Hurricane Mitch Relief Efforts at MIT

As you probably know by now, much of Central America was seriously destroyed by Hurricane Mitch. In Honduras alone, 10,000 people lost their lives, 12,000 are missing, 70% of the crops are just gone, along with 60% of the potable water supply, and up to one million people lost their homes. The death toll in Nicaragua was preliminary set on the order of 3,000, but reports of more casualties come in every day. Thousands of people lost their lives, their homes and their belongings to the numerous mud-slides and floods. An entire town got buried in Nicaragua as the wall of a nearby volcano collapsed...

Needless to say, there are hundreds of thousands of people who need help, our help now. Together, the Central American Club, the Club Latino and SEEDS for Latin America is organizing a drive. We strongly urge you to please help us bring some hope and relief to all these families in Central America. We are recollecting medical supplies, non-perishable food and clothes. However, we recommend that your donation be in terms of money, as it is getting increasingly harder to ship goods to Central America.

We are privileged to have a roof to shelter us and food to calm our hunger. Let's not forget about our brothers and sisters in Central America who in this very moment are struggling to survive. A little contribution from each one of us will make a difference to those in need!

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP!!!!

We managed to collect over 10 truckloads of food and clothes and $2290!!!!

Hurricane Mitch Drive
Collection of Food, clothes, and money in dorms and student center at MIT.

MIT Stratton Student Center (1st floor)
84 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA
It will start on monday November 9 until friday November 20. It will run everyday from 9am - 5pm. This is to accept donations from both MIT and the Boston community.
contact: pbnasser@mit.edu. or brunom@mit.edu.

Dorms

Right now these are the dorms that have bins:

Macgregor

Tang

Next House

East Campus

Edgerton

New House

Senior Haus

WILG

Eastgate & Westgate

** Now there are change boxes in The Coop and Laverde's

Money Donations

RED CROSS DISASTER RELIEF FUND (mail checks to:)

                           American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund
                           P.O.Box 37243
                           Washington, DC 20013

A fund has been set up by Bank Boston. Checks/money orders can be sent to: (Contributions may also be made at any BankBoston branch).

                           c/o Honduras Relief Fund/Mitch
                           BankBoston 3
                           Center Plaza Boston, MA 02108

The Central Bank of Honduras has also set up a fund with CitiBank in New York:

Credit 3612-9797
Name of Honduras/Mitch Emergency Fund
Account with CitiBank, N.A.=20
111 Wall St. NY, NY 10043
ABA No. 021000089
Swift Address: CITIUS33

You can also send checks to the St. Mark's Nicaragua Relief (this will be tax deductible contributions since they are being funneled through st. Mark's Cathedral.

St. Mark's Cathedral
1245 10th Ave. E.
Seattle WA, 98102

You can call the American Red Cross and donate money.

You can call Oxfam America for money donations (1-800-776-9326), and call 482-1211 for item donations.
Heart to Heart International is assembling medicines and food to be arilifted. Please call 1-888-97HEART and make a money donation. Heart to Heart can leverage $40 for every dollar you donate.

Donation of Items

Small donations can add up to relieve the suffering of thousands of people. Right now, canned food that doesn't need cooking, medicine and drinking water are priorities.

Food & Water
Baby food, formula
Milk - powdered or canned
Drinking water
Canned Food
Corn Flour (Masa Harina)
Beans
Rice
Vegetable oil
Sugar
Medical/Health supplies
Anti-diarrhea
Anti-decongestants
antipyretics (to lower fever)
Pain relievers: aspirin, etc.
Cotton balls, pads
Distilled water
Soaps
Disinfectants: alcohol, ointments
Bandages, gauze
Skin treatments: antibacterial & anti-fungus
ointments, powders, lotions, creams
Disinfectants: alcohol, hydrogen peroxide
Disposal syringes
Rehydration salts
Clothing
Remember that winter clothing is needed in very few areas
Clothing for adults & children
Disposable diapers
Protective gear such as heavy gloves, rubber boots,
face masks, goggles, etc.
Shelter/Equipment
Flashlights, lanterns with batteries
Tarps, tents, plastic sheeting
Cots & folding beds
Cooking utensils & dishes (metal or plastic)
Can Openers!!
Portable (gas) stoves, grills
Blankets, sheets, sleeping bags
Soaps
Detergents
Chlorine bleach
Mosquito Repellent
Charcoal

Other Fund-Raiser Activities

Also if you have any ideas for fund-raising activities in which you and/or your organization will like to participate, please contact me at pbnasser@mit.edu.

Clothing and food may also be dropped off at:

Alianza Hispana, 413 Dudley St., Roxbury
The Justice of the Peace, 3 Washington St, Dorchester
La Pupusa Guanaca, 378 Centre St, Jamaica Plain
Honduras Travel, 212 Broadway, Chelsea
La Chapincita Market, 424 Moody St, Waltham

On-line Information:

There's also a good information clearinghouse at www.honduras.com/weather/information.html
Efforts to help victims of Hurricane Mitch at latin-america.com/html/LATINA/hurricane.htm

Contacts

David Goldstein-Ramirez is trying to help organize things in the Boston area. If you don't have email, he can get in touch with people who only have email addresses and get their phone numbers.

617/625-5325 home
617/901-5025 work/cell
617/451-8625 fax
David@aeroastro.com

Ignacio Ochoa (617/989-3030) is leading the Comité Emergencia Centroamericano in Boston, who are organizing for Honduras, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

To offer medical cooperation with the Hospitals, Maria Lopez: mlopez@cisvx3.dfci.harvard.edu

Working with other Student communities in other areas, Oscar Flores: oflores@tiger.lsuiss.ocs.lsu.edu

Organizing at Harvard: Anna Oliva at Anna_Oliva@harvard.edu or 617/495-0388