Community Corner

Local Haitian Solidarité reaches out to Nanuet Lions

A local Haitian Solidarité group in Spring Valley reached out to the Nanuet Lions Club for help in raising awareness and money for those in need in Haiti.

The 2004 tropical storm Jeanne and the recent quake in Haiti left the small country bruised and battered. The news of the destruction spread quickly and a few local community members created Haitian Solidarité Inc. in Spring Valley about two years ago. They raised supplies and funds to be sent down to Haiti, but needed more help as the devastation was great. 

They then asked the Nanuet Lions Club for help in raising awareness and money for those in need in Haiti. Barbara Chuck, Lion president, is friends with one of the members, who is also her bus driver.

"They reached out to us for help," Chuck said. "I then called the International Lions (Club Foundation). The Lions club in Haiti are extremely exhausted physically and financially and are overwelmed."

The International Lions Club (ILC) started a Haiti fund. The Spring Valley Haitian Solidarité recently sent down a school bus full of supplies for school, health and beauty.

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The Nanuet Lions started collecting similar supplies, but stopped when both organizations realized it would be more costly and difficult to ship supplies than money.

"240,000 kids need school supplies," said Chuck. "My concern is getting it from point A to B." So when some of the members of Haiti Solidarité traveled down to Haiti, the Lions sent down the supplies they had collected with them.

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"We sent it with them in their luggage," Chuck said. She is now switching over to helping Haiti Solidarité collect monetary funds to add to the ILC's Haiti fund. The Lions and Haiti Solidarité are meeting tomorrow night to brainstorm fundraising ideas.


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