Over the last couple of days, the Reeve Foundation has focused on supporting relief efforts that are directed at the people of Haiti with existing and newly acquired disabilities. Portlight Strategies and UCP Wheels For Humanity are a perfect match for our mission and are mobilizing rapidly.
Both of these organizations are known to the Reeve Foundation from previous Quality of Life Grants and are already in motion shipping medical supplies and wheelchairs to Haiti.
Portlight Strategies of Charleston, South Carolina focus is going to be providing medical equipment, shelter, and food for people with disabilities. They have a “Go” container in Atlanta which will ship out in a few days. They have an ongoing relationship with a community of Catholic sisters in Port au Prince who will be opening shelters.
Any funds they raise will be used to defray shipping costs of medical and clinical equipment and for the purchase of food and other shelter supplies. They are shipping everything from beds and water filtration units, to wheelchairs, walkers, crutches, catheters, wound care kits, and other clinical supplies.
UCP Wheels For Humanity of North Hollywood. CA is shipping wheelchairs. They have a working relationship with Partners in Health for on the ground distribution. Sam Maddox, the Paralysis Resource Center Knowledge Manager, sits on the Advisory Board for UCP Wheels For Humanity.
Please take a few minutes to make a contribution to these groups.
The Reeve Foundation is immediately awarding out of cycle Quality of Life grants of $10,000 each to support their Haiti relief efforts.
You may also contribute to our ongoing Quality of Life grant program, that allows us to take take such quick action.
Joe Canose
VP, Quality of Life
The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation
Photo Credit: AP Photo/Medecins Sans Frontieres, Stefano Zannini
This photo provided by Medecins Sans Frontieres shows wounded people gathered at the office of Medecins Sans Frontieres in Port-au-Prince, Haiti today. Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital today after the strongest earthquake hit the poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years crushed thousands of structures, from schools and shacks to the National Palace and the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters.