WATERVILLE — A local volunteer organization is urging Northwest Ohio citizens to help Haiti after it suffered a magnitude 7 earthquake Tuesday, destroying a large amount of the country and killing tens of thousands of people and counting.
Located 10 miles northeast from the University on state Route 64, International Service of Hope/Impact is accepting any donations to aid Haitians during this period of crisis. Along with cash and checks, ISOH/Impact is accepting any canned goods, non-perishable items or sanitary products to aid Haiti.
“It’s important for people to come and donate. Really it is everybody’s effort that really makes a difference,” said Wes Taylor, project coordinator. “Without the help of everybody and all the small donations they can make, we just really can’t make this happen.”
While ISOH/Impact donates to other countries continuously, it is extremely important the community steps up and gives whatever they can at this time, Taylor said.
“Anything anybody can bring — especially food, water, medical supplies — is really appreciated,” he said.
After donating cases of bottled water, Swanton resident Renee Tufts said she is willing to give to those in need because she can.
“I mean I can only assume that someone would help us if we were to get something like this,” Tufts said. “A lot of us think we don’t have anything, but the people that we’re helping have a lot less.”
ISOH/Impact will be sending a medical team consisting of Northwest Ohio doctors to Haiti this weekend. Along with pharmacists and nurses, doctors ranging from orthopedics, surgeons and internal medicine physicians will be sent to Haiti. The specializations include an orthopedic, emergency medicine, general surgery, family practice and internal medicine to cure those injured.
An estimated 50,000 deaths have already occurred because of the earthquake. The death toll has the potential to reach figures in the millions, according to a Red Cross spokesperson via a USA Today report. Many analysts are predicting this could turn out to be the worst disaster in world history, topping the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean that killed about 180,000 people.
President Barack Obama issued a statement Thursday declaring the United States make Haiti its No. 1 priority. He has backed the claim up by giving Haiti an initial $100 million toward Haiti relief effort.
ISOH/Impact volunteer Byron Wynn said while the devastation is large, helping in any way would mean so much to the people in Haiti.
“It’s important for the people here. You take care of your neighbors, and right now, Haiti is our closest, most needing neighbor,” he said. “If you have a little extra and you can give it to the folks of Haiti, anything goes a long way.”
