Our work in Haiti is now so overwhelming we have difficulty fully taking it in. This is unlike any disaster we have yet encountered and will require the focus of Airline Ambassadors for a very long time to come.
We have now set up a command center and have two houses, two vehicles and three warehouses. We will need volunteers for the next year at intervals of 1 week, 2 weeks or 1 month at a time.
Currently our main focus is to leverage the airline industry to continue to support humanitarian relief deliveries after the earthquake becomes old news. So far we only have praise for the airlines, especially United, American and JetBlue, who have brought in huge amounts of aid on their relief flights. Last night at midnight we went to pick up more aid from the American Airlines warehouse, and Art Torno, the AA General Manager at Port-au-Prince who has been offloading cargo from any plane that comes in, was sleeping in the office. The whole AA ground staff here has been amazing.
White dresses are dancing in the moonlight as I write this. Male and female voices singing with an infectiously deep emotion. Never have I seen a whole culture with a spirituality so integrated, so inbred - and where there is such need.
It is so inspiring how everyone is coming together, but, again, the overall relief effort seems overwhelming. It will take all our love, wisdom and patience to put everything together and build a new Haiti.
Nancy
No comments:
Post a Comment