Chilean Earthquake Relief

Communication is being distributed to all parishes in the Archdiocese of Toronto today, letting them know we're accepting monetary contributions to the relief efforts in Chile, following the dramatic 8.8 earthquake that shook the region last Saturday. The quake left hundreds of people dead and an estimated 1.5 million more displaced from their homes.

Working through the Catholic Church's official international relief network, Caritas Internationalis, funds will be sent to our partners at Development and Peace (the Caritas representative in Canada). Development and Peace will forward the funds to Caritas Chile, which is distributing food through its network in the country. Caritas has also sent a search and rescue team to help find survivors trapped under rubble.

Those wishing to help through a financial contribution may do so in the following ways:
Online through ShareLife's website (www.sharelife.org)
By phone through the ShareLife office – 1-800-263-2595 or 416-934-3411
Through your parish, making cheques payable to: Parish Name - Earthquake - Chile

We offer our prayers for the thousands of families affected by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.

Caritas eyes reconstruction projects in Haiti

The president of Caritas Internationalis, Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, visited Haiti yesterday to assess the situation there. Of course, some political leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, have done the same.

The cardinal's visit was timed to deliver aid and spiritual solidarity to the Haitian people and their church. He indicated that, after a two-month campaign focused on relief, Caritas will begin a reconstruction program focused on housing, education and livelihoods, which will last up to five years. In all $234 million has been dedicated to the Caritas Internationalis Haitian relief effort by private individuals and governments.

More on the visit can be found on the Zenit news services site and additional updates on the Caritas work being done on the ground can be found on the Caritas site.

Though our fundraising for Haiti is for the most part over, the work of rebuilding the physical and social structures of the country will continue for years to come.

Inspiration at work in Haiti

The concern, the prayers, the fundraising and the relief efforts on the ground all continue around the Haitian earthquake disaster.
Just one example of the activity going on here at home, Robert F. Hall Secondary School in Caledon raised $17,000 for the victims of the natural disaster. An article came across my desk celebrating the generous work of the staff and students at that school. Thank you and congratuations to the school community there.
Also, for anyone interested in learning more about the Catholic Church's response on the ground, I recommend checking out the websites of our partners at Development & Peace and Caritas - they are being updated daily with sobering but inspiring reports of the work being done and the slow progress being made in Haiti.
Our prayers continue for those affected by the quakes, and those dedicated to helping the victims.

Update on Haiti...

A short update on the activities of Caritas in Haiti. Remember that our ShareLife partners at Development & Peace are the Caritas Internationalis agency in Canada - they are actively involved in funding and on-the-ground work in Haiti.

Caritas Haiti has begun to deliver almost 100 tonnes of food to Port-au-Prince this week to feed at least 50,000 people in one of the city’s biggest camps, Petionville Club. Working in a joint response to the earthquake of almost two weeks ago, the Caritas agencies have already brought food, water, medical and other supplies to more than 25,000 people. But the needs remain great, and logistics, communication and security have been serious challenges. The public has donated over US $60 million (Euro 45 million) so far to Caritas members worldwide.

Before this disaster, Haiti had very poor infrastructure. Caritas says it was not possible to have the amount of resources required to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of people overnight. But Caritas Haiti had stocks that were already pre-positioned in their warehouses, which enabled them to respond to the crisis within a short matter of hours. They were also able to bring in at least 40 truckloads so far from neighbouring Dominican Republic, and receive supplies via a severely damaged port. Almost two weeks after the devastating earthquake, people are becoming more desperate for food, but the constant flow of helicopters carrying crates over the city show that aid is getting through. (more...)

Inspiring response to disaster

Being part of the ShareLife Office gives me a chance to see Catholic charity in action - it's a true inspiration!
Since news of Tropical Storm Ketsana's devastation in the Philippines - flooding, landslides and more than 450,000 people displaced - we've received many calls from parishes and concerned citizens who want to help the victims. Parish groups have been formed. Donations are being collected. And prayers are being said.
Our international relief partners in the region, through the Caritas Internationalis network, have hit the ground running and we are collecting financial contributions to support their important work.
Find out more here.