Student Affairs, IPO coordinating campus aid response to Haiti
As reports emerge slowly from earthquake-devastated Haiti, Chancellor Robert C. Holub has asked the Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life and the International Programs Office to recommend how the campus community can best respond to the disaster.
The 7.0 magnitude quake that occurred late Jan. 12 reportedly killed thousands of Haitians, according to government officials in the impoverished Caribbean nation.
In a broadcast e-mail sent today, Holub said, “The people of Haiti, and their family and friends here and around the world, need our assistance. Our campus community has been directly impacted, as a small number of UMass alumni live in Haiti and many of our faculty, students and staff have family and friends there as well.”
He said the two offices designated to develop a response will work with faculty, staff and student organizations to “identify tangible ways that our campus can assist in what will no doubt be a global response.”
The chancellor also recommended that contributions be directed to the American Red Cross.
In the meantime, the International Programs Office is offering support to community members affected by the tragedy. “Our office is open throughout January, and if you have been touched by this disaster in any way, we want you to know that we are here if there is anything we can do to help — even if it is just someone to talk to,” said an e-mail from the IPO staff. “The staff in the Mental Health Office is also a wonderful resource.”
IPO is advising anyone planning to travel to Haiti to monitor travel alerts from the U.S. State Department. In addition, the office provided to a link to a list of agencies where people can contribute to Haitian relief efforts.
January 13, 2010.
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