Major Earthquake Hits Haiti, Kids in Distressed Situations Responds Immediately and Asks for Donations to Support Relief Efforts

NEW YORK, Jan. 13 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc., (K.I.D.S.) in conjunction with its partners, has been coordinating relief efforts just hours after a major 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, near the capital city of Port-au-Prince. K.I.D.S. is working with retailers and manufacturers to obtain donations of desperately needed new products and is asking the public for monetary support at www.KIDSdonations.org for our long-term response to the children and families in Haiti affected by the earthquake.

The latest K.I.D.S. donations of apparel, lunch coolers, and kids books just arrived in Port-au-Prince prior to the quake and are being distributed today. More items like these are now desperately needed, as are items for shelter (particularly blankets) and apparel (gloves, boots, childrenswear). Companies can donate products via the web site www.KIDSdonations.org or by calling 1-800-266-3314.

"With the fantastic support of product from K.I.D.S., Operation Compassion has more than 20 containers either in port or en route with relief supplies for those devastated by the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in 200 years," Dave Lorency, Operation Compassion.

Kids in Distressed Situations has worked in Haiti since 1995, maintaining a constant presence, primarily in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the Central Plateau region, providing apparel, shoes, and books to vulnerable children. An estimated 1.8 million residents were violently shaken by the earthquake and aftershocks affecting the densely populated areas near Port-au-Prince.

K.I.D.S. brings hope and self-esteem to more than 4 million children and their families each year by providing new clothes, shoes, toys, furniture, books and juvenile products donated by leading manufacturers and retailers. The donations move through a network of nearly 1,000 local community social service agencies in the U.S. and abroad. The organization's efforts reach children who are challenged by poverty, homelessness, domestic abuse, low literacy, military family service, major illness, incarcerated family members and disaster survival. More information about donating new children's clothes, shoes, books, toys and other products is available online at www.KIDSdonations.org.

SOURCE Kids in Distressed Situations, Inc.