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Haitian earthquake relief efforts underway on MHCC campus
The Advocate
The MHCC Forensics team is accepting clothing and unused non-liquid toiletries donations for the Yvenson Bernard Haiti Relief Effort until 1 p.m. today.
Speech and forensics instructor Shannon Valdivia came across the Yvenson Bernard Haiti Relief Effort through a FaceBook page named “Oregonians Supporting Disaster Relief Efforts in Haiti.”
“We’re really doing pretty well,” said Valdivia.
Valdivia said that two hours after the earthquake, the forensics team was sitting in the office thinking of ways to help, but it was brought up that a lot of the students didn’t have money to donate, which is why they came up with the idea to donate clothing.
Valdivia came into contact with the OSU student athlete association and through them with former OSU running back Yvenson Bernard.
Bernard, a Haitian native, is going to personally oversee the delivery of the clothing and toiletries, according to Valdivia. She also added that the Reser family has stepped up to pay for the shipping.
The CASS/IALS program on campus is also preparing to hold a fundraiser.
Nikki Gillis, program coordinator for CASS and IALS, said the event is tentatively scheduled for Feb. 9 and the idea is to have an international night with food, music and performances.
Gillis said the performances will be mostly from the students in the program that represent 11 different countries.
“The money will go directly to students (current and former) and their families to rebuild their homes,” said Gillis.
There are three students enrolled in the program that are Haitian natives.
Last Friday, the students were able to get a hold of their immediate families and they are alive, but they have not heard from them since the aftershock and they have not heard from aunts, uncles, cousins and friends which makes the news bittersweet, according to Gillis.
As of Monday, Gillis had also heard news of the 10 most recent graduates of the program and at least three had lost their homes.
Gillis pointed out that all this news was before the 6.1 aftershock hit Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Wednesday.
Gillis said that some of the graduates from the program are “working with aid organizations as translators.”
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