Students returned to campus from winter break eager to give from their wallets, time and hearts to the earthquake-ravaged people of Haiti.

And a cross-campus group was ready to tap that spirit, generating ideas and harnessing person-power to work on plans for everything from a telethon to Miss-a-Meal, Web resources to traditional table fundraising.

The campaign even has a name: “Here and Now.” “Here” stands for “Haiti Earthquake Relief Effort” and “Now” is for immediacy.

“We’re trying to do more collaboration instead of having 15 departments do their own events,” said Christina Ballesteros ’10, president of the Student Association.

The news broke while students and many faculty were home: People by the tens of thousands died in a 7.0 magnitude earthquake Jan. 12 that devastated the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

Innumerable Haiti relief efforts sprang up on college campuses around the country, as students, faculty and staff tried to redirect intense feelings to positive contributions.

At SUNY Oswego, Alyssa Amyotte, coordinator of the Center for Community Service and Service Learning, helped Ballesteros convene students and staff from the Caribbean Students Association, the Red Cross Club, the Student Senate, the President’s Office, Auxiliary Services, the Counseling Services Center, Residence Life and Housing, the Hart Hall Global Living and Learning Center and more.

In addition, Provost Susan Coultrap-McQuin has begun planning a summer trauma institute for relief workers who deal with the long-term emotional and psychological issues flowing from this and similar disasters. For information, e-mail provost@oswego.edu or call 312-2290.

Brainstorming leads to fundraising plans
Ideas came fast and furiously. Amyotte had looked ahead, booking tables in the hallway outside the Point to position enthusiastic student volunteers for Haiti relief fundraising. The Oswego County chapter of the American Red Cross provided canisters with bright white and red labels.

Ballesteros commissioned a T-shirt design: bright red with “I support” on the front and “Here and Now” on the back.  SA is selling the T-shirts for a modest price of about $3.

The spring Student Involvement Fair and some hockey games featured more fundraising. The Blue Line Club, boosters group for Laker men’s hockey, promised to donate proceeds from its 50-50 raffle at the sold-out Plattsburgh game to the Red Cross.

The Red Cross doesn’t see campus efforts as “competing” in any way with the Red Cross texting campaign or any other fundraising initiatives. “It’s all going to the same place. It’s the best way to actually help,” said Karen Ferguson '09, branch director of the Red Cross in Oswego.

Ferguson urged campus groups and individuals to keep directing efforts to monetary contributions, rather than drives for clothing, food or supplies—or to traveling to Haiti until the country has repaired its infrastructure enough to support the helping hands.

Recovery in Haiti may take years
Ballesteros said she hopes the campus is in it for the long haul. Recovery for Haiti, its government and its people will be years in the making.

“I want students and faculty and staff to not just think of this as temporary or as a trend,” said Ballesteros. “The time of need never really ends. Look at Katrina, now going on five years ago. We have a lot (of blessings) that others don’t. Let’s take this cause and raise awareness for other causes down the road.”

— Jeff Rea '71

PHOTO CAPTION:
Katie Scutt ’11 and Nick Krapf ’12 donate to the American Red Cross Haiti earthquake relief fund. Accepting the donation is Alyssa Amyotte of the college’s Center for Service Learning and Community Service.



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