Posts Tagged ‘Donate’

Volunteer eBook available from HODR Alumni

Thursday, August 5th, 2010

The Underground Guide to International VolunteeringKirsty Henderson, a veteran of four international HODR projects and other volunteering projects worldwide, has written an ebook called ‘The Underground Guide to Volunteering’ (www.nerdynomad.com/volunteering). Her aim is to provide people who want to volunteer worldwide with the knowledge and confidence they need to make it happen.

People who want to volunteer are often put off by fees charged by the companies who arrange the placement, sometimes up to $1000 per week, or more. Kirsty wants to show these people that the HODR model of free volunteering opportunities is alive and well all over the world. She gives tips on how to find these opportunities, lists helpful websites, interviews a selection of people who have volunteered worldwide in a variety of programs, and also includes a list of organizations in need of volunteers. She talks about managing expectations, choosing a volunteering opportunity that is a good fit for you and gives a lot of practical advice learned through first-hand experience.

‘The Underground Guide to Volunteering’ costs $14 and $7 of each sale will be donated to HODR with a goal of eventually raising $10,000. So far Kirsty has raised $1000 and she’s working hard at adding to that total. Buy a copy or tell your friends and help HODR in the process!

Kirsty Henderson is a HODR alumni writing from a constantly changing location. For more information you can visit her blog at www.nerdynomad.com.

HAITI: Notes from the Field 2/23/10

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

An update from David Campbell, HODR Executive Director:

Haiti PhotosFriends,

I have just finished my second trip to Haiti since the Jan. 12th earthquake, and am moved by both the breadth of the devastation and the enormity of the response effort. The challenge of providing an appropriate human response, in a poor island nation with weak infrastructure, after an event that hit the major urban area and seat of government, has been overwhelming.

Supplies of water, food, and fuel seem stable, and the port is now receiving container shipments. The airport has reopened to the first commercial flights since Jan 12th. Schools, hospitals, homes in the hundreds of thousands, have been destroyed. The official death toll is now reported at 230,000.

But the people are moving forward. In spite of the media reports I see busy streets, people working together to cope, initial steps to rebuild lives.

We’ve opened our HODR Project Leogane, in a large abandoned concrete building that sustained minimal damage; we’ve added water, kitchen, bunk beds, hired cooks and drivers, and opened for volunteers a week ago.

We’ve already cleared rubble from several homes to allow the families to start on the path back, and have a clear, safe place for tents and transitional shelter. In the future we’re planning to clear many more homesites, help build transitional shelters (normally about a 12 x 18 sq ft space), temporary classrooms, and help in every way we can. We expect 60 volunteers on site this weekend, and will ramp up to our full capacity of 100 volunteers each day in March.

Our expectation of an initial 6 month project cost is $500,000, our largest effort since Hurricane Katrina. Your support is essential by volunteering and monetary donations. The IRS has allowed any donations made by Feb 28th to qualify as 2009 deductions, so please use that extra incentive to send a donation to help now. Click here for details from the IRS.

To make a contribution today or volunteer with us in Haiti, use the buttons to the right.

Thanks,

David Campbell

HAITI: Project Leogane Announcement

Wednesday, February 3rd, 2010

Announcing Project Leogane, Haiti 2010, earthquake response project. This extraordinary disaster has had a devastating impact on the entire fabric of Haiti, and we are anxious to help.

The country has suffered over 110,000 lives lost; in Leogane, where we will focus our efforts, an estimated 90% of the buildings were destroyed. This will be a serious project, cooperating with other local and international NGOs, to help the community of Leogane recover from this massive event.

We are committed to a minimum period of 6 months, beginning February 15, 2010, when the project opened to volunteers. As always, we tailor our projects and work on the ground to the unique needs of each community and disaster. Since this event and challenge is so large, serious, and we’ve received unprecedented volunteer interest, we have established specific rules and structure for this HODR deployment:

  • We will have a capacity for 100 volunteers at a time and therefore may not be able to accommodate everyone who is interested in volunteering.
  • We will build up to this capacity over the month of February, and we will consider satellite projects later in the deployment, but not initially.
  • We will not be able to accept drop-in volunteers.
  • We will give some priority to:
    • HODR alumni, particularly our Project Gonaives alumni

    • Specific skills we enumerate; at the time licensed structural engineers
  • The volunteer base will have no alcohol, strict curfew and lights out policies, with zero tolerance.

Our efforts will be under open scrutiny from the community, media, donors, and humanitarian world. It is an opportunity to demonstrate the special and direct impact that your volunteer efforts can make on a community in dire need.

Whether you are able to join us on-project or support our efforts with a donation, thank you for your continued engagement and commitment to the unique and effective HODR model and to supporting the people of Haiti following this overwhelming disaster.


David Campbell
Executive Director

Get Involved:

For more information about volunteering on Project Leogane, visit our Haiti Volunteer Page.
To support our efforts with a tax-deductible donation, click here.
Follow our teams on Twitter for daily notes & progress @HODRops

INDONESIA: New Project Photos!

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

If you haven’t been automatically redirected to our Flickr Photo page, please click here. Thank you for your interest & support!





