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haiti

Florida Emergency Information Line

The State of Florida has activated a hotline to provide vital information to people with questions, relatives, etc. in Haiti as well as to coordinate with Volunteer Florida on people wanting to donate or provide volunteer their services or goods. 

Haiti Relief

Harvest Time International is collecting clothing, hygiene items and non-perishable food. If you'd like to make a donation, you can call 407-328-9900.

Information for Relief Workers

Information for Healthcare Providers

Please visit our Provider page.

The Orange County Health Department Offers Support to Haiti Earthquake Victims

ORLANDO — The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) staff would like to offer their sympathy to those affected by the catastrophic earthquake that occurred this week in Haiti. We join with our community in supporting the efforts of disaster relief that are currently taking place.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the Haitian community during this difficult time. Among our OCHD family we have many Haitian staff as well as clients we serve on a daily basis and who have family members in Haiti. We would like to extend our support to them,” said Dr. Kevin M. Sherin, Director of the Orange County Health Department.

The Orange County Health Department has many public health services available to the community. We are ready to offer these services and provide assistance to those who qualify and are affected by the earthquake in Haiti who may relocate to Orange County. Among those services are: the Orange Primary Access Coordination Team (OPACT); the Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC); as well as information, awareness, and education on diseases; and required childhood immunizations.

The Orange Primary Access Coordination Team consists of Registered Nurses and Eligibility Specialists who work in the Orange County community to identify families without health insurance, and help qualify them for insurance programs and link them to a health care provider. For more information on the OPACT program, please call 407-408-6808 (English), 407-375-6201(Creole), or 407-408-7144 (Spanish).

The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program is a federally funded nutrition program. WIC provides healthy foods, nutrition education and counseling, breastfeeding support and health care referrals at no cost for eligible clients. For more information about WIC eligibility criteria please call 407-836-2623.

The Orange County Health Department also provides Immunizations for children and adults, women’s services including family planning and maternity, as well as testing and treatment for Sexually Transmitted Diseases and Tuberculosis to the community on a daily basis.

Florida State Emergency Management Team Responds to Haiti Earthquake

January 14, 2010

TALLAHASSEE- In response to Tuesday’s earthquake in Haiti, the Florida State Emergency Management Team has deployed personnel from around the state to assist in recovery efforts. The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) is currently operating at a Level 2 or partial activation.

“We are continuing in our planning and coordination efforts with the federal government to be able to provide any needed assistance and resources to our neighbors in Haiti at this time,” said Governor Charlie Crist. “We know from experience that disasters have no borders and our state team is ready, willing and able to answer the call.”

Response efforts by the state of Florida to date includes:

  • Two 72-member urban search and rescue teams, South Florida Task Force Team 1 and South Florida Task Force Team 2 and 12 canines deployed to Haiti to provide search and rescue assistance. South Florida Urban Search and Rescue teams respond to a variety of disasters, including earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, storms and tornadoes, floods, dam failures, technological accidents, terrorist activities and hazardous materials releases where victims may be trapped, lost or injured.
  • The FloridaOne Disaster Medical Assistance Team (DMAT) out of Pensacola joined DMAT teams from throughout the United States at a staging area in Atlanta, GA. FloridaOne DMAT is comprised of people with expertise in the fields of medicine, mental health, communications, administration and logistics.
  • On Wednesday Governor Charlie Crist pledged to provide assistance to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Floridians who have friends and loved ones in Haiti.

State emergency management officials continue planning efforts with state, federal and international disaster officials to assist with response and recovery efforts for the island nation. Operations, logistics, plans and human services teams are prepared to assist with any mission requests.

Floridians and neighbors across the country can contribute to “Neighbors to the Rescue” by going to www.FLADisasterRecoveryFund.org – or by calling 1-800-825-3786.

The Florida Disaster Recovery Fund, formerly the Florida Hurricane Relief Fund, was initiated during the 2004 hurricane season to assist with the unmet and long-term recovery needs of survivors. The fund is managed by the nonprofit Volunteer Florida Foundation and fueled entirely by private sector donations, with grants made to long-term recovery organizations. For more information about the Volunteer Florida Foundation please visit www.volunteerfloridafoundation.org.

For more information on the Florida Division of Emergency Management and to GET A PLAN!, please visit: www.FloridaDisaster.org. All students, teachers and parents can find educational information and free downloadable materials at: www.KidsGetAPlan.com. And for the latest situation and flash reports go to: www.YouTube.com/FloridaSERT

Governor Crist Asks Floridians to Donate Wisely to Aid Survivors of Disasters

January 13, 2010

An informed approach to disaster donations maximizes ability to help make a difference abroad

TALLAHASSEE – Governor Charlie Crist today joined officials from the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service (Volunteer Florida) in urging Floridians to donate to survivors of disasters, including those in Haiti.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families impacted by the devastating Haiti earthquake,” said Governor Crist. “Now is a critical time for the people of Haiti, when monetary contributions are most needed. If you are in a position to contribute, I encourage you to work with an organization you trust."

An effective way for Floridians to assist with relief efforts is to make a cash contribution to a humanitarian organization they are familiar with and trust. Information on identifying humanitarian organizations that are conducting relief operations and accepting cash donations for their efforts in Haiti is available by calling the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI) at (703) 276-1914, or by visiting www.cidi.org.

"Monetary contributions are crucial during disaster recovery efforts, such as those in Haiti,” said Interim Director David Halstead. “Donating judiciously will ensure that Floridians hard earned dollars are reaching the intended cause."

Today, the Governor also announced the activation of the “Neighbors to the Rescue” through the Florida Disaster Recovery Fund. The fund is Florida based and particularly aids in regional long term disaster recovery efforts. Donations can be made at www.FLADisasterRecoveryFund.org or by calling 1-800-825-3786. The American Red Cross has also established an immediate way to contribute cash donations. Text messaging "HAITI" from a cell phone to "90999" will automatically donate $10 to assist with relief efforts.

Volunteer Florida, the Governor’s Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, is also available to assist with volunteer coordination and donations to local relief organizations. Floridians can visit www.volunteerflorida.org and www.state.gov for more information. Please visit www.FloridaDisaster.org for more information on Florida’s emergency management program.