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Jimmy Jean-Louis Onstage at Peace One Day Concert | PUMA Peace

2010-09-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Jean-Louis Onstage at Peace One Day Concert | PUMA Peace

Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis Heading to Haiti

2010-03-12T09:58:00.000-08:00

Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis Heading to Haiti

Date: Friday, March 12, 2010, 5:59 am
By: Jackie Jones, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Jimmy Jean-Louis of the NBC hit show “Heroes,” NBA star Cliff Robinson and the NFL’s Terrell Owens are expected to arrive in Haiti Friday to assess conditions there 60 days after a devastating earthquake struck the island nation.

“You hear a lot of things,” said the Haitian-born Jean-Louis. “Obviously, I have family there, and they tell me one thing. My nonprofit, Hollywood Unites for Haiti, hears something else; the Pan-American Development Foundation is there, and they see something else. I’m hearing all kinds of things, and they’re all different.”

The Pan-American Development Foundation, the natural disaster relief arm of the Organization of American States, has worked with Jean-Louis’ foundation to clear debris, help Haitians return to their homes where possible and deliver needed supplies.

The PADF also raises money for disaster relief and has assisted more than 300,000 Haitians since the quake.

Hollywood Unites for Haiti originally was formed to promote sports and cultural activities for the underprivileged youth of Haiti, but expanded its role to mobilize relief efforts after the earthquake.

Jean-Louis and his colleagues plan to distribute supplies and visit sites where the PADF has worked to clear up rubble remaining since the earthquake, and Owens and Robinson are expected to contribute scholarship money and other kinds of help.

The PADF is shipping supplies in 40-foot cargo containers and has a program that will inspect 20,000 homes within the next four weeks. Using a U.S. system employed after Hurricane Katrina ripped the Gulf Coast, homes will be tagged green, yellow or red to indicate whether the homes are safe for people to return to them.

“Hollywood Unites for Haiti and the PADF have been doing some of that work, but only in small houses and small areas. We are in need of financial support,” Jean-Louis told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “There’s still a lot more that we need. We lost a country there; this is something that people have to understand. We lost the heart of the country - the capital, hospitals, banks, universities, hotels - everything that makes a country.”

Jean-Louis said he also wants to see whether any progress has been made in neighborhoods that sustained more severe damage and determine how people are managing to hold on where help has been slow to arrive.

“One thing that I hope will happen as far as Haiti is concerned is that the international borders open for Haiti, not for the Haitians to flee out, but for the businesses to go back and forth,” he said.

“I believe Haiti has been isolated for years. For the past 200 years, Haiti has been embargoed, has had no relationship with the superpowers. I think that’s one of the reasons Haiti has died within itself. It’s hard to be an island with closed borders. If that changes, then I truly believe Haiti will go back on its feet and thrive again” with trade, tourism and international commerce, said Jean-Louis.

On Thursday night, the House of Representatives unanimously approved H.R. 4573, the Debt Relief for Earthquake Recovery in Haiti Act of 2010, which calls for debt relief for Haiti. The Senate is expected take up the bill soon.

“Debt relief is essential to Haiti’s ability to move forward with its recovery,” Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) said in a statement. “By removing this burden, we allow Haiti’s limited resources to be directed to the urgent needs of relief, recovery and rebuilding.

The bill calls for the U.S., the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank and other multilateral development institutions to cancel all debt Haiti owes those institutions, suspend debt service payments and provide additional assistance to keep Haiti from accumulating additional debt.

Haiti owes a total of $828 million to multilateral financial institutions. Haiti also owes about $400 million to other individual countries.

While Haiti needs and appreciates the help from the international community, Jean-Louis said that it maintain sovereignty is also important.

“I also hope that the control of Haiti will remain with the Haitians, with the help of the international organizations and governments. When you become such a fragile country, it’s a situation where anything can happen. So, yes, it is one of the concerns. I prefer not to feed that concern, but to believe that humankind is better than that, and if there is any help, it will be to truly help, not take over,” he said.

The primary mission now, however, is addressing the immediate needs of Haiti’s citizenry.

“The eyes are not on Haiti as they were the first few weeks (after the earthquake), and that’s normal,” Jean-Louis said, “but the idea is to keep the eyes and news on Haiti because Haiti is struggling. And will be struggling for months and years to come.”

Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis (above), NBA star Cliff Robinson and the NFL’s Terrell Owens are expected to arrive in Haiti Friday.

Actor Danny Glover To Support Global Commerce Solution's Haitian Earthquake Relief Benefit in D.C.

2010-03-10T09:23:00.000-08:00

Actor Danny Glover To Support Global Commerce Solution's Haitian Earthquake Relief Benefit in D.C.

Global Commerce Solutions to host star-studded benefit "To Haiti...With Love" in Washington, D.C. March 21. Danny Glover; Haiti's Ambassador to the United States; and Jimmy Jean-Louis are the among the special guests.

Washington, D.C. --March 9, 2010 - Actor/Philanthropist Danny Glover; H.E. The Honorable Raymond Joseph Haiti's Ambassador to the United States; and Haitian-born Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, star of NBC's Heroes and founder of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, are the among the special guests attending “To Haiti...With Love,” a benefit reception to be held at the W Hotel in Washington, D.C. on Sunday, March 21 from 5-7pm.

Proceeds from the event, hosted by Global Commerce Solutions, will benefit two nonprofit charities actively engaged in the Haitian relief effort: The Children and Families Global Development Fund Inc. and The Hollywood Unites for Haiti Earthquake Assistance Fund. Guests will hear first hand updates on the relief efforts in Haiti from Ambassador Joseph and Mr. Jean-Louis. Ed Baten, General Manager W Hotel D.C., and Terence Peterson, President/CEO of Kwedz Research, are proud sponsors of the event.

