Archive for April, 2010
Friday, April 9th, 2010
H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 is planning another mission to help the Haiti Earthquake Victims. We have been asked to take on the task of restoring classrooms at the Love A Child Orphanage in Haiti (http://www.loveachild.com), as well as assisting with the fortification of existing structures and the redirecting of water run-off at the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative Hospital. This facility has been treating the severely injured earthquake victims since the tragedy occurred. H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 anticipates (pending flight availability) beginning the deployment on 4/17/2010 and returning on 4/24/2010. For this mission, we are looking especially for carpenters and mechanically inclined individuals who can lead, and when needed, instruct the residents of Haiti who will be assisting us in this mission. In the near future, we are planning missions which will include medical teams of doctors, nurses and Emergency Medical Technicians. During these anticipated missions there will be plenty of need for more help down the road for all those who have expressed a desire to help the people in need of Haiti. We understand the desire to help is strong and we anticipate calling on members who have expressed their wishes to take part in a Humanitarian Mission. The compound where the Orphanage and Hospital is located will be the ideal location for our Humanitarian Response. While no date has been set yet, we do anticipate that it will be in late April to early/mid May depending on how the re-building missions at the compound move forward.
We have a time constraint for the April 17th mission due primarily to the problem of booking flights, so we are asking that if you are interested in joining this team, please respond by contacting H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 board member John Stack by 6 PM Sunday, April 11, 2010. He can be reached at: johnstack@heart911.org if you can go or if you have any questions. To book a flight, John will need your name as it appears on your Passport, Date of Birth, Address and your Contact Phone Number. Please remember that all who wish to go on this mission may be deferred to a later mission due to the needed skill-sets needed on this re-building mission.
The Staff at H.E.A.R.T. 9/11
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Friday, April 9th, 2010
H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 has returned to Port au Prince, Haiti on Monday, April 05, 2010 to begin work on a project that will see four 1,500 gallon water storage tanks built to replace a destroyed 6,000 gallon tank at the Jesuit Novitiate there. H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 members from the New York area and H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 members from the Florida International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental & Reinforcing Ironworkers Union Local 272 are joining forces with fifteen Jesuit novitiates to get the project completed. These students, who range in age from 18 to 35, will be trained in the construction skills necessary to do such a job. This quid pro quo arrangement will prepare these young Haitian men to take these skills and continue the rebuilding for their local communities. Thanks to the sponsorship of Jefferies & Co, H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 is keeping its promise to continue bringing help to the Haitian people. There are several other projects being looked at in and around Port au Prince. There is much to do and, be assured, we will stay focused on our mission. We have received many positive responses from our membership letting us know that we have their ongoing support.
We will be in touch with our H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 team in Haiti and report on their progress.
The Staff at REMA
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Tuesday, April 6th, 2010
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Our latest H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 deployment is going great. This is a report on the interaction with them and those they are working with and helping. The contact person for the Jesuit Novitiate is Brother Jim Boynton S.J. who, it seems, wasn’t expecting what we brought – our experience and professionalism in dealing with crises situations.
“Right now, I am on Cloud Nine”, these are the words Brother Jim Boynton S.J. used yesterday to describe his experience with H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 work crews, as the sounds of jackhammers pierced the calm of the mango trees. Brother Boynton had been frustrated for months as he stood next to his empty Jesuit novitiate, unable to house Jesuit novices who are responsible for the education of many young Haitians. Brother Jim specifically mentioned the expertise of NY Laborers Local 79, Chaz Rynkiewicz, John Wund, Jose Chicas and Tim Warrington. They spearheaded the team that safely removed the huge old water tank and began the prep for the new tanks installation. He also raved about H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 members’ patience with their Haitian protégés (apprentices) as they transferred their knowledge and work ethic to these young men who are now capable of repairing their own homes and those of their neighbors.
The project of rebuilding the novitiate is ahead of schedule and will be completed next Tuesday just seven days after H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 volunteers arrived in Port au Prince, Haiti. Our “Adaptive-Can Do” expertise is once again on display, this time on the international stage. Brother Boynton’s assistant, Janet O’Keefe, wanted to pass along that “Jim was really sailing and so incredibly grateful to the H.E.A.R.T. 9/11 team. Many, many, thanks and blessings to all”. The restoration of the novitiate and the return of the critical community services that the Jesuits provide, would not be possible without the generous gift from Jefferies & Co. and the support of Construction & General Building Laborers’ Local 79 and Miami Ironworkers Local 272.
The Staff at H.E.A.R.T. 9/11
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