New Haven Friends of Haiti to collect donations Saturday

NEW HAVEN — New Haven Friends of Haiti will hold its first widespread community effort to raise money and non-perishable items for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti last month from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at locations around the city, organizers said in a statement.

Volunteers will be at: Grand Avenue and Ferry Street; C-Town in the Fair Haven neighborhood; Kimberly & Lamberton; C-Town in the Hill neighborhood; intersection of Orchard Street, Dixwell Avenue and Munson Street; some other intersections around the city. Volunteers will be identified with badges and T-shirts displaying the flag of Haiti to ensure donors of the legitimacy of the organization.
"I urge our community to come out and help us bring the relief that our brothers and sisters need," state Rep. Juan Candelaria, D-New Haven, an organizer of the group said in the statement. "Despite all the efforts that have been done to raise money, Haiti is still in great need of support. It will take many years to restore this country and anything that we do will have a significant impact."
New Haven Friends of Haiti includes local elected officials, business owners, social agencies, and community volunteers who have been working to organize events centered on providing resources for the earthquake victims, the statement said.