Haitian Earthquake Emergency Relief Initiatives

The City of Delray Beach, Florida, wants to express our deepest regrets to the citizens of Haiti as well as our Haitian community that are affected by the horrific and devastating earthquake that took place on Tuesday, January 12, 2010.

The City of Delray Beach is committed to supporting the emergency relief efforts for this major earthquake that shook the island and has already begun to work with the American Red Cross, Missionary Flights International, Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church and Food for the Poor.  In addition, the City has established nine (9) drop off locations around the City to collect food, water and basic supplies to assist the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation (See List of Drop Off Sites Below).

“Our Haitian community is critical to the cultural diversity of our City and this tragic event has affected our City as a whole.  I have already experienced an outpouring of assistance from our residents and businesses and am hopeful that our entire community will unify to assist with these relief efforts,” stated Ms. Lula Butler, City of Delray Beach Community Improvement Director who is leading the City’s Haitian Earthquake Relief Initiatives.

To get involved or if you have any questions regarding the City’s efforts, including drop off locations and acceptable items to be donated,  contact the Community Improvement Department at (561) 243-7236.  Assistance/translation will also be available in Creole.

The City of Delray Beach has established nine (9) drop off locations for emergency relief donations and supplies to support those victims of the major earthquake that rocked Haiti on Tuesday.  The epicenter has been reported to be close to the capital of Port-Au-Prince and the quake was followed by dozens of aftershocks throughout a 10 mile (radius) area.  This earthquake was the largest that has ever been recorded in the area and has caused unknown damage to the impoverished nation.

The Red Cross has estimated that three million people within ten miles of the 7.0 magnitude earthquake’s epicenter in Haiti have been directly affected by this disaster.  Local authorities are struggling to conduct rescue and recovery operations and, at this time, there is no estimate on how many people were killed. Haitian President Rene Preval has been referenced as saying that the death toll could be in the thousands.

Survivors have set up camps in the streets amid piles of salvaged goods, including food being scavenged from the rubble.  Food and Water must be delivered quickly to ensure the safety of those victims.  Also, due to communications being down, many of Delray Beach’s Haitian community have not been able to confirm if members of their family and friends in Haiti have been affected.

HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE EMERGENCY RELIEF INITIATIVES DROP OFF SITES:

City Hall, 100 N.W. 1st Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7000

Pompey Park, 1101 N.W. 2nd Street, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7248

Veterans  Park, 802 N.E. 1 Street, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7350

Fire Station #1 / Headquarters, 501 West Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7400

Fire Station #2, 35 Andrews Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7400
 
Fire Station #3, 651 West Linton Boulevard, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7400

Fire Station #4, 4321 West Lake Ida Road, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7400

Fire Station #5, 4000 Old Germantown Road, Delray Beach, Florida
Tel: (561) 243-7400

Fire Station #6, 3614 South Ocean Boulevard, Highland Beach, Florida  
Tel: (561) 243-7400

In addition, the City of Delray Beach, Florida, has established partnerships with the following organizations to support emergency relief efforts for the Haitian earthquake tragedy:

American Red Cross, 825 Fern Street, West Palm Beach, Florida 33401
Tel: 800-733-2767
(Accepting financial donations today and tomorrow, they will start to collect other goods on Friday. Financial donations can be done online at redcross-pbc.org).

Missionary Flights International, 3170 Airmans Drive, Fort Pierce, Florida 34946
Tel: (772) 462-2395

LOCAL DROP-OFF SITES:

Bethel Evangelical Baptist Church, 809 SW 8th Avenue, Delray Beach, Florida 33444
Pastor Evens Jules
Tel: (561) 266-5957

Food for the Poor, 6401 Lyons Road, Coconut Creek, Florida 33073
Kathy Skipper, Public Relations
Tel: (954) 427-2222

ACCEPTING:
No clothing please
Utensils
Canned foods (flip open tops)
Bottled Water
Condensed, evaporated and powdered milk
Rice, beans in 10-20lb bags
Canned pasta meals
Garbage liners
Peanut butter
Batteries, flashlights, matches
Gauze, Neosporin
Gauze Bandages
Kotex
Personal Hygiene Kits (1 gallon zip lock bags) ??" bar soap, tooth brush/paste, band-aids
Diapers
Toilet paper
Hand sanitizers