Concordia Journal Home > Archives > February 11, 2010 issue >

Concordians’ efforts deliver 500 boxes of supplies to Haiti 

Over 500 boxes of supplies are being flown to Haiti because of the generosity and efforts of a number of Concordians and friends of Concordia.

“It started when my friend Carlie Jean-Baptiste, a great Montrealer, whose family is originally from Haiti, wanted to mobilize people and asked me to help,” said Vice-President Advancement and Alumni Relations Kathy Assayag.

Working with a number of student groups and private donors, a plan was formulated to send supplies to Haiti, along with the financial contributions that had been raised.

“Of course the priority now is money and I can’t emphasize enough how important it is for people to support organizations like Oxfam, the Red Cross and others who are providing relief for Haiti. But above and beyond this, students and members of the community wanted to do something tangible by providing urgently needed supplies directly to Haiti,” said Assayag.

She got in touch with contacts in retail and manufacturing and in less than two weeks had amassed 300 boxes worth of blankets, clothing, medical supplies like baby Tylenol and isopropyl alcohol, diapers and baby formula.

“Everyone I called didn’t hesitate to donate supplies,” Assayag said of the overwhelming response.

Added to that were 200 more boxes of used clothing and supplies donated in bins that were set up around both Concordia campuses after the earthquake. The CSU executive arranged for nine people to sort the donations into boxes according to age group and gender.

They also did research to find a trustworthy group on the ground in Haiti willing to distribute the goods when they arrive. Even the flight the material was sent on was donated by a transport company.