, first aid kits, over the counter drugs, and non-perishable foods that are not canned (vacuum-packed and freeze-dried food).  For more information, call the organizers at 718.755.0119 and 202.904.9070, or visit http://caribprofessionalnetwork.net.

The U.S State Department posted in its blog how to help and how to obtain information about your friends and relatives in Haiti; information may be found at http://blogs.state.gov/index.php/site/entry/disaster_haiti.  Donations may be made through your cell phone by texting “HAITI” to “90999”; an automatic $10 donation to the Red Cross, to help with the relief efforts, will be charged to your phone bill.  The Pan-American Development Foundation is accepting donations for Haiti, http://www.padf.org/.  The Clinton Foundation is also accepting donations at http://www.clintonfoundation.org/. 

GDP-WASH will keep you informed of other ways to donate and help.  Please keep Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.