Thanks for the shout out from JNF. We have been involved with discussions about Haiti for over two years in Washington and NY including members of Congress, Haitian governmental officials and Haitian American leaders. Recently a consortium led by Wyclef Jean’s Yele Haiti and Timberland, Inc announced (before the earthquake)the creation of a pilot tree nursery in Gonaives, Haiti. They will be selling tree certs ala JNF and, as a mattter of fact, JNF will be sending out the certificates for them. JNF is also in discussion with the consortium for them to fund JNF experts from Israel to come to Haiti to help give them advice. (JNF will not use donor contributed funds outside of Israel except for Israel educational materials used in the diaspora.)

Sadly, Haiti was an ecological mess before the earthquake because the people are so poor thay have cut down practically every tree to make charcoal to cook their food. Just planting trees won’t be the solution. Their problem needs a more strategic and economic based effort .
Rabbi Eric M. Lankin, D.Min.
Jewish National Fund

Initiatives underway (reported Wednesday, 1/13/10):
- SHN is working with Steve Taylor, former director of mission outreach for the United Methodist Church Annual Conference, to provide supplies for a North Carolina medical mission team that is in-country
- We were contacted by Dean Miller from the VA Baptist Missions unit with offer of assistance (they funded $25k to Indonesia recently through the contacts we made.)
- SHN was contacted by Margot Hoerrner, VP of Outreach with Friends of the World Food Programme, requesting help from Stop Hunger Now in receiving in-kind donations of aid from across the United States
- Clark Mandigo is in conversation with Maersk, Norfolk Southern and other business leaders in Hampton Roads regarding donations of warehouse space and shipping. The Hampton Roads Advisory Committee is committing to fund at least 250,000 meals to be shipped to Haiti.
- SHN was contacted by the Haitian Community of New York, which wants to coordinate their relief efforts through Stop Hunger Now. Governor Patterson of New York is sending a plane to Richmond to pick up SHN meals for distribution in Haiti.
- We were able to speak via Skype to Pastor Luc who works with Leon Dorleans, who said they had SHN meals in their compound that we shipped in December, which they were using to feed earthquake victims
- Scott Lazerson contacted Ray in response to our email appeal. Scott sent an email to many of his contacts requesting support of SHN and indicated that one of them is mailing a $1,000 contribution.
- Dr. Yarborough from Shaw University called stating that she would have her campus volunteer in any way we needed help.
- Larry Davies, Lynchburg District Superintendent for the United Methodist Church, called to ask how they could help. Larry has set up a 100,000 meal packaging event for this Monday in Lynchburg for Haiti relief.
- Bill Glass of Haiti Outreach Ministries is putting us in contact with the Naval Service Command Atlantic, which will work with us to ship in-kind aid to Haiti.
- Mike Giancola, Director of CSLEPS at NC State University, said that the student leadership has committed to a fundraising drive on campus (a “bucket drive”). Students will pass buckets for donations at the next two NCSU basketball games, and they expect to raise $20,000.
- A donor in Florida contacted Allen Renquist about donating 30,000 bottles of water.

Additional initiatives underway (reported Thursday, 1/14/10)
· Putting a process into place for receiving and accounting for in-kind donations
· Making initial contact with the Naval Service Command in Norfolk
· Getting 2 truckloads (62,000 bottles) of water donated by Cott Beverages. One has already reached Norfolk and the other will arrive tomorrow morning. And they have already committed to more
· B&G Foods donation of 4,000 cases (96,000 cans) of ready-to-eat Underwood B-B-Q chicken
· 3 full pallets of rice (including shipping costs)
· Scott Lazerson reports that Kettle One in New York has committed $10,000 and another friend has already written a check for $1,000
· VisionAir Haiti has committed the use of their airline to SHN for free shipment of relief goods and personnel to Haiti. They also have access to transportation and food-quality secure storage in Port-au-Prince.
· David Lagushulte has pledged to raise $100,000 from his personal friends, and match it 1-1 for a total pledge of $200,000 (thank you Steve!)
· A 747 airliner full of medicine, water and food ready to leave by Sunday
· Agreed to work with our strategic partner, Food for the Hungry, in their Haitian relief and recovery efforts

Stop Hunger Now is coordinating a massive effort to assist Haitians by providing meals and fresh water. Utilizing their existing presence and partnerships in Haiti allows Stop Hunger Now to make an immediate impact, getting supplies directly to those in need. Over the past three years, they have provided more than 6 million meals and more than $4 million in in-kind aid to partner organizations in Haiti.

At just .25¢ per meal, an $18 donation feeds 72 people!

Learn more about and support Stop Hunger Now at http://www.jchoice.org/CauseDetails.aspx?id=120

so, visit: http://www.stophungernow.org – and don’t waste your hard-earned tzedakah with others who might not be as efficient and effective.

arnie draiman
http://www.draimanconsulting.com

One of our grantees is already on the ground providing medical care and emergency food relief, and we have a long-term relationship with the Lambi Fund for sustainable rebuilding. You can learn more about these efforts at MAZON.org.