How Can Things Ever Improve: Re-Forestation Can Help

An article in the Gaurdian on efforts to prevent the flooding and massive erosion caused by even the mildest of storms:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/23/forests-flooding

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This ran in many papers yesterday...

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All packed up & waiting

Unlike the food where weight conveys a lot, it's hard to describe the amount of your donations but  today we re-packed all the clothes, blankets and toys and here is some perspectives:

1.  There were over forty boxes packed;

2.  These were loaded onto 4 pallets;

3.  This did not include strollers and many of the big, oddly shapped toys;

4.  We ran out of boxes today, so we bought some more tonight;

5.  More people dropped off clothes and toys tonight.

We are going to pack like crazy first thing in the morning since the shipping container shows up at noon!  

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Toys & Clothes Galore!

The container arrives tomorrow!  We are packing it all up today.  There is a mountain of clothes, toys & blankets.  

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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The container pick-up is now scheduled for Nov. 17th.  So, we have a full week to collect clothes, shoes and toys.  Over the weekend families around Madison and Huntsville donated bags of clothing and boxes of toys.

Pictures tomorrow of the growing mountain of donations!

Need a pick-up?  Email:  moore.troy@gmail.com

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Updates on the school collapse

The death toll sits at 82 for now but there is an incredible amount of rubble to dig through and it's mostly being done by hand!  

The BBC has a recent video that really illustrates the devestation (warning:  some images are disturbing)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7717756.stm

Swissinfo.ch's story details the challenges in responding and why heavy equipment is difficult to deploy

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Death_toll_climbs_to_82_in_Haitian_school_collapse.html?siteSect=143&sid=9945767&cKey=1226174960000&ty=ti

Summary of all news:

http://news.google.com/news?rlz=1C1GGLS_en-USUS292&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=haiti+school+collapse&um=1&hl=en&sa=X&oi=news_group&resnum=1&ct=title

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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School collapses in Haiti with students inside

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/11/07/news/CB-Haiti-School-Collapse.php

PETIONVILLE, Haiti: A school building collapsed Friday in the hills above Haiti's capital, killing at least two people and injuring at least 20 students.
Hundreds of bystanders and rescue workers frantically dug through the rubble of the concrete building. As rescuers emerged carrying the injured, the crowd erupted with wails and prayers. United Nations peacekeepers and Haitian Red Cross workers rushed to the scene.
An Associated Press reporter saw the bodies of two women who died and counted at least 20 injured children, including some bleeding profusely from head injuries.
It was not immediately clear what caused the second story of the building to collapse onto the first. A portion of the wall facing the street remained standing, and the extent of the damage to the first floor was not immediately known.
The school building in Petionville, a relatively affluent suburb, included a kindergarten as well as classes for older students. A police officer estimated as many as 200 students may have been inside the building, but no official count was available.
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Drive extended! We have a full week!

We had some changes in logistics which means we have an additional week to fill the container!  That's right, the pick-up is now scheduled for Nov. 17th.  So, we have a full week to collect clothes, shoes and toys.  Let's make the most of it!

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Frequently Asked Questions

Lots of questions today about what should be donated.  Clothes & shoes for adults, children and babies are all needed, all sizes work!  The orphanages we visited needed toys of any type, so we are looking for new or used items for all age children.

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com

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We need your help...fast!

The shipping contain is arriving on Monday morning and we have two hours to pack it up.  It's larger than we imagined and there is plenty of room left.  We want to fill it up!

So, we are asking for your help.  We have 4 days in which to work.  Here is what you can do:

1.  Gather together toys, blankets, clothing and diapers

2.  Contact me at moore.troy@gmail.com

3.  We'll schedule a pickup (that's right, we'll come to you!)

4.  The container gets filled!  We help those in desperate need!

This is a great way to clean house in preparation for the holidays.

We don't have much time, so tell your friends, let's act quickly!

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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25,000lbs. of Food: Weighted, Packed and Ready to Ship

A hard working crew packed the donations up today.  And the total is:  25,000lbs!  That's right...12.5 tons of rice, beans & milk were donated by the people of Huntsville, Alabama!  Simply incredible, thanks again to everyone that came out and donated.

The Packing Crew

The trucks will be here next week.  We'll update you when they start pulling out.  

Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Donation Presented to Jimani Project

The food is still be weighed and packed.  The cash donations were tallied and over $5,000 was presented to Terry Douglas, one of the directors of the Jimani Project yesterday!  This money (100%) will purchase food to include in the shipment to the people of Haiti. 

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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We've got so much to count it's going to take awhile!

Even this morning bags of food were still arriving!  

The rough estimate is 13,000 lbs of food are sitting in the Hudson Alpha Institute atrium.  But there is more to come as cash donations are being tallied.  Our volunteers are going to be packing up the food and getting an accurate account.  On Thursday, we'll have the final cash compiled and presented to the Jimani Project for the direct purchase of food.  I think we will easily top the 15,000 lbs mark, can we hit 20?  We'll know on Thursday.

