2nd to Last Haiti related email. :)

Hey,

I do apologize for mass emailings.

Just got back from Haiti safe and sound. 

Anyhoooo, my good friend Jill Fink is holding a fundraiser for Haiti at her coffee house,

In short- Adam Cooper and I will be speaking.  Adam was the doc in charge of the ER on the USNS Comort.  

100% of the proceeds are going exactly where they are supposed to.  100%--  See below if you want more info on this**

DATE:  Tuesday March 16  @7pm

LOCATION: Mugshots Coffee shop corner of Fairmont and 21st st

$5 advance, $10 @ door includes light refreshments and beer

I don't want you to feel pressured to come, but I'm sure the poor starving children with broken feet would want me to pressure you.  :)

kidding.

Anyway, I would really love to see you there. It's a good cause, should be fun and interesting. Invite your friends.

Thanks

Pete Sananman

(see below for more info)

FURTHER DETAILS:

1)    direct link to donate: (find the button with my name on it)

      http://www.housingworks.org/donate/haiti/

Everyone who gives to Haiti  via this link under my name, will receive a tax receipt (via email and regular mail)  

 2) Mugshots calendar for time/location

http://www.mugshotscoffeehouse.com/events_calendar.cfm

3) verbose explaination of how I've designated the money to be spent and why this is a good way of donating if in fact you wish to donate:

Jill has allowed me to select the recipient of the proceeds which will be HousingWorks, the organization with whom I worked in Haiti.

HousingWorks in turn has agreed to specifically earmark 100% any money raised at this event for the cause of my choice.

Having been on the ground, I feel very comfortable in selecting the following 2 goals:  

      1)  Purchase of specific medicines at a hugely discounted price from WHO with whom we connected.  Shopping list is written, meds are available

      2)  Paying Hatian translators who are volunteering there time to translate for the non creole speaking health care providers.  a quick quote from my own blog (too lazy to rewrite it)

             The payment of actual wages to these young, hardworking, educated translators who have all been displaced from their career paths and are now volunteering there efforts in the aftermath of this rediculous devastation is a donation many times over...you are providing a crutial link in the healthcare chain---most medical services right now are by non creole speaking "foreigners", you are putting food in the mouths of the translators and their families, and you are providing legitimate employment in a country with 70% unemployement and no "industry" to speak of, furthermore you are empowering a self motivated group of young people who may very well be the future leaders of haitian infrastructure.

Given the well deserved cynicism one may have about donating money  to large organizations or money being "taxed" through a corrupt Hatian government, if you still have a granule of desire to give toward Hatian relief, and are looking for a place to donate money that you know will go the right way, I am personally vouching for this.  Given the fact that I refused to take cash from everyone (except my mom and nandita) before I left because I dont' want to be responsible for anyones money getting wasted, this should be reassuring.

p