Haiti Relief Efforts - A Message from UIC

Dear UIC Community,

The Office of Leadership, Community Service/Volunteerism, and Commuter Resources, like many others, was deeply saddened to hear about the disaster in Haiti. We recognize that Haiti is one of the poorest countries in this hemisphere and its citizens have been left homeless and in desperate need. Our office’s mission includes awareness, civic engagement, and a desire to assist students, faculty, and staff in finding ways to positively impact not only local community agencies, but to reach out and help on a global level as well.<

To that end, we have compiled several ways that our community can reach out. These contacts are verified for their legitimacy, and you can be sure that your money will be utilized in a manner consistent with its purpose. The Center for International Disaster Information (www.cidi.org) has a link to a database you can access to verify if a particular relief organization is registered. A few of the largest ones are listed below:

American Red Cross (800) RED-CROSS
CARE (800) 521-CARE
OXFAM (800) 77-OXFAM
World Vision (866) 280-6587

In addition to the above sources, there are now several ways to donate easily by texting. Sending a text to these sites authorizes a charge billed directly to your cell phone.

Text "HAITI" to 90999” to make a $10 donation to the Red Cross.

We also realize that many departments and organizations at the university have begun their own efforts to aid in this relief effort. If you know of something that is being done, please contact our office at serve@uic.edu and let us know! We are hoping to begin a database of efforts to coordinate and inform the university community.

We are proud of the outreach and concern we have seen so far from our UIC community. We hope that we can be leaders for thoughtfulness and support of those struggling to recover.

Regards, Office of Leadership, Community Service/Volunteerism and Commuter Resources