HAITI: Notes from the Field 1/23/10

Monday, January 25th, 2010

An update from David Campbell, HODR Executive Director:

Saturday AM, Jan. 23, 2010 from UN base, Port au Prince

HODR assessment team consists of me (David Campbell), Stefanie Chang & Jeremey Horan. Thanks to Barry Goldsmith, pilot Rick Link and the Ocean Reef Club for your support and assistance with transport to Santo Domingo. We arrived in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Wednesday January 20 at 2 PM, made it to Jimani, DR at the border by 11 PM, stayed in barracks there.

Found a vehicle, drove to Port au Prince (PAP) Thursday to PAP airport, added Jakob, Gonaives volunteer, to our team, and were picked up by Paul Fermo, with his vehicle. Have slept on the floor at his house in Puits-Bain PAP; neither satellite phone nor satellite internet link working, no cell communications, only email. Roads in horrible condition, and very congested, so a trip to UN base at airport ranges from 30-90 minutes.

Friday attended multiple “cluster meetings”; these are organized by UN OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). Activities are organized into 12 clusters, e.g., health, shelter, logistics, security; a typical meeting is held in a tent at the airport, with about 60 attendees from 40 or so different NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organization, like the World Food Project, Medecins San Frontieres, CARE, HODR, etc…). Information is presented, and requested; there is a tremendous challenge in gathering, integrating, and communication, in addition to the doing and planning.

Yesterday, in addition to the cluster meetings, we met with Habitat for Humanity International, to understand their initial planning thoughts; it is reasonable that we may cooperate on interim housing work if we launch a project. We visited prior contacts at Matthew25, a clinic/guesthouse in PAP, and exchanged information with several connections.

Saturday AM we are attending UN OCHA cluster meetings, listening to press conference, and planning a road trip starting tomorrow to visit affected areas west of PAP, toward Jacmel.

In the Press conference it was mentioned that there have been 12 aftershocks of 4.5 or greater; 2 on Thursday evening; we all slept outside last night due to the warnings. They also reported an estimated death toll of 75,000 – think of the impact of one death in your own life, then realize the impact in a close city of such a traumatic event.

We are focused on specific areas of need we could address with our volunteers, and finding an area where we could be productive and secure.

The damage is massive; entire areas of homes destroyed. There will not be an opportunity for general volunteers, for us or any other organization, for weeks to come. The medical situation seems stabilized.

We will try to keep updates flowing through Twitter @HODRops, and the www.HODR.org website.

Thank you to all the donors and interested volunteers for the support you’ve shown; we are proceeding on plan, and doing our best.

-David

——————-

The team spent 3 days in Port au Prince, over the weekend visited the areas of Leogane and Petit Goave, and is currently en-route to Jacmel as of 1/25/10.
For daily updates follow us on Twitter @HODRops

MEDIA RELEASE:
Important Message for Volunteers in the Immediate Aftermath of Haiti Earthquake

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 13, 2010
For more information please contact:
Beca Howard, Communications Manager
781.570.9412Beca@HODR.org

IN IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH OF TRAGIC EARTHQUAKE, HANDS ON DISASTER RESPONSE SENDS IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO THOSE INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING

CARLISLE, MA, USA 1/13/2010 – On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a massive 7.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a series of strong aftershocks devastated Haiti. Initial reports indicate overwhelming damage in the capital city of Port-au-Prince, affecting an estimated 3 million people with as many as 100,000 lives lost. Hands On Disaster Response (HODR), a US-based 501(c)3 nonprofit, has launched an emergency appeal and assessment in response to the recent earthquake, and has created the Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund to accept monetary donations to support these efforts. The seasoned volunteer coordination organization welcomes interest from volunteers, but cautions that search and rescue missions are still underway.

“We had an incredibly successful six-month project in Haiti last year, and are anxious to be of assistance again,” says David Campbell, Founder and Executive Director of HODR who plans to return to Haiti as part of the organization’s assessment team. “That being said, we are not a search and rescue or medical response organization. In the immediate aftermath of such a tragic event, we need to let search and rescue efforts do their work before any potential volunteer initiatives can be explored, and I encourage those interested in volunteering to be patient as emergency services take their course.”

The HODR assessment team is reaching out to local networks and agencies in Haiti and plans to arrive in Haiti next week. The organization will be meeting with local officials, visiting affected areas and evaluating the recovery needs in order to determine further involvement and the potential for volunteer projects.

Often, following large-scale natural disasters there is an overwhelming need for able and willing hands to help families pick up the pieces and move forward. HODR harnesses the power of volunteers to bring direct assistance to survivors of natural disasters in the US and around the world. The organization has responded to 13 natural disasters in seven countries, including a deployment in Haiti from October 2008 to March 2009 in response to Hurricane Ike and a series of other hurricanes. Those interested in volunteering, should HODR launch a project in the coming weeks, are encouraged to stay tuned to the organization’s website at www.HODR.org for the latest updates from the assessment team.

