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Aug. 27 - Sept. 2, 2021
‘REBUILDING FOR A BETTER TOMORROW’
Queens community leaders join together for candlelight vigil for victims of Haiti earthquake
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN
Queens community leaders,
clergy members and a
host of elected officials on
Thursday, Aug. 19, held a
candlelight vigil outside
the headquarters of Haitian
Americans United for Progress,
Inc. (HAUP) in Queens
Village for victims of the devastating
earthquake in Haiti.
Eleven years after a magnitude
7.0 temblor devastated
Haiti, killing more than
200,000 people, a 7.2-magnitude
earthquake struck
the Caribbean island on the
morning of Saturday, Aug.
14, causing widespread destruction.
As of press time,
the death toll had climbed to
nearly 2,200 and more than
9,000 Haitians have been injured,
with tens of thousands
of Haitians left homeless.
Furthermore, on Tuesday,
Aug. 17, Tropical Depression
Grace caused flooding
in parts of the country, hampering
rescue efforts in the
country that is also reeling
with the COVID-19 crisis.
The earthquake is the
second catastrophe for the
island in just over a month
— in July, President Jovenel
Moïse was assassinated,
leaving the country in political
turmoil.
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards,
whose office organized the
vigil, pointed to the resilience
Community members joined elected officials, including Senator Chuck Schumer (middle) at a candlelight
vigil for the Haitian earthquake victims. Photo by Gabriele Holtermann
of the Haitian people
born out of their strong
belief in God — a sentiment
that was shared by
speakers throughout the
evening.
“The Haitian community
is resilient. They are more
resilient than any other community
that I’ve ever met,”
Richards said. “When I went
to Haiti, I remember going
into villages, going into a
church. The church had no
roof. It was raining, but the
people of Haiti were still
praying to God.”
He assured the Haitian
community that they would
get all the assistance they
need during this crisis. Richards
also emphasized that
helping Haiti shouldn’t mean
taking over the country and
practicing colonialism.
Richards stressed that it
was important to make sure
that supplies and donations
were getting into the right
hands.
“There are organizations
on the ground doing the
work. Follow those organizations,”
Richards urged.
“They should be Haitian-led
organizations. Support organizations
with a track record
of doing work within Haiti,
and not folks who just sprung
up overnight.”
U.S. Senator Chuck
Schumer, who, as senator
from New York, represents
the largest Haitian diaspora
in the world, shared
that he had already spoken
with President Biden asking
for aid. He urged him not to
repeat the mistakes of 2010
“when Haiti had another
tragedy, and no one paid
much attention.”
“But because of gatherings
like this, and people
like you, great elected officials
here with me. We know
that we will not forget,”
Schumer said.
Schumer also promised
that he would do anything in
his power as Senate majority
leader and leave “no stone
unturned” to continue fighting
for Temporary Protected
Status (TPS).
Elsie Saint-Louis, president
and CEO of HAUP, reminded
everyone that Haiti
is a resilient country despite
the crises it has endured. She
rejected the “poor Haiti model,”
pointing to the strength,
intelligence and determination
of the Haitian people.
For those who wish to donate
financially, they can
chose between four different
organizations, as identified by
the Mayor’s Fund to Advance
New York City. They are Ayiti
Community Trust, Capracare
Haiti, Hope for Haitiand
Partners in Health.
Further, the Queens
borough president’s office
will accept donations of
bottled water, non-perishable
food, personal care
products, toiletries and
feminine hygiene products
at Queens Borough Hall,
located at 120-55 Queens Blvd.
in Kew Gardens.
Donations can be dropped
off in a box located in the
lobby of Borough Hall next to
the security desk, just inside
the building’s main entrance
through Sept. 22. The lobby is
open 24 hours a day.
Read more on QNS.com.
Vol. 9, No. 35 44 total pages
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