"Even though many of the cameras have left, the needs still exist," said Harry Black, VP of Global Commerce Solutions. "We are proud to host this event with our special guests to do our part to assure that the people of Haiti continue to receive the support they need to rebuild over the long term.”

WHO: Global Commerce Solutions

WHAT: “To Haiti With Love” Fundraiser

WHEN: Sunday, March 21

TIME: 5-7PM

WHERE: The W Hotel, 515 15th Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20004

ADMISSION: By Invitation Only

SPECIAL GUESTS: Ambassador Raymond Joseph, Danny Glover, and Jimmy Jean-Louis

INFO: http://haitiwithlove.eventbrite.com/

MEDIA CONTACT: Taroue Brooks (202) 431-1119; roueskie@yahoo.com

About Global Commerce Solutions:

Global Commerce Solutions is a program management, business and organization improvement services company based in Washington, D.C. We help organizations identify fundamental issues and create lasting solutions in the following areas: Acquisition Program Management; Call Center Operations; Personal Property Management; Community Readiness & Emergency Preparedness; Capital Improvement Program Management; and Financial Program Management. Our federal, commercial, state and local government experience enables us to provide the results for our clients. For more information: www.globalcommercesolutions.biz.

About Hollywood Unites For Haiti:

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a nonprofit charitable aid organization that puts 100% of the donations it receives directly into the cause of helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help. The organization is currently providing support for victims of the earthquake and accepting donations for this purpose. Donations are used to buy:

• Shelter kits with tents, tarps, water purification tables, and other basic necessities

• Emergency relief supplies

• Food

• Medical supplies

• Family tool kits, including shovels

• Telecommunications equipment

About Children & Families Global Development Fund, Inc.:

Children & Families Global Development Fund is a nonprofit organization focused on improving services to people who need them, helping individuals with personal development to become self-reliant, and insuring that people live with dignity no matter their circumstances. The organization collaborates other entities through humanitarian trips, training, fundraising and strategic alliances to better serve their constituencies.

Ride For Haiti

2010-02-17T22:24:00.000-08:00

HAITIAN-BORN ACTOR JIMMY JEAN-LOUIS(NBC’S HEROES), QUANTUM LEAP ENTERTAINMENT, AND SCORPION CUSTOMS, ANNOUNCES RIDE 4 HAITI: LOS ANGELES FEBRUARY 27, 2010 SPONSORED BY BERT’S MEGA MALL AND

GLENDALE HARLEY-DAVIDSON

Proceeds raised benefit HOLLYWOOD UNITES FOR HAITI, a PAN AMERICAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION Affiliate

LOS ANGELES, CA (February 16, 2010) – Scorpion Customs and Quantum Leap Entertainment are proud to present the Ride 4 Haiti: Los Angeles sponsored by Bert’s Mega Mall and Glendale Harley Davidson to be held on Saturday, February 27, 2010. Proceeds from this event will benefit Hollywood Unites For Haiti, a Pan American Development Foundation affiliate.

“Hollywood Unites For Haiti is proud to be the beneficiary of the Ride 4 Haiti: LA Rally.” says Jimmy Jean-Louis, Founder of HUFH, and Pan American Development Foundation’s Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti’s Children. “Only a month after the quake, Haiti continues to suffer and is a long way from recovering. This fundraising event will provide vital support for immediate relief, recovery and reconstruction into hard to access areas of Haiti. I thank you in advance for your continued support for my country.”

Glendale Harley Davidson, home of the world famous Love Ride, will be the host venue to kick off Ride 4 Haiti’s red carpet Celebration gearing all SoCal bikers, from Cruisers, Harley Davidson, Sport Bikes, and Three-Wheelers, in an unforgettable “Larger Than Life” experience riding together, unified in a common purpose to help “REBUILD” Haiti from the recent and devastating earthquakes that have killed over 200,000 of people and leaving an estimated 3 million people affected by its aftermath.

“Glendale Harley-Davidson is proud to help bring the biking world together to help Haiti,” states Steve Fisher, Marketing Director of Harley Davidson/Buelle of Glendale. “Our owner, Oliver Shokouh, started the world famous Love Ride 25 years ago to help those less fortunate right here in our own community. With Ride 4 Haiti, we are extending ourselves beyond our borders to assist those that have been devastated by the earthquake. Haiti needs not only food and assistance, but funds to help rebuild their entire city.”

Ride 4 Haiti will have bikers enjoy a 20 to 30 mile scenic ride through San Gabriel Valley to Bert’s Mega Mall in Covina, CA, where the festivities will continue with a full schedule of jaw-dropping activities ranging from a Custom Bike Show and Family Expo, Motorcycle Stunt Show provided by Stunt Farm, to hot-item raffles including a chance to win the Grand Prize: A Custom “Haiti-Themed” Suzuki Motorcycle valued up to $40,000 donated by Bert’s Mega Mall and customized by Scorpion Customs. Ride 4 Haiti is an all-weather event, and it will be held, rain or shine.

Rider Pre-Registration Prices / Deadline: Friday, 2/26/10

$25 Single / $35 Double / $100 VIP

To learn more about the event and to sign up as a rider, please visit "http://www.Ride4Haiti.com" www.Ride4Haiti.com.