HODR programs are tailored to the unique needs of each community and range from debris removal to rebuilding homes and schools. In the organization’s hurricane response project in Haiti, volunteers assisted more than 5,000 families through programs such as “mud removal” (digging homes out from severe mudslides) and well masonry. HODR is actively engaged in a volunteer project in Indonesia in response to the September 2009 earthquakes, focusing on home deconstruction and transitional shelters.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the Haiti Earthquake Recovery Fund in support of HODR’s efforts please visit www.HODR.org/HaitiEarthquake today.

For more information on HODR and how to help, visit the organization’s website at www.HODR.org and follow our team on Twitter @HODRops

For media inquiries, please contact Beca Howard – 781.570.9412, Beca@HODR.org
For donation information, please contact Andrew Kerr – 919.830.3573, Andrew@HODR.org

About Hands On Disaster Response:
Hands On Disaster Response (HODR) is a MA-based, 501(c)3 non-profit organization that provides hands-on assistance to survivors of natural disasters around the world, with maximum impact and minimum bureaucracy. By supporting volunteers with housing, meals, tools, and organized work at no charge HODR is able to provide free and effective response services to communities in need. The organization welcomes both returning volunteers as well as spontaneous volunteers, people not previously affiliated with any disaster organization, but who are willing to help with whatever needs to be done – from clearing rubble to building homes and schools, from sanitation projects to children’s programs. Previous projects include: Indonesia (2009 Earthquakes – On-going project), New York (2009 Flooding), Arkansas (2009 Tornado), Haiti (2008-2009 Hurricanes), Iowa (2008 Flooding), Missouri (2008 Tornado), Arkansas (2008 Tornado), Bangladesh (2007-2008 Cyclone), Peru (2007-2008 Earthquake), Philippines (2006 Typhoon), Indonesia (2006 Earthquake), Mississippi (2005-2006 Hurricane Katrina), and Thailand (2004 Tsunami). For more information or to donate visit www.HODR.org.

HAITI: Earthquake Assessment

Wednesday, January 13th, 2010

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a massive 7.0 earthquake and dozen aftershocks struck Haiti, near the capital of Port-au-Prince. Initial reports are of overwhelming damage in the capital city, affecting an estimated 3 million people.

HODR has launched an assessment team to determine how and where we can be most effective in the recovery efforts. Search and rescue will be critical over the next weeks, and then the work of helping the country recover will begin. Our team arrived in Haiti January 21. We have been and will continue to network with contacts from our 2008-2009 Haiti hurricane response (Project Gonaives) as well as other responding agencies, and meeting with local officials, visiting affected areas and evaluating the recovery needs in order to determine further involvement and the potential for volunteer projects.

To support our efforts please make a donation to our Haiti Earthquake Response Fund today. If you are interested in volunteering, please read our Volunteer Info page.

We will update www.HODR.org as more information becomes available. You can also follow us on Twitter @HODRops for daily updates and progress.

View our 1/23/10 “Notes from the Field” by clicking here.

For media inquiries, please contact Beca Howard – 781.570.9412, Beca@HODR.org
For donation information, please contact Andrew Kerr – 919.830.3573, Andrew@HODR.org

Thank you for your interest in supporting HODR and the people of Haiti in their time of need.

HAITI EARTHQUAKE: Monitoring the Situation

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

On Tuesday January 12, 2010, a major earthquake of magnitude 7.0 struck Haiti. We are monitoring the situation and reaching out to networks and friends from our 2008-2009 Haiti hurricane response to help us gain local information and perspective.

We will post more information and any HODR updates over the next several days as more details become available. Stay tuned to www.HODR.org for the most current posts, and follow our International Team via Twitter at twitter.com/HODRops

A Day in the Life of a Volunteer – Project Sungai Geringging

Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

Hi from Project Sungai Geringging!

In response to the recent earthquakes in Indonesia more than 50 volunteers from 11 countries have pitched in to help get the community back on its feet, and we’re excited to share this video that was put together by volunteers on-project. Thanks for your support!

“Happiness Is” Film Says Giving Is The Way To Contentment

Thursday, November 19th, 2009

If you’ve volunteered with us or donated to a HODR project, you know first hand what the film “Happiness Is” is talking about. Giving of your time or money helps others in direct and tangible ways, and it just plain feels good to get involved.

“Happiness Is,” a new film by Andrew Shapter, is about the “pursuit of happiness” in America and the power of giving. HODR is excited to be a cause the film supports and if you pay attention you’ll see a couple of our project photos in the film!

Get Involved!
The film is helping spread the message about giving, and especially now, during the holiday season, what better time to get involved?!

Host a “Happiness Is” screening to raise awareness and funds for HODR! Get a group of friends together in your home or use a classroom or auditorium to invite hundreds of people, watch the movie, and ask for a “whatever you can give” donation to HODR. Email Beca at Beca@HODR.org for more info and check out screening suggestions on the film’s website.

Support HODR’s Indonesian Earthquake Response Project! Volunteer or make a tax-deductible donation to directly support families in Indonesia left homeless by the recent devastating earthquakes. Whether you can join us in Indonesia, donate, or help us spread the word and fundraise to get others involved, your support makes a direct impact on those affected. More info »

Check out the “Happiness Is” website for a trailer and more info at www.happinessisthemovie.com and check out an article in the Huffington Post.

Thanks for giving!!