Whilst the Oxfam team in Haiti is working with other aid agencies around the clock to bring clean water, food, shelter and medical help to thousands of children, women and men, here in the North West everyone is doing what they can to promote the Haiti Disasters and Emergency Committee Appeal and involve as many people as possible to make cash donations.
The response for the Haiti Appeal has been very positive so far. I have been touching base with our Oxfam shop managers in the North West, and everyone is doing what they can to support the Haiti fundraising appeal.
David, manager for the Oxfam shop in Keswick, was supposed to go to visit the Oxfam programme in Haiti in February- and now he is working with shop volunteers to raise as much money as possible. Wendy, Oxfam shop manager in Didsbury in Manchester, has been very busy in the last few days with customers popping into the shop to make cash donations for Haiti after they have seen the horrendous images of the disaster.
Last Friday George Osborne, MP for Tatton, visited the Oxfam Knutsford shop to support the Disasters and Emergency Committee Appeal for Haiti, which had just been launched on that day. Jane, manager for the Knutsford shop, and a group of loyal shop volunteers, welcomed their MP in the shop and quickly directed him to the Haiti donations box.
Mr Osborne said: “The scale of the disaster is devastating for the people of Haiti and we should all support the Oxfam appeal and others like it. I am delighted that they have already responded with help from this country by sending support teams and equipment, but more aid is urgently needed”.
UK donations to the Disasters Appeal emergency appeal (DEC) reached a staggering £31 million in less than a week.
Individual donations like the one George Osborne MP made at the Knutsford Oxfam Shop all help to raise the kind of money that will help Haiti to recover over the coming weeks and months.
Thousands of people’s lives have been devastated by the earthquake and need all the help we can give them. We are encouraging everyone who has not donated yet to do so by going to www.dec.org.uk