Niagara’s regional council is exploring options for aiding the children of earthquake-ravaged Haiti.
Members of the Niagara, Ontario council unanimously approved a motion this Jan. 21 to spend up to $50,000 identifying ways of possibly working with humanitarian agencies and municipalities on initiatives that “will focus on improving the quality of life and well-being of the children of Haiti.”
The motion, put forward by St. Catharines regional council Judy Casselman, call on regional government staff to report back to council soon on options for providing assistance. “I’m sure we can come up with (ways of helping that are) Niagara born,” she said.
Share your ideas for assisting Haiti’s earthquake victims by filling out a comment box below.
Ideas for raising money for Haiti:
1. Have the Casinos and race track donate one day’s take to Haiti.
2. Have a huge wine and jazz festival with everyone volunteering their time and wine.
3. Take the money that would be spent on fireworks or other public celebrations and donate that.
Hope these ideas help.
Heather McArdle
We have well over 160 Haitian-Canadians in the area of Fort Erie alone. Many more families reside througout the Region in St. Catharines, Welland, Niagara Falls especially. They will want help with reuniting with famies.
Some here at First Baptist Church–Fort Erie, where about 100 Haitians attend, as well as in the other churches in our town where others attend, want to get their children to Canada as soon as possible. Many from Haiti have children still in Haiti who are living in the streets.
We need to urge our government to help reunite families as soon as possible. Doing so will not only help reduce the strain on Haitian resources, but also ease the emotional suffering of families here who are often overwhelmed with concern for relatives — especially their children.
While we have had many good news stories about found relatives still alive, there are also heartbreaking reports of homes destroyed, family members still unaccounted for, and for other family members having to live in the streets often hungry and without clean water.
There is much we can do locally to help the Haitian community both in Haiti and right here in the Region.