January 29, 2010
Loyola Hope for Haiti Task Force

Attendees:  Robert Reed, Karen Reichard, Andrew Poland, Josh Daly, Mohammad Iqbal, Nicholas Nall, Annie Halbert, Catherine Koppel, Lindsey Keslar, Uriel Quesada, Wadner Pierre.

Updates

·         The minutes from last week’s meeting were reviewed and accepted.

·         Robert Reed stated that if any students are struggling and need support or counseling, let him know and he will make sure that Kurt Bindewald, the Jesuits, and University Counseling Center know.

·         Robert Reed stated that Riva Precil would be unable to attend the meeting today, but she had given him the following updates to pass along to the committee:

o   The concert benefit on February 26^th will be called “Ayiti Cheri”.  It will feature Haitian dancers, food, and poetry.  Haitian art will be for sale.   There will also be a discussion of the history of Haiti and of New Orleans and how the two are related.  Angel Parham is assisting Riva Precil with this.  No cover will be charged for the benefit.

o   Riva Precil will be teaching a Haitian dance class in the Audubon Room on February 21^st at 1:00 pm.

o   Riva Precil is working with Beth Coyne to schedule a poetry event in March in the One Loyola room.

·         Robert Reed reported that Haitian books are now on display in the bookstore.

·         Wadner Pierre is returning to Haiti next week.  He will bring 2 suitcases with him which he hopes to have filled with toiletries and other small items which Haitians may be in need of.  Residential Life is helping him to collect these items by placing bins in the residence halls and outside the University Ministry office. Continue reading »

January 15, 2010
Loyola Community Response to Earthquake in Haiti
Attendees: Robert Reed, Kurt Bindewald, Lisa Martin, Katherine Fidler, Catherine Koppel, Meredith Hartley, Angel Parham, Beth Coyne, Lindsey Keslar, Debbie Danna, David Gunn, Jean Montes, Alicia Bourque, Craig Beebe, Marcel McGee, Kristy Magner, Riva Precil, Sareeca Hoskins, Tanya Hamilton, Roger White, Reagan Sidney, David Robinson-Morris, Andrew Poland, Sarah Cooper, Justina LaSalle, Steven Sarpy, Jennifer Torquati, Janise Lampley.

Introduction and Goals
• Robert Reed opened the meeting with prayer for those suffering in Haiti, their loved ones, and all who are assisting in relief efforts.
• Robert Reed identified the following goals for this committee:
        o To support faculty, staff, and students personally affected.
        o To assist by collecting funds for our brothers and sisters in Haiti.
        o To educate the Loyola community about the history of Haiti
• Robert Reed and Kurt Bindewald suggested decentralized fundraising with a centralized giving goal amongst departments and student organizations.
• Robert Reed stated that a benefit concert to aid those in Haiti is already being planned at Loyola with a tentative name of Hope for Haiti. All present agreed to this name. Continue reading »

The recent tragedy in Haiti started me thinking about the meaning of social justice. We all have been asked over the past few weeks to give our money in many ways. We text for Haiti, watch celebrity concerts and televisions specials, we give to our churches. But we have to ask ourselves, when we give our money, is this social justice? We feel inadequate in the scope of this tragedy. We hope and pray that these funds will help our brothers and sisters in Haiti but is giving funds enough? For myself, I think this is a small piece of the social justice pie.

As a member of the Hope for Haiti group, I have discovered that giving money is just not enough. There is something inside of me that calls me to much more. Each week as our group meets to discuss ways to respond to this tragedy, I realize that there are a number very complicated issues that will affect the recovery and future of our brothers and sisters in Haiti. Continue reading »

One of the many lessons learned from our own experience of tragedy through Hurricanes Katrina and Rita is the importance of educating others about the realities, riches and resources of the New Orleans region.  In an effort to better assist the people of Haiti while also gaining a better appreciation of their own realities, riches and resources, the Hope for Haiti Task Force is committed to providing the Loyola community with as many opportunities as possible to learn more.

The Loyola Bookstore has the following resources available for purchase with more titles on the way:

Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder.  The story of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world.

On That Day Everybody Ate by Margaret Trost.  One woman’s story of hope and possibility in Haiti.

Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle-Class American, an autobiography by Jean-Robert Cadet.

Additionally, Loyola communications student from Haiti, Wadner Pierre, is scheduled to return to his home country soon.  Wadner will keep the Loyola community updated with his eye-witness accounts of relief efforts in Haiti on his blog: www.wadnerpierre.blogspot.com

The Haitian Association for Human Development in New Orleans also provides information about Haiti through its website.

Please visit the Loyola Hope for Haiti blog for more information and resources on Haiti in the future.

