As an International Executive Vice President I have been asked to co-lead SEIU's Haiti relief efforts. As the situation on the ground in Port-au-Prince becomes more perilous, we wanted to update you as to SEIU's efforts to provide relief and start organizing toward a real reconstruction in Haiti.
It is imposs
ible to overstate the impact this is having on our members and staff, many of whom have lost or cannot get information about their loved ones. Your support and prayers are deeply appreciated and we thank you in advance for all that you are doing for our sisters and brothers in Haiti.
SEIU’s response to date: Â
RELIEF
Right now, the most immediate way we can Help Haiti is to contribute financially to relief operations already on the ground in Haiti who are engaged in a herculean effort to provide direct relief to survivors. We want to be very careful that the organizations we refer our members, leaders and staff to are established and prepared to provide immediate relief on the ground.
SEIU is currently recommending that individuals donate to
ASSISTANCE
So far, hundreds of members have applied to volunteer on site and via the
Help Haiti Volunteer Effort to collect information from potential volunteers. Given the large number of volunteers from South Florida locals and the airlifting of trauma patients from Haiti to Jackson Memorial Hospital and others, we anticipate there will be volunteer needs in Florida as well.Â
We are currently looking into working with the Governor’s office to lift licensing restrictions for nurses in the state of Florida, a tactic that helped bring medical professionals into New Orleans more quickly during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.Â
TEMPORARY PROTECTIVE STATUS
Thanks to many years our members making phone calls, writing letters, participating in meetings with the White House and marching countless miles, the Department of Homeland Security granted temporary protective status to Haitians living in the US on Friday January 15th. Temporary protective status is normally granted to immigrants from countries facing grave disturbances, including armed conflict and natural disasters. No country fits the bill better than Haiti. The tragedy there is of historic proportions.
What You Can Do:
Please sign up for Help Haiti volunteer opportunities.
CARE
The union is in the process of setting up support centers in Miami, New York, Boston and Montreal to provide assistance to our sisters and brothers seeking information about their loved ones and counseling services to get through this trauma. For example, 1199SEIU in Boston is working as a community resource coordinating with the City of Boston and through the Haitian Caucus. The 1199 office is being used as a drop-in resource and info center for at least the next three days, providing phones, e-mail, and, if needed, triage grief counseling and referral by staff from the Boston Public Health Commission.
As we develop these centers, we plan to work in partnership with our sisters and brothers in the labor movement and the progressive community to assist as many affected people as possible.
RECONSTRUCTION
As we eventually move forward from relief to reconstruction, it will be critical that the US takes a firm position on a long-term investment in rebuilding Haiti. SEIU is pulling together a team to focus on the long-term recovery and we will update you on our work in this area.
We will continue to keep you informed about how you can Help Haiti. Thank you for all that you do for our sisters and brothers affected by this tragedy.
In unity,
Monica Russo
SEIU Healthcare Florida