Additional information on Ride 4 Haiti may be found at:

- www.youtube.com/ride4haiti

- www.twitter.com/ride4haiti.com

About Hollywood Unites For Haiti

Hollywood Unites For Haiti(501c3), in association with Pan American Development Foundation, procures and transports relief supplies into hard to access areas of Haiti. Founder of HUFH, Jimmy Jean-Louis (Haitian Born Actor best known as the “Haitian” in NBC’s Hit TV Show “Heroes”) has been actively raising monies and building awareness to “REBUILD” Haiti with not only focuses on the humanitarian crisis, schools and hospitals, but to make sure that Haiti is restored by Eco-friendly solutions. Jimmy's story has been featured by the likes of The Larry King Show, Anderson Cooper 360, Extra, Entertainment Tonight, Fox News Geraldo, and all other prominent national and international news outlets. Jimmy was an invited celeb and singer on the Quincy Jones / AEG recording project WE ARE THE WORLD: Remake 25, which debuted on 2/12/10 during the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. Among the supporters of HUFH include celebrities Zachary Quinto, Gerard Butler, Paul Haggis, Ali Larter, Jack Coleman, Adrian Pasdar, Greg Grunberg, Christine Rose, Rainn Wilson, Anthony LaPaglia, Olivia Wilde, Josh Brolin, Diane Lane, Maria Bello, Brandon Routh, Skeet Ulrich, and many more. For more information on HUFH, visit www.hufh.org http://haitianhero.com " www.panamericanrelief.org

About Quantum Leap Entertainment

The Ride 4 Haiti is managed and promoted by Quantum Leap Entertainment with Scorpion Customs, whose mission is to build a new dimension of a unified biker family to Los Angeles as the official launch destination. Ride 4 Haiti Tour is scheduled to hit New York City, Miami, Scottsdale, AZ, and UK so far this year. Quantum Leap Entertainment is a PR/Marketing firm based in Beverly Hills, CA that caters to Entertainment, Luxury, Celebrity Lifestyle, Pet, and Travel Industries. QLE prides in optimizing the quality of business for its clients and the quality of life its clients bring to people of all ages.

About Scorpion Customs

Scorpion Customs is a premier source of custom sport bikes, offering the best designers and builders in the market. Founder of Scorpion Customs, Kristopher “DJ GQ” Cottrell, is also best known from Burn Films and his annual biker party, “Spring Break Bike Week”, in Lake Havasu, AZ and Rosarito Beach, Mexico since 2002. Cottrell and his team have managed to become one of the area’s top biker event promoters. They have also been sought after for their distinctive motorcycle designs in other countries such as United Arab Emirates, Japan, and Brazil. Please visit www.scorpioncustomsusa.com for further details.

For Rally Day Details:
Kristopher “DJ GQ” Cottrell

Scorpion Customs

714-234-0933
kristophercottrell@gmail.com

For HUFH Details:
Evelyn Jean-Louis
Hollywood Unites For Haiti

323-244-2712

contact@hufh.org

For Talent participation, press & media consideration, please contact Monica Busby at Quantum Leap Entertainment, LLC // Monica@quantumleapent.com or call 310-860-7735 (office) /

323-381-0000 (cell)

RIDE 4 HAITI

2010-02-12T08:21:00.000-08:00

A Month After the Quake, Haiti Needs to Rebuild

2010-02-11T21:20:00.000-08:00

PADF-OAS-HUFH urge support for this critical phase

Washington, D.C., -- February 11, 2010 – Thirty days after the catastrophic earthquake that killed more than 170,000 people in Haiti, the Pan American Development Foundation renewed its call for financial support as the nonprofit and its partners are implementing plans to get Haitians to work, to rebuild their homes and to take care of their families. HYPERLINK "http://www.PanAmericanRelief.org" www.PanAmericanRelief.org
“Today, hundreds of thousands of people continue to live under tarps, bed sheets or simply out in the open,” says Jimmy Jean-Louis, the actor and spokesperson for PADF’s disaster relief and recovery efforts. “We need to move survivors out of these miserable camps and into safe homes. I am asking people to contribute to this vital recovery and reconstruction phase by calling toll free (877) 572-4484.”
Jimmy Jean-Louis, who plays the “Haitian” on NBC’s hit series “Heroes,” thanked individuals, companies and governments for their initial support of relief efforts, which enabled PADF and its partners to provide food, water, shelter, medicine and other supplies to more than 35,000 people during the first few weeks after the quake.

3,000 Jobs & “Tagging” Homes
Although providing relief will continue for a few months, PADF, along with its partners Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and the Organization of American States (OAS), has initiated its recovery and reconstruction in key areas of Port-au-Prince and the Southeast province.
Starting next week, PADF will put to work 3,000 Haitians in a massive clean-up operation in areas such as Cite Soleil and Bel Air. PADF’s program, which uses funds from the World Bank that were provided to the Haitian government, will eventually employ 6,000 Haitians during six months.
In a separate program, PADF starts to work on Feb. 12 with leading earthquake recovery expert Kit Miyamoto to “tag” homes.
The California-based structural engineer uses a high-tech inspection process to categorize buildings: “Green tag” means a home can be occupied; “Yellow tag” allows limited access until repairs are made; and a “red tag” indicates that it unsafe.
“Many engineers are red tagging buildings for destruction, but no one is placing the very vital green and yellow tags on homes that can be used,” says John Sanbrailo, PADF’s Executive Director. “Reassuring Haitians as to which homes are safe, as well as the rooms that may need to be repaired, is critical to getting people off the streets and into their homes.”
PADF’s goal is to inspect 20,000 buildings during the next few months, which Miyamoto will reach by training 50 Haitian engineers to use the technology.
“If PADF obtains enough financial support, our goal is to expand the inspections, as well as provide proper guidance and construction materials so Haitians can repair and rebuild their homes,” says Sanbrailo.
Individual and corporate donations to PADF-OAS-HUFH’s Haiti relief, recovery and reconstruction efforts are encouraged by calling toll-free in the U.S. (877) 572-4484 or visiting HYPERLINK "http://www.PanAmericanRelief.org"www.PanAmericanRelief.org. Text HEAL to 50555 in the U.S. to donate $5.

