[Nfbf-l] Fw: Haiti

[Joe Minichiello]

I received this report from a coworker..
Joe Minichiello, Second Vice President
National Federation of the Blind of Florida
President, Greater Jacksonville Chapter
904-608-0105
jbmini at comcast.net
----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jimehill at att.blackberry.net>
To: "Joe Minichiello" <jbmini at comcast.net>
Sent: Friday, January 15, 2010 11:35 AM
Subject: Fw: Haiti


>
> Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: jimehill at att.blackberry.net
> Date: Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:41:13
> To: Undisclosed recipients<hill at gmail.com>
> Subject: Haiti
>
> My cousin Angie works for USAID in the Dominican Republic, which of course 
> is next door to Haiti. She sent the following first hand report to her 
> sister in Houston, who forwarded it to me.
>
> Hill
>
> **********
>
> Hi All,
>
> A brief update....I spent the entire day with official Americans (those 
> who work at the Embassy), their family members and American citizens who 
> were evacuated from Haiti last night. They pass through the DR overnight 
> while the travel office makes onward flight arrangements to the US. One 
> woman had a broken leg/foot and spent the night in the hospital. Most 
> (approximately 40 including kids) with one small bag and no clothes. Our 
> embassy has taken up a clothes and toiletry donation collection so many 
> leave with a new set of clothes. Their stories are unbelievable. All know 
> that they have lost everything.....everything......car, pictures, clothes, 
> computers, etc. I ran into my very good friend (from the Embassy) who 
> lived next door to the Embassy woman who was crushed to death in her home. 
> Val was able to get back to her home (left her car in the middle of the 
> street) to grab her daughter's clothes. She saw the crushed house and 
> heard her neighbor/friend's body was still inside. Needless to say, she 
> was extremely traumatized (this is her first overseas assignment). She 
> also saw many bodies, many seriously injured who were laying in the 
> streets helpless. She also talked about hearing the sounds of voodoo 
> ceremonies that took place Tuesday night and how frightening the sounds 
> were. All know their houses will be/have already been looted.Later in the 
> day, I escorted two official Americans children (7 and 10), adopted from 
> the same orphanage in Liberia, whose diplomat, single mom stayed behind at 
> the American embassy in Haiti. They came with another family and were 
> headed to FL to stay with a relative. Jess and Kia were the most adorable, 
> mature kids...amazing. I made sure they got onto the plane and tried to 
> call their aunt in FL (who wasn't answering her cellphone...seems strange 
> since she was expecting the kids!).Meanwhile, my boss asked me to travel 
> to the Haitian border tomorrow to assess the public sector hospitals in 
> terms of their needs for doctors, supplies, medicines, etc. I'll stay 
> overnight and return late Saturday. Will take my camera.This situation 
> continues to evolve.stay tuned.
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