Fun_People Archive
11 Nov
Hurricane Relief in Central America

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From: Peter Langston <psl>
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 98 16:05:48 -0800
To: Fun_People
Precedence: bulk
Subject: Hurricane Relief in Central America

X-Lib-of-Cong-ISSN: 1098-7649
[No yuks in this one, I'm afraid...  -psl]

From: Jef Jaisun <eljefe@halcyon.com>

Like a lot of you, I've been pretty much overwhelmed by the damage done in
Honduras and Nicaragua by Hurricane Mitch. I can't begin to fathom a loss
of 10,000 people in one swoop, let alone what the survivors are going
through. Most of the TV reports I've seen urge people to send money instead
of goods, as it's very costly to hire planes and helicopters to fly the
supplies into remote areas.

I've been in touch with several people whom I consider to have impeccable
credentials. One is Bill Cane (bcane@igc.apc.org), executive director of
IF, who has worked tirelessly on projects in Chiapas and Guatelama. Bill
was a tremendous help to me three years ago when I was trying to coordinate
earthquake relief for victims in lower Jalisco. Another is Judy Zafforoni
(jzafforoni@netbridge.net), a member of our loose-knit family of annual
Melaque/Barra de Navidad trekkers. Judy and a friend are leaving for
Honduras on November 18th; Bill has passed along a recommendation for a
place to send funds. I've reprinted all the information below. I trust these
people implicitly, and they will be receiving something from me shortly. If
you are so motivated, please feel free to follow suit. And if you feel like
making this a chain letter, I promise I won't gripe this time.

Muchas gracias!

El Jefe
aka Jef Jaisun

_________________
From: jzafforoni <jzafforoni@netbridge.net>
Subject: Honduras

Hi My Friends,
  Pat Muller and I are going to Honduras to help the survivors of recent
Hurricane Mitch.  We will  be working through the Red Cross in Honduras.
We leave the 18th of Nov. and return the 30th. They are in dire need of
medicine, water purification, clothing, household items, baby things, tools,
household items, soap and on and on.  The country has been devastated and
my heart goes out to them.  I will be canceling a craft show in San
Francisco so that I can go help do whetever is needed.
  Pat, a bilingual gradeschool teacher in Woodburn OR, is fluent in spanish
so she will be interpreting for the english speaking health workers in the
hospital and we will be helping to distribute the incoming relief packages,
working with children and doing what ever else is asked of us.
  I will be using my credit card to buy airfare and as many items as I can
stuff into 150 pounds of allowable luggage.  So this is a plea for your
contribution in this small effort to help out as much as possible in such
short notice. If you can manage to contribute $20 or more to the effort I
could purchase medicines and more of these needed items. Pat is doing
similiar fundraising with her friends and family.
  Please send your donation to Judy Zafforoni, PO Box 74, Yachats, Oregon
97498 as soon as possible as we leave on the 18th.
  Thanks so much.                                  Judy Z
______________

HOW CAN WE HELP

Many friends have asked us about effective ways to help the Nicaraguan
people today. There are a number of Non Profit Organizations that will
guarantee that your help will go where it is most needed. We are in contact
with the Center for People's Health and Education (CEPS), a non govermental
organization run by Dr. Leonel Arguello, a very competent epidemiologist,
and a group of public health activists that headed the national health
programs during the 80's. These are very honest and committed people who
are now 100% dedicated to the emergency relief campaign. They are working
in close coordination with other NGO's in the effort to deliver of food,
primary care and medicines to the damaged areas.

Checks should be made out to "CENSA" marked "Central American Hurricane
Relief Fund" and send to

CENSA
2288 Fulton Street
Office 103
Berkeley CA, 94704

CENSA is the Center for the Study of the Americas, a Non profit research
group based in Berkeley that will collect the funds and send them directly
to CEPS in Nicaragua. Donations are tax deductible

Anuradha Mittal
Policy Director
Institute for Food and Development Policy - Food First
398 60th Street, Oakland, CA 94618
Phone: (510) 654-4400  Fax: (510) 654-4551
http://www.foodfirst.org
-----------------------------

From: Zenaida Velasquez <zvelasquez@global.california.com>

Re: Relief
We have decided to create a fund through Our Developing World:  Honduran
Relief.  We'll forward this $ to Christian Commission for Development (CCD).
We know these people, and they have been working in Honduras for many years.
They have offices all over the country, and I trust them. People can write
their checks to O.D.W., write in the memo:Honduran Relief Fund, and the
address is:

c/o Ulmers
13004 Paseo Presada
Saratoga, CA 95070

If you have more questions please let me know, and don't forget, keep in
touch. Un gran abrazo. z

(Zenaida Velasquez is the founder of the Families of the Disappeared  in
Honduras. Her brother was killed in the 80's and she has asylum here.)

© 1998 Peter Langston