As international relief groups respond to the earthquake aftermath in Haiti, Feeding America is closely monitoring the situation and preparing for any potential involvement that our member food banks may need to undertake. Though Feeding America is a domestic hunger organization, situations so close to our shores inevitably affect our work—everything from serving refugees to sharing wisdom with our peer international nonprofit organizations.
What Feeding America is Doing
Since the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, our disaster response staff members have been engaged in numerous conversations with food bank personnel, donors, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (NVOAD) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency(FEMA). These organizations are each conducting daily information-sharing calls on behalf of the Department of State (including the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and the US Agency for International Development), which is the lead entity for response to Haiti.
Where to Direct Others Who Want to Help
Please visit NVOAD (www.nvoad.org), InterAction (www.interaction.org), Red Cross (www.redcross.org) or the Center for International Disaster Information (www.cidi.org). These web sites provide guidance on active organizations that are seeking support from the public.
Next Steps
As of this time, we do not know if this will place any additional responsibilities on our network members. If it does, we will seek immediate guidance from FEMA and the Department of State to ensure our response is coordinated and as effective as possible. We will continue to participate in FEMA’s daily coordination calls and swiftly notify the network when any actionable information is provided.