About HUFH
Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that that is lead by Jimmy Jean-Louis. HYPERLINK "http://www.hufh.org"www.hufh.org.

About the OAS
The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization and today is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. HYPERLINK "http://www.oas.org"www.oas.org

About PADF  PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.  PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.  Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. HYPERLINK "http://www.padf.org"www.padf.org

Eugene W. "Rod" Roddenberry Jr the newest Hero for Haiti

2010-02-05T18:11:00.000-08:00

Hollywood Unites For Haiti (HUFH) gratefully acknowledges a major gift of $100,000 from Eugene W. "Rod" Roddenberry Jr. Mr. Roddenberry is the son of the late Gene Roddenberry, the wunderkind mind behind multiple Star Trek television series and motion pictures, and the late actress/producer Majel Barrett-Roddenberry. Mr. Roddenberry recently auctioned off precious Star Trek family memorabilia in order to make this generous gift a reality.

This gift will allow HUFH and partner Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) to provide tents, food, water and medical supplies to the people of Haiti, of which they still need more. With this gift, HUFH can not only provide shelters and meals to the general population, but can also help fund the work of another hero in Haiti, Bill Carter. Mr. Carter is an American ex-patriot in Haiti who is spending his entire modest monthly pension to run an orphanage for boys, called Morning Star. He operates on a shoestring budget, and there is never enough every month. Now HUFH can ensure his children are properly housed, fed and clothed and, in fact, plans to move Morning Star to a larger location as soon as practicable. Currently they are all living in a two-bedroom residence with multiple bunks.

Mr. Carter describes the mission of Morning Star, " We are a youth treatment program for 18 boys currently aged 10 to 17. It's design is to train the boys in various ways .. . first to attend regular Haitian schooling and then get supplemental education at the mission. Boys are trained to become self-sufficient with basic life skills, computer training for those able. All are trained in first aid skills and assist in our clinic and then of course all are taught English by me." He further adds, "Our boys have been silent heroes ever since the earthquake and have responded with their training in extraordinary ways."

In addition to ensuring the sustainability of Morning Star, HUFH's longer term goals include constructing a brand new residential school compliant with modern building codes. The school would provide comprehensive educational curricula, sports programs, youth mentoring and real-world skills training as the students approach maturity.

A gift such as the one provided by Mr. Roddenberry makes a true impact on the lives of people that otherwise might not survive. The goal of HUFH is to not ensure that children survive, but that they thrive. Mr. Roddenberry is a true philanthropist and the newest hero for Haiti.

For more information, please visit www.hufh.org www.haitianhero.com

Hearts for Haiti

2010-02-01T14:19:00.000-08:00

You can combine the joy of Valentine's Day with the ability to help relief and recovery efforts in Haiti by enjoying a meal at a restaurant that is participating in Hearts for Haiti.

Chef Ron Duprat (Bravo's Top Chef Contestant in Season Six) created the innovative Hearts for Haiti to connect restaurants and their patrons with the ability to help people on the ground in Haiti.

On Valentine's Day, restaurants participating in Hearts for Haiti are asked to donate up to 10 percent of their proceeds to relief and recovery efforts. Restaurants around the country are eagerly joining the effort.

Chef Ron Duprat, who is Haitian and is the executive chef at Latitudes Beach Cafe in Hollywood, Florida, is joined by Bravo's Top Chef Season Six winner Michael Voltaggio in this terrific endeavor.

They teamed up with the following nonprofits as recipients of the proceeds: PADF; the Organization of American States; Hollywood Unites for Haiti, which was started by actor Jimmy Jean-Louis (NBC's Heroes); and the Kinship Circle for Disaster Relief.

Among the chefs and restaurants around the country who have committed to Hearts for Haiti:

California

Michael Voltaggio of The Dining Room, Langham Huntington Hotel & Spa, Pasadena
Mattin Nobilia of Iluna Basque Restaurant in San Francisco

Connecticut

Adam Greenberg of Barcelona Wine Bar (several locations in Connecticut)

Florida

Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s Seafood Grill in Aventura, Florida
Ron Duprat of Latitudes Beach Cafe at the Hollywood Beach Marriott in Hollywood, Fla.
Sean Gavin of Crave Restaurant, Fort Myers, Fla.
Niranjan Perera of Nilus Delights Bakery in Hollywood, Fla
Timo Restaurant, Sunny Isles, Fla.
Trina Restaurant at the Atlantic Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale

Georgia

Hector Santiago of Pura Vida-Latino Tapas Restaurant & Bar, Atlanta

Oklahoma

Andrew Black at Skirvin Hotel's Park Avenue Grill, Oklahoma City

One-hundred percent of the donations will go to the relief efforts.

If you are a restaurant and want to participate in this great endeavor, please contact:valeriepa@hotmail.com

20 tons of Disaster relief supplies

2010-02-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

LAN CARGO donated the transportation for PADF-OAS-HUFH humanitarian shipment containing 20 tons of disaster relief supplies to Haiti that arrived on January 25 to Port-au-Prince.

Fundraising

2010-01-30T19:28:00.000-08:00

In Miami, HUFH Board Member Kevin Sharpley, has been working around the clock to collect donations for the earthquake relief effort, and to organize fund raising benefits for HUFH. Collaborating with local businesses including Ebenenaturals, he has managed to collect essential items that will be shipped out to Haiti for earthquake survivors.

