A group of Harvard employees recently united to help colleagues affected by Haiti\u2019s devastating earthquake, using the tool they had at hand, a plastic jar.<\/p>\n
Nickels and quarters, checks and dollar bills were all part of the contributions they made to a small impromptu bank fashioned from a Tupperware container and located on a cabinet in the middle of their office.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverybody just felt this sense of helplessness,\u201d said Doug Anderson, director of the information technology services and support group for the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, where there are three workers with direct ties to Haiti. Anderson said members of his team wanted to help their coworkers in a \u201ctangible, personal\u201d way.<\/p>\n
After learning of the Harvard Haiti Emergency Relief Fund for Employees<\/a>, Anderson suggested to his team that they take up their own collection. He offered to match whatever was raised, up to $250, with his own money.<\/p>\n \u201cWith 50 people, we could turn pocket change into a lot,\u201d said Anderson, who encouraged his team members to give whatever they could. Over a week and a half, the employees, many of whom are spread across campus, stopped by the central office in the basement of the Science Center to deposit their donations.<\/p>\n The office goal was $250. When it came time to count the money, the total came to $249.76. As promised, Anderson matched the amount, plus enough pocket change to get to $500 even.<\/p>\n \u201cThank you so much for your generosity and, more importantly, for coming together as a team to show our support for those whose families are affected by the earthquake,\u201d Anderson wrote in an e-mail to his team. \u201cI feel very proud and privileged to work with such a great group of people.\u201d<\/p>\n