Food, Medicine & Shelter Distributed in Haiti

Despite generosity, PADF-OAS-HUFH appeal for more donations

WASHINGTON, Jan. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Food, temporary shelter, medicines and other supplies are being distributed to Haiti's earthquake victims -- but so much more help is needed, the Pan American Development Foundation announced. www.PanAmericanRelief.org

"Despite these early deliveries, PADF urgently needs financial support to carry out its mission on the ground," says John Sanbrailo, PADF's Executive Director. "PADF is urging individuals and companies to support our earthquake relief efforts by calling (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. It's vital to people's survival."

One-hundred percent of the donations go to Haiti earthquake relief effort, Sanbrailo says.

PADF was one of the first nonprofit organizations to set up a supply line from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince via the border city of Jimani. It is using warehouse space donated by IMCA/Caterpillar in Santo Domingo to consolidate supplies. PADF opened a second distribution route via the border city of Pedernales, which is being used to supply by ship the Haitian city of Jacmel.

Through this system, truckloads of supplies have been distributed to hospitals and individuals in Port-au-Prince. In addition to relief provided in the capital, a desperately needed shelter kit -- which includes tents, tarps, cooking utensils and water purification tablets for 500 people -- arrived to Jacmel on Wednesday. Singer Wyclef Jean contributed to the shelter package.

More support is on its way. For example, today PADF is flying in seven former Marine and Navy combat medics to support emergency operations in Port-au-Prince. The volunteers will be in Haiti for one week.

Two shipping containers with 97,000 pounds of corn will sail from Florida next week. The corn was donated by ISOH/Impact of Holland, Ohio.

PADF will transport 15 tons of relief supplies from Miami to Port-au-Prince on Monday. Separately, 1,000 sleeping bags donated by Exxel Outdoors of Haleyville, Ala., arrive to Caribbean within a few days.

PADF, along with the Organization of American States (OAS) and Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH), are working together in the promotion of the crisis and distribution of supplies.

Actor and President of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, Jimmy Jean-Louis ("The Haitian" on NBC's "Heroes") and spokesperson for the PADF-OAS-HUFH campaign reminded people to contribute to the relief effort.

They may do so by calling (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org to make a donation.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that puts 100 percent of its donations directly into the cause of helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help.

www.hufh.org and www.HaitianHero.com

About the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world's oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, which was held in Washington, D.C. from October 1889 to April 1890. Today, it is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. www.oas.org

About PADF

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries. PADF has worked in Haiti for almost 30 years.

PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.

Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

SOURCE Pan American Development Foundation