"There were tent cities everywhere made of metal. People were drinking out of puddles. (In America) you just donﾒt see animals and children just completely emaciated," Katie Allsup-Armstrong, co-president of SPAM.
Allsup-Armstrong journeyed twice to the Dominican Republic during her years in high school. She saw first-hand the dismal living conditions of the island of Hispaniola, which is split between the DR and Haiti.
The Haiti earthquake on Jan. 12 measured 7.0. The epicenter was only 25 miles from Haiti's capital, Port-Au-Prince.
Approximately two million people live within the zone of moderate to heavy structural damage, said the CIA World Factbook.
The Haitian government released the body count at 150,000 in a press statement.
"When something like this happens to people who already have nothing, we should contribute. As Americans, we are really blessed," Allsup-Armstrong said.
HC students have the opportunity to contribute to the Haiti relief effort. PUN groups such as SPAM and BACCHUS are working with HC junior Franny Myers to make hygiene kits.
"If I was Red Cross certified, I would have hitchhiked my way to Haitiﾅbut since I wanted to do something with the school, I wanted to do something with a church organization," Myers said.
Myers spoke to her mother about helping Haiti, and was directed to the Lutheran Disaster Response and Church World Service. The organizations sent her a list of necessary supplies to create hygiene kits.
Church World Service also provides another way that students can help. Logging on to Facebook and signing the "Tithe Bonuses for Haiti" petition could help the organization get funding from well-endowed corporate officials.
Myers has expanded the effort beyond the HC campus as well. Hastings churches, including First Presbyterian, St. Johnﾒs Lutheran and the United Church of Christ have all begun to ask their congregations to volunteer their time and funds to the project.
A more material way of contributing to Haiti is to purchase items for the hygiene kits. All the items needed to make one kit were approximately $5-6 when purchased from the dollar store, Allsup-Armstrong said.
"They said it's only $5-6 at our BACCHUS meeting, but I donﾒt have $5-6. I'm getting my paycheck tomorrow, though," Jeanine Simons said.
The full list of items was sent out by email in the HC Announcements. Signs will be posted with the list as well.
There is no deadline for the hygiene kits. Myers also set up the HC Haiti Relief Fund, so donations do not have to be toothbrushes and washcloths.
The donations could even be spare change.
"I work at the Blue Moon and we have a little jar for money for Haiti...by the microwave," sophomore Jensyn Rudolph said.
The PUN groups are creating a competition between HC sororities and fraternities to raise money for Haiti. The details are still being worked out.
Myers and PUN are working on getting more awareness of the HC Haiti relief effort. Currently there are two pink collection bins for hygiene kit items, one by the surveillance desk in HSU and one by the circulation desk in the library.
Soon there will be collection bins in all dorms as well.
