JRF Continuing Haiti Relief Effort By Building School

 (Reprinted from Amboy Beacon, Jan. 26, 2011) PERTH AMBOY — Next month, the Perth Amboy-based Jewish Renaissance Foundation (JRF) will begin building its first school in Tabarre, Haiti, through a grant awarded by the Merck Foundation.


Construction of this school will allow the group to begin meeting one of its goals: creating jobs in Haiti, through the construction firm’s use of local labor for this prefabricated school, among other projects.

One year after the destructive earthquake in Haiti, more than a million people still live in crowded tent-cities despite amazing relief efforts by Haitians and the international community and people.

Haiti already had serious problems before the earthquake. People were suffering from not having the most-basic elements, such as healthcare, education, sanitation, water and security, to cite just a few.

French-speaking Haiti, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Spanish-speaking Dominican Republic to its east, is recognized as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with an annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $390 per person, or less than $2 daily.

Just days after the earthquake struck Haiti, JRF and its affiliate Jewish Renaissance Medical Center (JRMC) provided medical services to people in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, Leogane, Tabarre and Petion-Ville, particularly to members of the Haitian National Police. Over 5,000 Haitians were treated during five trips to Haiti by the JRF and JRMC.

At that time, Dr. Alan Goldsmith, founder and President of JRMC, described conditions there as being “10-times-worse, if not 100-times-worse, than Hurricane Katrina in the U.S.”

In addition to several surgeries performed within days of the catastrophe, the JRF and JRMC medical team provided pediatric, obstetric, gynecological and eye care. Their different teams physically-carried over 1,000lbs. of medications and 2,500 pairs of eyeglasses.

The JRF and JRMC medical mission at the Police Academy was very-crucial because their medical team discovered a surprising amount of glaucoma. A plan was developed to address this issue, which will be further addressed at different police stations during this year.

JRF’s “Operation Lifeline” is working-closely with the United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to make sure that the issues of healthcare are being addressed by sending medication to fight the cholera outbreak, education, clean water and jobs by building the school, a medical center and a safe-haven for children in the city of Leogane, which was at the epicenter of the earthquake, and not duplicating any project. That city’s Mayor already has donated over 300 acres of land to erect this project.

The earthquake has affected all Haitians, even their family in the Diaspora. The JRF and JRMC are committed to help the Haitians in addressing their basic needs and long-term challenges. At this stage, it is vital to reach a level of funding in addition of generous support from all their partners.

“Operation Lifeline” is taking this opportunity to thank everyone for their ongoing interest, support and contributions and urging continued working to change and save the lives of our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Last year, a team of medical personnel led by Goldsmith, equipped with badly-needed food, water and supplies, helped to coordinate treatment efforts in the earthquake-ravaged Caribbean island nation.

In addition to local area donors such as Supremo Food Markets Inc., Tropical Cheese Industries Inc. and White Rose Foods LLC, the Center worked directly with the Intergovernmental Institute for the use of Microalgae Spirulina Against Malnutrition (IIMSAM), an accredited observer to the United Nations Economic & Social Council with which Goldsmith is affiliated as its Goodwill Ambassador.

Anyone interested in making monetary donations can call (732) 376-6611. An account has been established, and checks should be made-out to “Jewish Renaissance Haitian Relief Fund.”