Forward!

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Huntsville/Madison Mom & Tots Meetup Group Donations Arrive

The familys that make up the Huntsville/Madison Mom & Tots Meetup Group had their Halloween party yesterday.  In addition to all the costumes and games, the little ones learned about helping others in a not-so-far-away place called Haiti.  They donated:

300lbs of rice

25lbs of beans

1800 children's vitamins &

15 lbs of dried milk

Thanks ever so much moms and tots (and dad's too)!

One more day to go.  We'll be here all day Monday.  Let's finish strong!

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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The Home Stretch

The Madison & Huntsville Moms Meetup had a fall festival today.  All the little ones marched in the costume parade, pitched in the pumpkin toss and fished for prizes.  And everyone got into the giving spirit by donating rice, beans, milk and money to the food drive.  I'll have pictures and weights up tomorrow.  

We will be manning the Hudson Alpha dropoff site from 10 am - 4pm Sunday & Monday.   We've got two days left.  Let's make the most of them!

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Local News Coverage on WAAY31

http://www.waaytv.com/Global/category.asp?C=150109
Focus on Faith - Local Group Provides Hurrican Relief

Thanks Regina Raccuglia at WAAY31 for her coverage of the food drive! Let's hope this will touch Huntsville at large and increase the stacks of rice, beans and powdered milk.

Get the word out to your friends. We'll be here through the weekend.

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Huntsville Junior League Provides Collection Sites

The Huntsville Junior League will be providing collection sites in conjunction with Apple Annie Day! The ladies in the red bandanas and tights will be visiting the area elementary schools delivering apples. You know what they say:

An apple a day keeps the doctor away. A bag of beans keeps the hunger away.


This Friday between 10am - 3pm, go by any of the following Apple Annie locations to pick-up some delicious apples for yourself and drop-off beans, rice and dried milk for the people of Haiti.

Star Market in 5 Points
Star Market in Madison
Belk's at Parkway Place
Belk's at Madison Square Mall
Courthouse (Huntsville)


Cheers!

Troy
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Local News Coverage on WAFF 48

Thanks to Tory Dunnan and WAFF48 News for covering the Haiti Food Drive!

News story -
http://www.waff.com/Global/story.asp?S=9213384

Video -

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Kids helping kids

Little ones at local schools are contributing in a big way! These kids are excited about helping other kids living in tents, without enough to eat on an island not so far away.

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com

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Huntsville Schools Join In!

The Montessori School of Huntsville (www.montessorihuntsville.org) has joined the effort to collect rice, dried beans, and powdered milk for the people of Haiti.

Thank you all very much!

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Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha 6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806 Dates: Thru October 27, 2008 Times: 10am - 4pm Daily Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com ---

Video from the Birmingham, AL Food Drive

The Food Drive in Birmingham was a tremendous success, please click this link to retrieve the video...

http://www.myfoxal.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?contentId=7686209&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=3.1.1

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Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Faith Church jumps into the Food Drive for Haiti

Immediately responding to a call for help in Haiti, Faith Presbyterian Church in Huntsville jumped in with both feet! Using funds donated at both church services, the team purchased thousands of pounds of beans, rice, and powdered milk...

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Video of a recent trip to HAITI

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Directions to the Hudson Alpha Institute

Specific Directions from Madison Pike
Go to the 3rd traffic light and turn right onto Voyager Way.

Drive about 0.5 mile to the traffic light at Explorer Blvd. Turn left.
Turn at the next street to the right, Discovery Drive.
From Discovery, turn left on Moquin.
HudsonAlpha is at Moquin and Genome Way.

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Food shows up by the TRUCKLOAD!

Over 500 pounds of rice before NOON! These bags were purchased with donations from as far away as New York City (thanks Grady and Lila) and New Orleans (thanks Liz)...

... even babies and dogs are getting into the spirit!

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Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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We've been picked up by the local news...

Today was our first day of news coverage; we were mentioned in the Huntsville Times and on the local National Public Radio Station.

Here is the article from the Huntsville Times...

... and this is the text of the NPR announcement.

JOIN THE HUNTSVILLE HAITIAN RELIEF PROJECT

Start: October 16, 2008

Kill: October 27, 2008

:30 seconds

AFTER FOUR DEVASTATING HURRICANES, THE PEOPLE OF HAITI ARE IN DESPERATE NEED. I’M ROY MOORE/LUKE DOIRON, AND I RECENTLY RETURNED FROM A MISSION TRIP WHERE I WITNESSED THE COUNTRY’S WIDESPREAD FLOODING AND SEVERE FOOD SHORTAGES. DONATIONS OF LONG GRAIN RICE, DRY BEANS AND POWDERED MILK ARE BEING ACCEPTED AT THE HUDSONALPHA INSTITUTE, FROM 10 A.M. UNTIL 4 P.M. DAILY, NOW UNTIL OCTOBER 27. INFORMATION ON THE WEB AT HAITIFOODDRIVE.BLOGSPOT.COM. Or 256.327.0400.

