Haiti Earthquake - £30,000 and Relief Chest Opened - January 2010
Following the devastating earthquake which took place in Haiti on Tuesday 12th January 2010, the President of the Freemasons' Grand Charity has approved two emergency grants totalling £30,000.
The 7.3-magnitude quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, struck at 1653 local time (2153 GMT) on Tuesday. The epicentre was within 10 miles of the centre of the densely-populated capital, where around one million people live, more than 50,000 people are feared dead.
The Red Cross have pre-positioned relief supplies for 3,000 families in Haiti. These emergency supplies consist of kitchen kits, shelter kits and tarpaulins, personal hygiene kits, blankets and containers for storing drinking water. Red Cross volunteers in Haiti are currently assisting the injured and supporting hospitals who do not have enough capacity to deal with this emergency. The most urgent needs at this time are search and rescue, field hospitals, emergency health, water purification, emergency shelter, logistics and telecommunications.
A group of experts in disaster response, health in emergency and logistics have been sent to support the Haitian Red Cross in the relief efforts and to begin to coordinate international assistance from members of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement as well as other organisations. In addition, a Red Cross team will lead a damage assessment together with the Humanitarian Aid Office of the European Union.
Plan have also been granted £10,000 in support of their efforts in dealing with the immediate aftermath of the disaster. Plan's priorities are assisting children and their families and getting people into safe accommodation wherever possible, as well as working with survivors to help ease their psychological trauma.
For further information about the grant please contact Siobhan McCarthy via email at smccarthy@the-grand-charity.org or telephone 020 7395 9385.
Please note:
On the 20th January 2010, in response to requests from members of the Craft and as the extent of the devastation caused by the earthquake in Haiti became clearer, the Council of The Freemasons' Grand Charity opened a dedicated Relief Chest. This centrally administered service is for those who would like their donation for victims of the earthquake to be part of a co-ordinated Masonic response.
Any individual Freemason or Lodge wishing to make a donation via the Council's Relief Chest and in support of the longer-term recovery efforts can do so by sending a cheque payable to "The Freemasons' Grand Charity" to: Relief Chest Scheme, 60 Great Queen Street, London WC2B 5AZ and noting that it is to be paid into the Haiti Earthquake 2010 Relief Chest No. E0125
Tax payers wishing The Freemasons' Grand Charity to claim tax relief on their donation, must complete a Gift Aid Donation Form available from the Relief Chest department on 020 7395 9246 or you can donate online.
Update - June 2010
Please note we are now able to accept donations by telephone. To make a credit/debit card donation please call us on 020 7395 9349. Lines are open Monday to Friday from 10.00am to 1.00pm and 2.00pm to 4.00pm.
Read more about our disaster relief work.