Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project Launches Barge Project to Haiti

The New Orleans to Haiti Barge Initiative, a program of The Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project (formerly the Haiti Emergency Village Project), will deliver 100,000 cubic tons of donated medical supplies, tents, household goods, and food to the port of Jacmel, Haiti on Monday, March 1, 2010. Already, more than sixty percent of the space has been filled with donations. The barge will leave from New Iberia and sail to Haiti where the goods will be distributed throughout the southern region of the country to provide relief to the population affected by the January 12 earthquake.

The use of the barge and tugboat were donated by generous companies with operations in Louisiana. The Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project (LHSVP) is asking businesses, individuals and organizations for financial contributions and for additional goods to fill the remainder of the barge to capacity. LHSVP is also asking residents, and students to volunteers to help sort, and pack these items on Thursday, February 18 and Friday, February 19 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm at their warehouse, 600 Edwards Avenue and Pepsi Street, in Elmwood, LA (approximately 30 minutes from New Orleans). Businesses, organizations and individuals wishing to contribute goods may bring them to 600 Edwards Avenue on Thursday and Friday. A truck will carry the additional relief items from the warehouse to New Iberia on Saturday, February 27 at noon.

The Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project is a group of more than 40 disaster recovery and urban infrastructure professionals working to build an emergency village in Haiti that will provide housing, infrastructure and other services that constitute communities rather than camps. The coalition was convened by Louisiana Justice Institute's Co-Director Jacques Morial and Charles Allen III, Director of the Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development. With major involvement of New Orleans residents, supporters and rebuilders, this group is laying the foundation for a model for recovery. The Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project has already airlifted more than six tons of medical supplies to the medical teams in Jacmel and La Vallee de Jacmel in Haiti and is preparing to send a second team of medical and other professionals to the area.

Financial contributions to the Louisiana/Haiti Sustainable Village Project can be made online through the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Foundation: http://www.louisianahelp.org/haiti.html. For additional information about the Barge Project, please call 800.971.6640 or 504.628-5517 or email Louisianahelpshaiti@gmail.com.