-Kurt Bindewald, Director of University Ministry

The entire Loyola community is invited to a Candlelight Prayer Service this Wednesday, January 27 at 7:30pm in the horseshoe in front of Marquette Hall on St. Charles Avenue.  In addition to the generous financial and material assistance being offered to the people of Haiti, we gather to offer our prayers of love and support for those living through the aftermath of the earthquake.  We gather to pray for healing, for strength and for hope.

Members of the Haitian Catholic Community of New Orleans will provide traditonal Haitian music as students, faculty and staff lead those gathered in prayer and reflection. 

Kurt Bindewald, Director of University Ministry

Dear members of the Loyola community,

In response to the devastation of the Haitian earthquake, Loyola’s Hope for Haiti task force was formed last week. Loyola’s Office of Mission and Ministry is spearheading this task force to identify relief resources and plan for a sustained aid effort to the island nation and to community members affected by the tragedy. More information about the task force’s efforts can be found on Loyola’s Hope for Haiti blog. Several Loyola students, alumni, faculty, and staff are Haitian or have family members directly impacted by the earthquake.

Many members of the Loyola community know first-hand the suffering and unbearable loss brought on by a natural disaster. The suffering of the people of Haiti, who are among the poorest in the Western Hemisphere, is unfathomable to us. In an effort of solidarity to the people of Haiti, there are a variety of events, prayer services, and fundraising initiatives taking place on campus. Continue reading »

The university has established a task force named “Hope for Haiti” to coordinate an organized pastoral and relief response to the Haitian earthquake. Members of the task force include students, faculty and staff from all areas of the university. Immediate financial collections will go to one or more of several organizations to which Loyola has a connection. These include, but are not limited to, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS), Partners in Health (Zanmi Lasante), Doctors Without Borders and Konbit Pou Edikasyon.

Students are leading the effort to host fundraising events while faculty and staff work to develop long-term connections with Haiti, including future immersion trips and partnerships with relief agencies established there. Special collections at all masses at Ignatius Chapel on campus this past weekend brought in over $3,000. Individual and group donations continue to pour in.

Continue reading »

This interview with Fox 8 took place on Friday, January 15 and highlighted Loyola University New Orleans’ efforts to assist with Haitian relief.

The Loyola University New Orleans community is uniting to respond to the devastation of the Haitian earthquake through a variety of events, fundraising and spiritual support for Haitians and their loved ones abroad. Several Loyola students, alumni, faculty and staff are Haitian or have family members directly impacted by the earthquake.

Realizing the immediate need for aid in the relief efforts, the Hope for Haiti task force was assembled Friday morning to identify relief resources and plan for a sustained aid effort to the island nation and to community members affected by the tragedy.

The University Counseling Center is available 24 hours a day to respond to students and employees who need help coping with the crisis or who may be recalling painful memories of Katrina by watching coverage from Haiti. Counselors can be reached from 8:30 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., by calling 504-865-3835 or visiting Room 208 of the Danna Student Center. To reach an on-call counselor after hours, call the Loyola University Police Department at 504-865-3434.

On Saturday, Jan. 16, Loyola hosted a free concert dedicated to Haiti at which audience members could donate funds toward the relief effort and learn the ways they can help the Haitian people. The concert, led by Loyola Director of Orchestras and Haitian emigre Jean Montes, was actually planned far in advance of the earthquake as a joint performance of the New Orleans Youth Orchestra, the Loyola Symphony Orchestra and the Cornell University Orchestra. Cornell musicians came to New Orleans as part of a service project to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

The Hope for Haiti task force is also planning a prayer service, a music benefit on Feb. 26, and arrangements for long-term Haitian aid from the university community.

For now, donations can be made to the Office of Mission and Ministry or by visiting the following organizations:

• Jesuit Refugee Services
• Catholic Relief Services
• The American Red Cross
• Partners in Health

For a list of other reputable organizations, visit http://www.clintonfoundation.org/haitiearthquake/.

There are two ways to donate to the relief efforts via text message:

• Texting HAITI to 20222 will release a $10 donation to the Clinton Foundation and charge users’ cell phone bills.
• Texting HAITI to 90999 will release a $10 donation to the American Red Cross and charge users’ cell phone bills.

Anyone seeking information on friends and family in Haiti can contact the U.S. State Department Operations Center at 1-888-407-4747, or by sending an email to the State Department.

For more information on Loyola’s relief efforts or to donate, contact Kurt Bindewald, director of University Ministry at 504-865-2083 or kjbindew@loyno.edu or Robert Reed, assistant vice president for Student Affairs at 504-865-3737 or rareed@loyno.edu.