Kevin has also been instrumental in the organization of One love for Haiti, a benefit concert for Haiti Relief.
This Valentine’s Day give the gift of love and help the Haitian community by attending the ‘One Love for Haiti’ Benefit Relief Concert at the BankUnited Center at the University of Miami on Sunday, February 14th from 6PM-10PM.

Melky Jean, Jimmy Jean-Louis, Inner Circle, Cornelius MD, Sweet Micky, T-Vice, Frankie Paul, Alana Decosta, Screwdriver, 4th Dimension, R&B Sensation, Wayne Wade, Mawon, The Collaboration and King Yellowman* are scheduled to appear as well as special surprise guests who will take the stage in this memorable event hosted in conjunction with YouKwik.com, ClassAct, and Hollywood Unites for Haiti.

With 100% of the proceeds from One Love for Haiti being donated directly to the relief and rebuilding of the Haitian Nation, this Valentine’s Day event gives the South Florida community the opportunity to unite and provide assistance and assurance to our Haitian neighbors. With everyone’s involved support, we are sure to open their hearts and provide an indication of hope for Haiti’s future!
* All artists and guest appearances are subject to change.Tickets
$25.00 prior to event and $35.00 day of the event
VIP Tickets and Suite Packages are also available. .

In Miami, Haitian-born Ron Duprat, perhaps best known from Bravo’s hit TV series “Top Chef” has teamed up with four fellow contestants, Mattin Noblia, Hector Santiago and Michael V. to welcome other fine chefs across the country in an all-chef Relief Benefit on St. Valentine’s Day for his native land. On February 14, all participating chefs and restaurants will donate up to 10 percent of their receipts to Hearts for Haiti: An American Dining Relief Benefit. The donated funds will be divided between two charities: Hollywood Unites For Haiti and Kinship Circle Disaster Relief. One hundred percent of the donated funds will go directly to on-the-ground relief efforts. Restaurants who wish to participate can contact  Valary Bremier at valary@mindspring.com

So many people have given their time, expertise, and money to help HUFH help in Haiti, too many to mention but I thank you all.

HUFH continues its work with panamericanrelief.org to deliver aid to families. HUFH is also creating and supporting existing centers which provide shelter, food and safety for displaced youth at a time when they are most vulnerable to exploitation.

Thanks for the support!

Food Distribution

2010-01-28T21:01:00.000-08:00

I am back in Los Angeles doing the essential work of raising funds and awareness to support PADF-OAS-HUFH in their work delivering aid to the survivors of the earthquake.

PADF-OAS-HUFH served more than 35,000 people within the first 9 days of the earthquake with food, medicine and shelter. A large quantity of family sized tents and tarps is being shipped out in the next few days. These are critical as many families are sleeping outside, in the dirt.

Today "family food packages" were distributed to 600 people in PaP, 110 in Carrefour Hector, tomorrow another 400 in Cite Soleil. That will feed over 6,000 people for three days.

People can now donate to the relief effort online at Donate or phone 1-877-572-4484 or to donate $5 Text Heal to 50555

LAN CARGO Flight Provides Critical Lifeline to Haiti

2010-01-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

Washington, D.C., January 22, 2010 –

Twenty tons of urgently needed earthquake relief supplies collected by partners of the Pan American Development Foundation will arrive to Port-au-Prince on Monday as part of a humanitarian aid flight operated by LAN CARGO.

www.PanAmericanRelief.org

“LAN CARGO’s donation of the flight opens another critical lifeline to the survivors in Haiti,” says John Sanbrailo, PADF’s Executive Director. “This flight allows PADF’s relief office in Port-au-Prince to receive and distribute vital supplies that have been donated by our partners and friends in the Miami area.”

PADF is using its space to send medicine, medical supplies, food, water and other vital materials to ease the suffering of Haitians who survived the devastating 7.0 earthquake and its aftershocks. The supplies were donated by Missionary Flights International of Fort Pierce, Fla.

LAN CARGO’s 767-300F flight will leave Miami International Airport early Monday morning. It is carrying cargo for PADF, the University of Miami’s Project Medishare and America’s Relief Team, amongst others.

“LAN CARGO is honored to have the opportunity to assist respected organizations like the PADF to transport aid to the earthquake victims in Haiti,” said Cristian Ureta, CEO of LAN CARGO.
PADF – which is collaborating with the Organization of American States (OAS), the non-profit Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and other groups – has worked in the country for nearly 30 years on economic development, protecting human rights and responding to natural disasters.

Donations are encouraged by calling toll-free (877) 572-4484, visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. Text H E A L to 50555 to donate $5.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that puts 100 percent of its donations directly into the cause of helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help.

www.hufh.org and www.HaitianHero.com

About the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, which was held in Washington, D.C. from October 1889 to April 1890. Today, it is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. www.oas.org

About PADF  

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.  PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.  Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

HUFH organizes survivors of Haiti Earthquake

2010-01-23T12:14:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles, C.A., January 23, 2010 - HUFH is organizing survivors of the the devastating earthquake in Haiti to assess the needs of their neighborhoods, in particular hard to access areas from Carrefour Hector to Chaloska, so that the right aid is delivered safely and efficiently.

Jimmy Jean-Louis, Actor and President of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, (“The Haitian” on NBC’s “Heroes”) says, “We are worried that aid will not reach the areas that cannot be accessed by large machinery, not only because of non existing roads but also because of security concerns. Some large relief organizations are reluctant to enter certain areas.”

