Updated January 15, 2010
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Across the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) campus, students are brainstorming and working together to help the survivors of this week's devastating earthquake in Haiti.
Members of the Kappa Alpha Psi and the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternities are joining forces to collect monies and clothing to donate to the American Red Cross and other relief organizations. The students collected donations today in the Hill University Center and say they plan to continue from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 15 in the HUC lobby, 1400 University Blvd.
Students with Baptist Campus Ministries at UAB also are encouraging students and the public to donate toward disaster relief in Haiti. Students and the public can send checks in care of Baptist Campus Ministries, 1216 15th St. South, Birmingham, AL 35205. The public is asked to write "Haiti" on the check's memo line.
Next week, members of the United Methodist Campus Ministries at UAB will assemble first aid/health kits containing sterile bandages, hand towels, soap and other items for earthquake victims. The students will meet at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 20 in the Wesley House, 1408 13th Ave. South, to assemble the kits. The kits will be sent to the United Methodist Committee on Relief for distribution to Haiti. Information on ways to help is online at www.uabwesley.org or e-mail United Methodist Campus Ministries at UAB director Bobby Riggs at bobby@uabwesley.org.
Donations also will be collected during the free movie screening of "Zombieland," at 8 p.m., Friday, Jan. 15 in the Hill University Center Alumni Auditorium, 1400 University Blvd. Monies collected will be sent to an organization called Food for the Poor. Go to www.foodforthepoor.org/ for more details on the organization.
The UAB Public Health Student Association within the School of Public Health (SOPH) is accepting donations for the nonprofit Partners in Health through Jan. 22. Donations can be dropped off at the SOPH's dean's office at the UAB Ryals Public Health Building, 1665 University Blvd. or by calling the student association at 205-934-4725 or by emailing phsa@uab.edu.
In addition to these efforts, UAB faculty, staff and students may donate to one of the numerous recognized relief agencies providing assistance to earthquake survivors in Haiti.
Recognized agencies include but are not limited to:
Action Against Hunger: http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/where-we-work/haiti
American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/
Beyond Borders: http://www.beyondborders.net/index.php
CARE: http://www.care.org/
Direct Relief International: http://www.directrelief.org/EmergencyResponse/2010/EarthquakeHaiti.aspx
Doctors Without Borders: http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
HED: www.hedprogram.org/
International Medical Corps: https://www.imcworldwide.org/SSLPage.aspx?pid=878
International Relief Teams: http://www.irteams.org/index.htm
Meds and Food for Kids: http://mfkhaiti.org/
Mercy Corps: http://www.mercycorps.org/
Operation USA: http://www.opusa.org/featured/news-release-operation-usa-prepares-emergency-aid-in-response-to-earthquakes-in-haiti/
Oxfam America: https://secure.oxfamamerica.org/site/Donation2?df_id=3560&3560.donation=form1
Partners in Health: http://www.pih.org/home.html
Save the Children: http://www.savethechildren.org/
Stop Hunger Now: https://secure3.convio.net/shn1/site/Donation2?1420.donation=form1&df_id=1420&JServSessionIdr004=dz2m7yil82.app305a
UNICEF: www.secure.unicefusa.org/site/Donation2
World Concern: http://www.worldconcern.org/haiti-earthquake/
Yele Haiti: www.yele.org/
Potential donors should be aware that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has released an urgent fraud alert warning potential donors to be cautious while responding to unsolicited e-mails and advertisements on the Internet asking for donations for Haiti relief. The FBI alert urged people not to respond to any unsolicited incoming e-mails and especially not to click on links contained within those messages.
About UAB
Known for its innovative and interdisciplinary approach to education at both the graduate and undergraduate levels, the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is an internationally renowned research university and academic medical center and the state of Alabama's largest employer. For more information, please visit www.uab.edu.