Fort Lauderdale Community Center has been a intricate part of the Broward Haiti Relief Task Force since its beginning, when the Earthquake struck Haiti.

In 2009 before the earthquake; we adopted the Renmen Orphanage and School in Haiti.  In November 2009 we sent #10 complete computer systems with brand new flat screen monitors, to start the first phase of the computer lab.  In April 2010, FLCC had scheduled to take its programs to Haiti, with an additional #50 more computer systems to teach the students of Renmen Orphanage and School, as well as the surrounding community, in computer repair, networking and software training.  Our goal is to help start micro businesses in computer repair and computer construction. In addition we intend to have Haitian students interface with our community center clients stateside, through field trips and telecommunications.  After the earthquake Fort Lauderdale Community Center join collaborative efforts with great organizations and businesses like, Children Service Council of Broward County, the Honorable Ken Keechl Broward County Mayor, and Commissioners Al Jones and Sue Gunzburger, Minority Development & Empowerment Inc, MC Pavers Inc., SOS Haiti 112, Florida Department of Children and Families, Volunteer Broward, Kids In Distress, General Crane, Haiti Association of Tourism, Advanced Green Technologies, Workforce One Employment Solutions, Holy Cross Hospital and others to form the Broward County Haiti Relief Taskforce (BCHRTF). The BCHRTF has delivered and distributed 1000's of gallons of water and hundreds of pounds of medical supplies, and has established several distribution points throughout Haiti.

 

Since the inception of the Broward Haiti Relief Task Force (BHRTF) members were responsible for more than 75 flights to Haiti, delivering medical and other supplies as well as 366 passengers such as doctors, nurses, other first responders and logistical site surveyors.

Coordinated 55 trucking activities within the Tri-County area from points of collections to points of exit; Doug Young, vice-chair, Business Relations Subcommittee traveled to Cap Haitien via Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines from February 17 to 24, 2010 on behalf of the BHRTF, and South Florida Audubon Society, primarily to deliver 50 Skywater 14 air-to-water machines donated by Islandsky, Hollywood, FL www.islandsky.com to OneVillagePlanet in Labadee; Business Relations chair and shipment were escorted by the Haitian National Police and two UN vehicles with UN soldiers and delivered to Alliance Francais in Cap Haitien, which includes a big school of over 700 students;

The Logistics Subcommittee sent 596.25 tons of relief items to Haiti for an estimated in-kind value of $608,935.00;

The Volunteerism Subcommittee provided Creole speaking volunteers to assist Legal Aid with Temporary Protected Status services;

Volunteer Broward, in partnership with the Volunteerism Subcommittee and Disney held a food drive at the Children’s Services Council Building and collected over 16,000 lbs of food to support the victim’s of the earthquake in Haiti ; Suddath Relocation Systems assisted the Task Force  with pick-up, storage, palletizing and transport of donated items to exits point in the Tri-County;

Survivor/ Victims Services Subcommittee and 211/Broward created and disseminated a Haiti relief resource guide specific to Broward County;

The Medical Subcommittee is working closely in collaboration with the Regional Domestic Security Task Force Region 7 to coordinate incoming flights and spread the wealth between hospitals. They are working on best processes to receive patients on the tarmac and to clear immigration in the most expedient manner; The Medical Subcommittee is also conducting testing for Exotic diseases and is seeing tetanus, malaria, TB, worms. They have noted increasing numbers of reports of dengue, gastrointestinal infections, malaria, typhoid, etc. Since dengue is indigenous to S Florida, the CDC is working with subcommittee members ,keeping them abreast and collecting composite data on people who are being spread around the country; Medical Subcommittee members such as Broward County Health Dept Dental Branch and Holy Cross Hospital are respectively providing dental screening to survivors and school based school physicals and immunizations using a mobile van;

The Faith Based Subcommittee is reaching out to community for sponsoring families and translators, sending shipments of food and water to Haiti, sending medical team to Haiti and helping to provide a base for relief there, providing housing for discharged patient and family and certifying local families to receive and shelter survivors;

The Education Subcommittee is working closely with the victims services and medical subcommittee to ensure that the needs of the 829 earthquake survivor students that in Broward’s school system. At least 40 new students are being registered daily. 686 are listed as meeting requirement for homelessness by federal regulations;

Leadership Committee members, MDEI, Urban League, and Legal Aid conducted bi-lingual TPS sessions in Broward county;

CSC staff member Sue Gallagher presented to the Leadership Committee and other subcommittees on Results Based Accountability (RBA); a useful tool to measure what has been accomplished and how to be accountable for the results; An organization mirroring the efforts of the BHRTF has been created in Haiti (GRII). It consists of 215 in country agencies through 5 cities that will work in collaboration with its Broward counterpart; CSC staff and Leadership Committee member Andrew Leone traveled to Haiti from 3/7 to 3/13 on behalf of the BHRTF to establish contact with GRII and other potential partnering agencies, scout possible points of distribution for materials collected in Broward and help facilitate the transport of medical and basic supplies to little served areas of the country.

(http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/pages/Broward-County-Haiti-Relief-Task-Force/276573708569?ref=ts).

Purpose of the Task ForceBroward Haiti Relief Task Force that would serve as an umbrella collaboration of organizations and individuals to assist in the aftermath of Haiti’s earthquake and eliminate duplication of efforts and services to:a. Provide short & long term relief. Focus on families in Haiti and Broward County. Maximize collective efforts SUB-COMMITTEES

1. Items/Food Collection – This sub-committee would work with various relief organizations and partners collecting food, toiletries, blankets, hygiene products, medical supplies, etc. They will also be responsible for classifying the information to ensure that community members who are interested in donating the referenced items know where to drop them off within their or neighborhoods.

1. Finance/Fundraising – This sub-committee will serve as the financial arm of the task force and will be responsible for coordinating the efforts related to other entities that are also raising funds for Haiti’s earthquake victims.

1. Logistics – Assist and serve as a clearing house for drop off locations, storage space, as well as air, sea and ground transport of all donated items.

1. Medical Care – Coordinate and collaborate with the medical professionals seeking to provide their expertise and assistance to earthquake victims.

1. Victim Services – Work with both victims and other members of the Haitian Diaspora that reside in Broward County to ensure they are linked to the necessary services.

1. Faith-based /Outreach - Collaborate with the faith based community to ensure that the Haitian Community is fully aware of the how the Task Force can assist them and their loved ones who may have been affected by the earthquake.

1. Volunteerism - Work with Volunteer Broward, the Red Cross, 2-1-1-, and other relief organizations that may be looking for bi-lingual volunteers here in Broward as well as in Haiti.

1. Business Relations – Work with the business community to provide support for employers in Broward County; Explore and job and investment opportunities in Haiti while serving as resource for such initiatives.