wroughtn_harv
Super Member
August/Sept of 2011 and all of March of this year I stayed at the Haiti Communitere compound in Port AU Prince. Their workshop while primitive was good enough for me to make the equipment I needed to make while there. Even more importantly, it was good enough for the Haitian community to use to make their stuff.
May 3rd the workshop burned to the ground. I just got off the phone with Sam Bloch who is the director of Haiti Communitere. He said the fire probably started because they had one group welding and another group doing a wood working project in the same area. No matter how it started the tool crib for a lot of international NGOs is now gone and the Haitians no longer have a place to work and learn trades.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Fire Destroys Haiti Communitere Workshop - HC Calls for Community Support
Here's the good news. They have a hangar in Ft Lauderdale, Florida and private flights to transport replacement tools etc straight to Port Au Prince. There is also some talk of other pick up points in the States where tools can be picked up and flown to Ft Lauderdale.
They also have a wish list at Home Depot where you can purchase tools and they will be sent to Haiti Communitere.
I believe the best thing is to have folks go through their tools and cull out stuff that is good and no longer needed or used. They can get a tax write off for the donation and I personally believe some of the old tools are a ton better than new ones bought at the box stores.
We're talking extension cords, drills, saws, hammers, shovels, picks, measuring tapes, anything that you have for projects is what they need for their projects.
They lost their welding machine. It was a Lincoln buzz box, old tombstone. If there is anyone that has another tombstone or any welder comparable to it to be donated that would be appreciated, the more the better. They want to have classes for Haitian on welding and metal work.
Go through your stuff, if you needed it at one time and don't now then chances are they can use it.
The USPS has a package where the price is the same no matter how much it weighs. So you can send a ton of wrenches for the same price as a couple of rolls of toilet paper to Ft Lauderale. Or you can get in contact with them and there might be a tool drive going on close by.
Thank you, Harvey Lacey aka, wroughtn_harv on tbn.
May 3rd the workshop burned to the ground. I just got off the phone with Sam Bloch who is the director of Haiti Communitere. He said the fire probably started because they had one group welding and another group doing a wood working project in the same area. No matter how it started the tool crib for a lot of international NGOs is now gone and the Haitians no longer have a place to work and learn trades.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Fire Destroys Haiti Communitere Workshop - HC Calls for Community Support
Here's the good news. They have a hangar in Ft Lauderdale, Florida and private flights to transport replacement tools etc straight to Port Au Prince. There is also some talk of other pick up points in the States where tools can be picked up and flown to Ft Lauderdale.
They also have a wish list at Home Depot where you can purchase tools and they will be sent to Haiti Communitere.
I believe the best thing is to have folks go through their tools and cull out stuff that is good and no longer needed or used. They can get a tax write off for the donation and I personally believe some of the old tools are a ton better than new ones bought at the box stores.
We're talking extension cords, drills, saws, hammers, shovels, picks, measuring tapes, anything that you have for projects is what they need for their projects.
They lost their welding machine. It was a Lincoln buzz box, old tombstone. If there is anyone that has another tombstone or any welder comparable to it to be donated that would be appreciated, the more the better. They want to have classes for Haitian on welding and metal work.
Go through your stuff, if you needed it at one time and don't now then chances are they can use it.
The USPS has a package where the price is the same no matter how much it weighs. So you can send a ton of wrenches for the same price as a couple of rolls of toilet paper to Ft Lauderale. Or you can get in contact with them and there might be a tool drive going on close by.
Thank you, Harvey Lacey aka, wroughtn_harv on tbn.
