Haiti Volunteering

[thamsenman]

Hi all,

I'd like to volunteer for the Haitian relief effort, but I don't know how or who should I contact. I heard the Red Cross isn't taking any more people. Are there any programs for laypeople or prospective medical students or something?

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[Elpenor]

lol

 

[Mackey]

Put a ribbon magnet on your car and call it a day.

Word.

 

[tito8512]

I know a group that is planning to go in march. I went with them in november to haiti. the group is from puerto rico. let me know if u want more info.

 

[apumic]

Hi all,

I'd like to volunteer for the Haitian relief effort, but I don't know how or who should I contact. I heard the Red Cross isn't taking any more people. Are there any programs for laypeople or prospective medical students or something?

What do you have to offer? All they've needed for quite awhile now have been medical personnel and unless you're more than a typical pre-med (i.e., also a BSN, NP, PA, etc.), you'd just get in the way.

 

[TooMuchResearch]

Hi all,

I'd like to volunteer for the Haitian relief effort, but I don't know how or who should I contact. I heard the Red Cross isn't taking any more people. Are there any programs for laypeople or prospective medical students or something?

The Red Cross will still take your blood. They pay snacks for blood. It's a pretty good deal.

 

[Morsetlis]

They won't take MY blood.

 

[Hoody]

Hi all,

I'd like to volunteer for the Haitian relief effort, but I don't know how or who should I contact. I heard the Red Cross isn't taking any more people. Are there any programs for laypeople or prospective medical students or something?

Hi....glad to see you're interested in helping out. I am too. I have been to some major relief efforts before, but I am afraid this is unlike any events that we have ever faced in the past. To give you an idea, I received a letter from a Psychologist (the MD kind) who was over helping out and who has been to other major disasters (think Katrina and tsunami). The particular person wrote an email to share with the entire VA and talked about just how dire the conditions really are. There is no structure at all (no buildings) and if you run out of water, you go thirsty. If you run out of food, you go hungry. If you get hurt, you are on your own. This is far different than I think most everyone with disaster relief has experienced. There simply are no answers and everything is very much day to day. There are no supplies and there is no simply way of getting supplies in. Infection is ramped. Most people who need urgent medical care have long passed.

I will ask permission to share the letter with you all. I myself didn't believe that it could be "that bad" and I am on a volunteer list and was eagerly fighting to go.....until the letter. Now I have respect for what they are saying. Its way more than what I can imagine.


Help of our kind wont be needed for some time...but your chance will come if you stay interested.

 

[ahowardmd]

Hi all,

I'd like to volunteer for the Haitian relief effort, but I don't know how or who should I contact. I heard the Red Cross isn't taking any more people. Are there any programs for laypeople or prospective medical students or something?

Ditto what someone said above...they need your blood! Other than that, by the time we have the necessary training to do any good, everybody will have forgotten about Haiti (think New Orleans) and there will be some other torn up hell-hole to go play around in. Your day will come.

 

[Morsetlis]

Say, why don't you volunteer to clean out flooded houses in New Orleans? ;p

 

[Hoody]

I thought it was AZ that is flooding?

 

[LawNonTrad]

Psychologist (the MD kind)

What's an MD psychologist? Do you mean a psychiatrist? Just asking.

 

[Hoody]

What's an MD psychologist? Do you mean a psychiatrist? Just asking.

yeah. my bad.