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Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Huntsville Food Drive is underway!

Less than 1 hour into the Haiti Food Drive in Huntsville, we already had 250 pounds of rice...
... which will be a great relief to thousands in Haiti...

... giving them something to clap about...

... and a great reason to smile!

Birmingham city employees exceed mayor's goal on Haitian relief effort

Thursday, October 16, 2008
ERIN STOCK, News staff writer, Birmingham News
Nearly 23 tons of rice, beans and powdered milk were collected over three days for Haitians, thanks to area residents and Birmingham city employees, Mayor Larry Langford said Wednesday.

"They doubled my expectations," said Langford, who gathered together more than 150 municipal employees at City Hall to thank them.

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Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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What's happening now in Haiti?

Severe Flooding...

... has caused a serious refugee situation...

... and VERY long lines for food and medical attention.

The Haiti Food Drive has come to Huntsville

Inspired by the tremendous need in Haiti as well as the unbelievable outpouring of support in Birmingham (50,000 pounds of food), we have decided to start a food drive in Huntsville!

Please feel free to share this blog and the information below with ANYONE and EVERYONE you believe would be willing to donate RICE, DRIED BEANS, and POWDERED MILK to Haiti.

Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha @ 6900 Moquin Drive, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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How the Food Drive Started in Alabama

It all began with Jimmy Minton's visit to the doctor...

Jimmy Minton - a political consultant in Knoxville, TN - went for a check-up with his heart doctor, Dr. Clint Doiron. Knowing Dr. Doiron did medical mission work in Haiti and the Dominican Republic, Jimmy asked Dr. Doiron if there was anything he could do to help.

"Help me find some way of getting beans and rice down to Haiti, that is what I need" declared Dr. Doiron.

Jimmy walked out of the office and called Birmingham, Alabama Mayor Larry Langford (www.informationbirmingham.com) and asked the Mayor for help. The Mayor was moved by Jimmy's story of Haiti - 4 major storms, thousands of people homeless, hundreds of adults and children killed, political upheaval... AND NO FOOD!

Mayor Langford decided to take a stand; he rallied the entire city to help by providing rice, dried beans, and powdered milk for the people of Haiti.

These articles from The Birmingham News tell this compelling story:
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/10/langford_urges_food_donations.html
http://www.al.com/birminghamnews/stories/index.ssf?/base/news/1223626545246891.xml&coll=2
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/10/haiti_food_drive_extended.html
http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2008/10/langford_wants_to_bring_12_hai.html

As of this evening, over 50,000 pounds of supplies have been donated...

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Drop off your donation to HudsonAlpha
601 Genome Way, Huntsville, AL, 35806
Dates: Thru October 27, 2008
Times: 10am - 4pm Daily
Questions: email us at haitifooddrive@gmail.com
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Purpose of Blog

This blog www.haitifooddrive.blogspot.com was created to provide information to those who wish to donate RICE, DRIED BEANS, and POWDERED MILK to the people of Haiti.

Over the past several months, Haiti has been hit by many storms and hurricanes that have devastated the land and the people. Starting in Birmingham, Alabama last week, there has been a tremendous outpouring of support for the people of Haiti. With so many people involved, the organizers decided to create a blog to keep everyone up to date.

Who is HudsonAlpha? They are the Event Sponsor!

The HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology's mission is to use biotechnology to improve human health, stimulate economic development and inspire Alabama’s youth to seek careers in science.

More info can be found at: http://www.hudsonalpha.org/

Who is handling the logistics in Haiti? Food For the Poor

Food For The Poor (www.foodforthepoor.org) ministers to spiritually renew impoverished people throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Established in 1982 as a 501(c)(3)corporation, FFP's goals are to improve the health, economic, social and spiritual conditions of the men, women and children they serve.

2007 SUMMARY OF ACTIVITIES *

Total Expenditures: $1,037,495,325
Operating Expenses: $33,377,612
Tractor-Trailers of Aid Distributed 4,340

Administrative Ratio
3.22%
Fundraising and other administrative costs comprised less than 4% of our 2007 expenses;
More than 96% of all donations went directly to programs that help the poor.

Market Value of Goods Distributed 1982-2007
$4,847,914,468
Total Tractor-Trailers of Aid Distributed
43,930

Who is the Jimani Project? They are a charity working in Haiti!

The Jimani Project is a 501c3 charity working in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The Jimani Project sponsors schools, churches, orphanages, and medical clinics among the poorest of the poor.