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- What happened in Haiti?
- How many people are affected?
- I’ve heard about damage to the city of Port-au-Prince, but how have rural communities fared?
- How is LWR responding to this crisis?
- How is LWR maximizing its efforts so that resources do the greatest good for the greatest number of people?
- How can I donate money to support LWR’s response?
- Will Thrivent Financial for Lutherans match my financial donation?
- What are LWR's general management and fundraising costs?
- I’ve heard other organizations say that 100% of donations go directly to programs. Why don’t 100% of donations to LWR go toward programs (relief in Haiti, in this situation)?
- Can I donate material resources?
- Can I volunteer to support LWR’s relief efforts?
What happened in Haiti?
A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck on Tuesday January 12, 2010, just ten miles from the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, which is home to more than 2,000,000 people. The earthquake was the worst to strike the impoverished island nation in more than 200 years.
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How many people are affected?
Millions. An estimated 230,000 people died and 700,000 people in the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area are displaced. In total, approximately 3 million people have been affected. Water and sanitation remain chief concerns. As Haiti approaches its annual rainy season, shelter has become an even more urgent concern.
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I’ve heard about damage to the city of Port-au-Prince, but how have rural communities fared?
Poorly. Although relief efforts focus on the population center of Port-au-Prince, LWR has learned that there is significant damage in rural communities, particularly in western Haiti. In addition, these already struggling rural communities are now coping with the mass migration of over 470,000 earthquake survivors from damaged urban areas. With over 14 years experience and expertise working in rural Haiti, LWR is at the forefront of the rural response.
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How is LWR responding to this crisis?
With compassion, speed, expertise and resources. Within hours of the earthquake, LWR committed $1 million for relief efforts in Haiti. This commitment has more than quadrupled to $4 million. LWR will continue to evaluate this commitment in the coming weeks and months based on needs and donations.
LWR has also dispatched a team of professionals on the ground in Haiti to assess the situation and coordinate our long-term response to the crisis.
LWR has partnered with local Haitian organization Partenariat pour le Développement Local (Partnership for Local Development or PLD) to help rural communities cope with the influx of earthquake survivors. In addition, LWR will continue its work with local partner World Neighbors, helping rural communities grow food and earn income.
Given the devastation wrought by the earthquake to the Haitian people, infrastructure and economy, LWR is making plans for a long-term commitment of resources and expertise after the initial crisis phase.
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How is LWR maximizing its efforts so that resources do the greatest good for the greatest number of people?
To help provide immediate relief to rural communities, and set the stage for a long-term response, LWR is working with local Haitian organization Partenariat pour le Développement Local (Partnership for Local Development or PLD). To help ease the stress on rural communities, LWR and PLD will work together to distribute food to displaced people and establish community stores that will sell staples like beans, rice, and salt at reduced prices. These stores will allow people to buy food locally and will help stimulate local economies.
In addition to LWR’s efforts, LWR is collaborating with Lutheran World Federation, Catholic Relief Services, International Orthodox Christian Charities, Church World Service, the United Nations Foundation, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, Women of the ELCA, the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League, World Neighbors and Action by Churches Together to deliver relief supplies and expertise where they are needed most. LWR is also coordinating its efforts with relevant U.S. government agencies, including the United States Agency for International Development and the President’s Malaria Initiative.
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How can I donate money to support LWR’s response?
Online, by phone, or by mail.
The most efficient way to donate is by credit card online. Click here.
You can make a credit-card donation by calling
1-800-LWR-LWR-2 (800-597-5972).
You can send contributions by cash, check, or money order to:
Lutheran World Relief
PO Box 17061
Baltimore, MD 21298-9832 USA
All gifts for Haiti relief made through March 1 are tax-deductible for 2009!
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Will Thrivent Financial for Lutherans match my financial donation?
Yes. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans will match members’ gifts to LWR for the Haiti response. Thrivent Financial will give $1 for every $2 Thrivent members who contribute to LWR for the relief effort in Haiti, up to a maximum of $1,000,000. For more information, and to make a matching gift, go to:
https://www.thrivent.com/helpinghaiti/index.html
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What are LWR's general management and fundraising costs?
LWR is an efficient steward of your generous gift and is committed to delivering its program services in the most efficient way possible. As with all gifts to LWR, 91 cents of every dollar provides direct programmatic support, rushing aid to those who desperately need it and helping the people of Haiti rebuild their lives in the months and years to come. In fiscal year 2009, 5.5% was spent on General Management and 3.4% on Fundraising. Please note that this rate is an average for all of LWR's activities. The percentage spent on any specific program may vary.
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I’ve heard other organizations say that 100% of donations go directly to programs. Why don’t 100% of donations to LWR go toward programs (relief in Haiti, in this situation)?
LWR is known for its high efficiency ratio. LWR’s combined general management and fundraising percentage compares very favorably with similar international relief and development organizations, and exceeds the efficiency of many organizations.
If 100% of your donations were directed solely to program costs, the support costs would need to be recovered from elsewhere. Since a small portion of your Haiti donation covers the support costs associated with the relief effort, you can be assured that our other programs and work throughout the world are not negatively affected.
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Can I donate material resources?
Yes. We have an urgent need for health kits, as our supplies are currently low. We are also sending quilts, school kits and layettes. Instructions for how to assemble health kits are here, layettes are here, quilts are here, and school kits are here.
Please note: It's important for any quilts and kits that are mailed or dropped off to be packaged appropriately. Please see packing instructions here: www.lwr.org/beinvolved/pack.asp
You may mail or drop off quilts and kits to LWR’s warehouses at the following locations:
Lutheran World Relief Warehouse
398 E. Richmond Street
South St. Paul, MN 55075
651-457-9009
Open Monday through Thursday from
7:30 am - 4:00 pm.
Note: Please call before dropping off
Lutheran World Relief Warehouse
601 Main Street
PO Box 188
New Windsor, MD 21776
410-635-8795
Open Monday through Friday from
7:30 am - 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.
Note: Please call before dropping off
We also have year-round collection at the following locations in Colorado and Illinois:
Urban Servant Corps
1660 Ogden St.
Denver, CO 80218
303-894-0076
Note: Please call before dropping off
Church of the Brethren
1451 Dundee Ave. (Rte. 25)
Elgin, IL 60120
847-742-5100
Note: Please call before dropping off
Arrangements for spring ingatherings are also underway. Check for spring ingathering locations here: www.lwr.org/beinvolved/ingathering.asp
Ingathering sites for your quilts and kits are currently being arranged. Please check back for more information.
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Can I volunteer to support LWR’s relief efforts?
Yes. We have an urgent need for health kits. We are also sending shipments of quilts, layettes, and eventually school kits. Instructions for how to assemble health kits are here, layettes are here, quilts are here.
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This page was last modified on:
September 2, 2010
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