HUFH an organization made up of Haitian locals, held community meetings and put in place seven teams of seven volunteers each. These teams have begun identifying the victims of their own neighborhoods, from Carrefour Hector to Chaloska. They are evaluating the immediate needs in terms of medical, food, hygiene, as well as the clearing of destroyed houses. The volunteers will wear t-shirts from HUFH therefor will be easily identifiable in the community as aid workers.

“Gaining the trust of the community and sending a message that we are working with them, allows us to deliver aid to the most vulnerable, those who cannot make it to distribution sites,” says Jonas Petit, HUFH’s Director in Haiti.

HUFH working in collaboration with PADF and Organization of American States (OAS) will provide the aid to be distributed into these communities.

Jimmy Jean-Louis urges people to donate, assured that the aid will reach victims in dire need.

Donations can be made by visiting www.hufh.org, www.haitianhero.com or calling the toll free number 1 877 572-4484.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Haiti and Los Angeles that puts 100 percent of its donations directly into the cause of helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help.

HUFH now launches a special campaign to raise funds for the immediate relief and infrastructural rebuilding efforts that will be necessary in the coming months and years. Jimmy Jean-Louis maintains, "It's not enough to keep band-aiding this - my - poorest of counties every few years in the worst of times. We need to keep a long term focus on the plight of the Haitian people until our goals are accomplished.”

About the OAS

The Organization of American States (OAS) is the world’s oldest regional organization, dating back to the First International Conference of American States, which was held in Washington, D.C. from October 1889 to April 1890. Today, it is comprised of 34 countries from Latin America and the Caribbean. www.oas.org

About PADF
PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries. PADF has worked in Haiti for almost 30 years.
PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.
Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

Donations are encouraged by calling toll-free (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. Text HEAL to 50555 to donate $5.One-hundred percent of donations go to Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

Text HEAL to Donate to Haiti’s Recovery 100% to PADF-OAS-HUFH relief efforts

2010-01-23T12:03:00.000-08:00

Washington, D.C., -- January 23, 2010 – People can donate $5 to Haiti’s relief and recovery by texting HEAL to 50555, with 100 percent of the money going to those efforts, the nonprofit Pan American Development Foundation announced. www.PanAmericanRelief.org

“Five dollars will make a difference,” says actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, PADF’s celebrity spokesperson. “After participating in on-the-ground relief work for five days in Haiti, I can tell you that the need is enormous.”

PADF – which is collaborating with the Jimmy’s nonprofit Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and Organization of American States (OAS) – immediately shifted its Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo, D.R., staff members to relief efforts after the 7.0 earthquake.

PADF’s disaster relief and recovery work covers part of downtown Port-au-Prince and three cities in the Southeast province, explains John Sanbrailo, PADF’s Executive Director. It is also providing support to other organizations.

“It is urgent that individuals and companies continue to contribute to our relief effort,” Sanbrailo says.

Food, Medicine & Shelter Distributed in Haiti

2010-01-23T10:21:00.000-08:00

Food, Medicine & Shelter Distributed in Haiti

Despite generosity, PADF-OAS-HUFH appeal for more donations

Washington, D.C. – January 21, 2010 – Food, temporary shelter, medicines and other supplies are being distributed to Haiti’s earthquake victims – but so much more help is needed, the Pan American Development Foundation announced. www.PanAmericanRelief.org

“Despite these early deliveries, PADF urgently needs financial support to carry out its mission on the ground,” says John Sanbrailo, PADF’s Executive Director. “PADF is urging individuals and companies to support our earthquake relief efforts by calling (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. It’s vital to people’s survival.”

One-hundred percent of the donations go to Haiti earthquake relief effort, Sanbrailo says.

PADF was one of the first nonprofit organizations to set up a supply line from Santo Domingo to Port-au-Prince via the border city of Jimani. It is using warehouse space donated by IMCA/Caterpillar in Santo Domingo to consolidate supplies. PADF opened a second distribution route via the border city of Pedernales, which is being used to supply by ship the Haitian city of Jacmel.

Through this system, truckloads of supplies have been distributed to hospitals and individuals in Port-au-Prince. In addition to relief provided in the capital, a desperately needed shelter kit – which includes tents, tarps, cooking utensils and water purification tablets for 500 people – arrived to Jacmel on Wednesday. Singer Wyclef Jean contributed to the shelter package.

More support is on its way. For example, today PADF is flying in seven former Marine and Navy combat medics to support emergency operations in Port-au-Prince. The volunteers will be in Haiti for one week.

Two shipping containers with 97,000 pounds of corn will sail from Florida next week. The corn was donated by ISOH/Impact of Holland, Ohio.

PADF will transport 15 tons of relief supplies from Miami to Port-au-Prince on Monday. Separately, 1,000 sleeping bags donated by Exxel Outdoors of Haleyville, Ala., arrive to Caribbean within a few days.

PADF, along with the Organization of American States (OAS) and Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH), are working together in the promotion of the crisis and distribution of supplies.

Actor and President of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, Jimmy Jean-Louis (“The Haitian” on NBC’s “Heroes”) and spokesperson for the PADF-OAS-HUFH campaign reminded people to contribute to the relief effort.

They may do so by calling (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org to make a donation.

About HUFH

www.hufh.org and www.HaitianHero.com

About the OAS

Distributing Aid

2010-01-22T11:30:00.000-08:00

Today I visit various areas delivering food/rescue kits to families who have had little help as yet. Speaking to communities waiting for aid I realize that there are some areas too remote and considered hot zones that large organization won't penetrate. Our team on the ground, Jonas and Karen rallies a group of five respected people from this small community. They in turn elect 7 more group leaders, who gather volunteers to spread through their neighborhood, assess the immediate needs, the injured, and damage to buildings. This task force will distribute aid from HUFH-PADF-OAS into their own community, send in Doctors, detail a plan to begin clear up, and rebuilding in the coming weeks and months. It's only by working with the community, answering to their specific needs can effective progress be made. With this model we will continue affecting more communities in a meaningful way. This is how it's always been here, those who don't have much are the most generous with what they do have, they help each other. The news of looting, sensational as it may be pales in comparison with the unity I've seen in action. Now we have to gather a work force abroad to so we answer their needs.

