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Jesuit Institutions and Organizations Offer Support to Chile and Haiti

Deanna I. Howes, AJCU Manager of Information Services
202-862-9893  dhowes@ajcunet.edu

In light of last week's earthquake in Chile, the Maryland Province is collecting donations to support relief efforts. If you would like to make a contribution, please address checks to “Attention to: Chile Relief Fund” 

Maryland Province Jesuits Fund 
P.O. Box 64818 
Baltimore, MD  21264

Seattle University students collected donations for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) on Feb. 27th

While recovery efforts have recently begun in Chile, Haiti continues to receive support to recover from the earthquake that struck in January. AJCU institutions continue to offer their support in thoughtful and dynamic ways:

Through extensive fundraising, Creighton University has raised $220,000 for victims in Haiti. Additionally (as of this writing), the university has sent five medical teams to assist patients in need of care.

On March 5th, Fordham University will host a benefit auction on its Rose Hill campus in the Bronx, sponsored by the Fordham Residence Halls Association. On Feb. 27th, Fordham’s Graduate School of Social Services hosted a panel of experts to discuss the short-term and long-term needs of Haitians.

Georgetown University’s campus University Information Services announced an innovative partnership with the World Bank to provide Haitian officials with portable disk drives that host geographic and satellite data on Haiti. Over the course of four days at the end of January, they transferred 1.2 terabytes of data that helped officials easily assess the damage of the earthquake.

Haitian-born Music Professor Jean Montès of Loyola University New Orleans and a group of his students and volunteers have collected musical instruments for students at Haiti’s Holy Trinity School of Music. They plan to personally deliver the instruments on a service trip to Port-of-Prince at the end of March. Click here learn more about this trip and a Santa Clara University student’s upcoming trip in Inside Higher Ed.

Rockhurst University hosted Gospel singer Victoria Blaise on Feb. 26th for a benefit concert, organized by Rockhurst’s National French Honor Society and French Club.

Seattle University (see photos above) recently collected over $3,000 in donations to earthquake victims through its “Hoops for Haiti” fundraiser on Feb. 27th. The funds will support the relief efforts of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Haiti.

The University of Detroit Mercy has recently partnered with Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) to bring volunteer architects and engineers to help assess damage of schools in Port-of-Prince. UDM alumni are being sought to serve as building inspectors and will receive post-disaster training before leaving for Haiti.

Wheeling Jesuit University sponsored a Hope for Haiti Walk for students, alumni and members of the campus community on Feb. 27th. The university's Service for Social Action Center sold t-shirts to support the event, with proceeds going directly to WJU's $5,000 Help Haiti Campaign.

Photo courtesy of Seattle University.