Hope for a little girl.

2010-01-21T00:50:00.000-08:00

Good news. Shenika is a little girl who had been so badly injured that her doctor said to survive she would need treatment abroad. Someone saw that video on the news and arranged for transportation of Shenika to Santo Domingo. We don't know yet how she is doing but she has a fighting chance now. However her doctor gave names of four other children who need to be transported.

St. Damien hospital now has a separate unit functioning outside. There is no space inside. Doctors from Dominican Republic are attending to patients with critical injuries and open wounds outside. I see a lady who calls me over, she smiles, recognizing me from a Haitian movie I was in. She calls me by my character's name 'Dao.' I ask her how she is. "I'm not doing well," she says, she lost 15 members of her family in one house. She was the only survivor, rescued three days after her home collapsed.

Port au Prince is totally destroyed. I drive past several Government buildings that have been completely leveled and are deserted. At the University I come across a man pleading with a rescue team to go into the building because he just received a text from someone inside. It's too dangerous to attempt a rescue, they say. They want to help but can't.

At Hotel Montana one of the best hotels in the country where a lot of the top UN workers died whilst attending a meeting on January 12th, when the earthquake hit, I see bodies still being recovered. The owner Nadine Cardozo-Reid was rescued from the building after 5 days.

The Upper part of Petion Ville isn't badly damaged. There is electricity. At Munchies restaurant food is being handed out for free, up to 900 plates a day.

I deliver some rescue/food kits to the NPFS orphanage in Tabarre. Just before getting home someone calls my cell phone, an old friend. She and 200 people are sleeping outside in Petion Ville Delmas 105, and it has started raining.....

From Haiti - Day +6

2010-01-19T09:14:00.000-08:00

I head out this morning, to return to the house my father built over four decades and to visit the community where I was born in Petion Villle.

On Route Frere, one of the larger boulevards, we come across a crowd gathered singing, crying, testifying and praising God for the fact that they are still alive, that he hasn’t forsaken them. This is the kind of spirit anyone who has been to Haiti and met average Haitian people will talk about. An unwavering faith in life, we have been blessed with life and must do the best we can. As compassion pours in from all over the world for Haitian’s suffering, their spirit shines, thankful for another day. Further along the route I barely recognize the Carribean Market, one of the larger supermarkets in Delmas. Two rescue teams, the real heros on the ground, one from Canada and the other South Florida are working to find survivors. So far two people have been rescued.

Where JODEC supermarket stood on Routes Frere in lower Petion Ville is just a pancake of rubble. A bulldozer has been clearing the debris, the smell of rotting corpses is overwhelming. Each time the bulldozer pauses a crowd descends upon the debris fighting over the goods, pulling free beauty products, cans and sometimes body parts too. A fights breaks out over the iron bars that once formed part of the building structure.

I finally make it to the site of the house my father built over the decades. A good friend is in here somewhere, amongst this mess of twisted metal and brick. Rescue teams from World Vision, one from New England and another from Los Angeles, arrives. I translate for Russ Keaton, one of the rescue workers, as he respectfully takes over from our attempts to search for our friend. He is saying that he was at the World Trade Center, that he knows how to help. That what the people have been doing so far is heroic, that they are truly courageous. I don’t expect we will find anyone alive. When a body is found it is so badly burnt we are not sure who it is. A fire must have ravaged the room after the earthquake. We can't even begin to think of clearing the debris there are still people who need help at every corner.

I move on to the the neighborhood where I was born. It has not improved in the decades since our family left, still homes with barely four walls, tin roofs, and no electricity. I visit friends here on every trip back to Haiti, and so I go again now. To find the house where my mother gave birth to me. I am met by neighbors asking for help, any kind of help, food, water, shelter. Everything is completely destroyed, I can’t make out any landmarks that allow me to identify the house. I’ve always felt a connection to this house, a one bedroom structure that always reminds me how much my parents have achieved. The house is gone. I look into the faces around me. They are here, alive, exhausted, hungry, and thirsty. There is a makeshift shelter at Ecole Methodist Frere. I have a list of places we need to visit; orphanages, schools, homes, getting around is not easy though. Sunset comes too fast.

We need you to become a Haitian Hero!

2010-01-19T02:31:00.000-08:00

My name is Jimmy Jean-Louis, and some of you may recognize me as The Haitian from the TV show Heroes. You may not know that I was born and raised in Haiti. Several of my relatives and friends were killed in the earthquake.
In the aftermath of this horrible tragedy, we are already seeing many true heroes rise to the occasion. But the damage is still beyond anyone's comprehension, so we need as many heroes as possible.
So, would you please consider becoming a hero to the Haitian people, a Haitian Hero?

PADF-OAS to Focus on 2 Heavily Damaged Areas in Haiti

2010-01-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

Non-Profit assigned part of downtown Port-au-Prince, Southeast Province

Washington, D.C. – January 18, 2010 – A heavily damaged area of downtown Port-au-Prince and communities in the Southeast province have been assigned to the Pan American Development Foundation and its partners for immediate relief, the non-profit organization announced. www.PanAmericanRelief.org

Haitian civil defense authorities designated these areas because of PADF’s long development experience in these communities and the urgent need for the organization’s extensive background in disaster management.

PADF’s assigned zones are: Port-au-Prince’s downtown section of Bel Air, a heavily residential area known for its beautiful cathedral; and the Southeast province, which includes the seaside cities of Jacmel, Cayes-Jacmel and Marigot.

“The Southeast province was hit as hard as Port-au-Prince but has yet to receive attention by the international media,” says John Sanbrailo, PADF’s Executive Director. “With such a large mandate, PADF is urging individuals and companies to support our earthquake relief efforts by calling (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org. It’s vital to people’s survival.”

Prior to the devastating 7.0 earthquake, these Southeast province communities (which are about a three-hour drive from Port-au-Prince) were severely damaged by hurricanes and tropical storms 18 months ago. PADF will provide relief supplies to these affected communities via the border city of Pedernales in the Dominican Republic.

Relief to Bel Air will come through PADF’s office in the capital, which receives its supplies from a land route that connects with the border city of Jimani in the Dominican Republic.

PADF – which is collaborating with the Organization of American States (OAS), the non-profit Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH) and other groups – has eight offices in Haiti, with its country headquarters in Port-au-Prince. PADF has worked in the country for nearly 30 years on economic development, protecting human rights and responding to natural disasters.

Meanwhile, actor and President of Hollywood Unites for Haiti, Jimmy Jean-Louis (“The Haitian” on NBC’s “Heroes”) arrived in Port-au-Prince late Saturday to reconnect with his family and to raise awareness of the crisis. What he found stunned him.

“It looked like a war had happened,” says Jean-Louis, who was shocked by the magnitude of destruction and the desperate need of the people.

Jean-Louis is a spokesperson for the PADF-OAS-HUFH campaign to raise money for relief and reconstruction of Haiti. They may do so by calling (877) 572-4484 or visiting www.PanAmericanRelief.org to make a donation.

About HUFH

Hollywood Unites For Haiti is a non-profit charitable aid organization based in Los Angeles that puts 100 percent of its donations directly into the cause of helping Haitian citizens and raising global awareness of ways in which people can help.
www.hufh.org and www.HaitianHero.com

About the OAS

About PADF

PADF is a non-profit organization established in 1962 to promote, facilitate, and implement social and economic development in Latin America and the Caribbean. In the past year, it had more than 5.6 million beneficiaries in 18 countries.

PADF is one of the largest non-governmental organizations in Haiti. With nearly three decades of work on the ground, PADF now manages a large portfolio of activities ranging from community-driven development to protecting human rights.

Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere. www.padf.org

Contact:

padf-dc@padf.org

Tel. (202) 458-3969

Donations: (877) 572-4484

www.PanAmericanRelief.org

Actor Jimmy Jean-Louis Reunited with Parents in Port-au-Prince

2010-01-17T22:24:00.000-08:00

Says Haitian capital looks like the aftermath of a “war”

January 17, 2010 - Port-au-Prince, Haiti

Celebrity Jimmy Jean-Louis’s trek from Los Angeles into the earthquake ravaged city of Port-au-Prince ended with tears of relief late Saturday as he was reunited with his parents, who were still in shock after their home was reduced to rubble by the 7.0 earthquake.

For 24 hours following the Tuesday earthquake, Jimmy could not contact his parents in Port-au-Prince as the phone lines were dead. While reaching out to all of his contacts for information, Jimmy desperately tried to find a flight to Haiti – but did not have success with either.

He finally heard the good news on Wednesday night that they were alive, unhurt but in shock.

“This is good news but I have to get to them now,” Jimmy said after the call. “I cannot sit in Los Angeles while my parents are in shock and my countrymen are dying.”

Coordinating with the non-profit Pan American Development Foundation (PADF) and his own non-profit Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH), Jimmy bought a ticket on a Friday night flight from Los Angeles to Newark, N.J. On Saturday morning, he changed planes and traveled from Newark to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, where PADF has its staging operations for the relief effort.

PADF’s relief logistics coordinator met Jimmy at the Santo Domingo airport to tell him the bad news: Getting to Haiti that day was impossible since PADF’s relief caravan left eight hours earlier. Sunday looked better for the eight-hour drive or one-hour flight to Port-au-Prince.

“I tried to convince him to stay the night in Santo Domingo,” says Cesareo Guillermo, PADF’s logistics coordinator. “We realized his determination to go to Port-au-Prince” and began to look for an alternate means of transportation.

Though contacts at the airport, Guillermo discovered that a helicopter transporting supplies to Haiti was scheduled to depart for Port-au-Prince and it had one empty seat. Some 90 minutes later Jimmy was in the air.

On Sunday, Jimmy was relieved to see his family but overcome by the sheer destruction of Port-au-Prince.

“It looked like a war had happened,” he said.

PADF, HUFH and the Organization of American States (OAS) are collaborating on an outreach and relief effort for Haiti. Jimmy is the president and founder of the one-year-old HUFH. Jimmy is the celebrity spokesperson for the relief effort and PADF’s Goodwill Ambassador for Haiti’s Children.

Haiti relief donations may be made in English in the United States at (877) 572-4484; online in English atwww.PanAmericanRelief.org, in Spanish at www.AyudaPanamericana.org and in Portuguese at www.AjudaPanamericana.org.

About PADF

Its headquarters is in Washington, D.C., and has field offices in Haiti, Colombia, the Dominican Republic and elsewhere.http://www.padf.org/

About HUFH

Jimmy Jean-Louis maintains: “It's not enough to keep band-aiding this – my – poorest of counties every few years in the worst of times. We need to keep a long term focus on the plight of the Haitian people until our goals are accomplished.” www.hufh.org and www.HaitianHero.com