My name is Matt Ray and I'm a long time resident of Bakersfield.   I've been involved on a volunteer basis with a group called Healing Hands for Haiti Foundation since around 1998 and have gone, almost on a yearly basis to help that organization as a translator.    I speak Haitian Creole, which is a french dialect, and is very close to the Creole spoken in New Orleans.

We're going to Haiti again this year, leaving on February 2nd.   While there, I'll translate for the different rehab specialists as they work with Haitian patients as well as in the orphanages that we visit.   We tend to focus on those orphanages that have handicapped children and other special needs. 

With that in mind, I'm making a request for donations of physical rehab supplies to take down with us.   There are 2 of us going from Bakersfield.   Myself and Courtney Mahar, a new resident to Bakersfield, but she she has been to Haiti with us once before, last February.    Courtney is a Physical Therapist Assistant or PTA for Glinn & Giordano.

The donations we're looking for are:

• Wheelchairs of all sizes (pediatric, adult, etc.)
• Canes for walking
• Pediatric seating (cushions and backs - this is especially important for the orphanages where often the children will simply lie on the ground on a mat, with no support)
• High density (hard) foam - smaller pieces for custom seating
• Good quality and/or memory foam that is big enough to make wheelchair cushions.
  
• Elastic ankle and wrist supports of all sizes

We're usually allowed to take 2 bins each down with us (wheel chairs take the place of bins) that are 50lbs or less.   

You may be wondering why I'm waiting until now to ask for donations.    We've asked earlier in the past and we end up having space issues for storing the items.   So, I guess if someone has some storage space they'd like to donate, we'd use that to collect donations all year round.

We also have a school reintegration program, where we're sponsoring students, particularly handicapped students, and helping them to go to school.   Unfortunately, Haiti is a little behind the times in their concepts about the handicapped.   They tend to be 2ndary citizens in a 3rd world country.    If you'd be interested in donating money for the school reintegration program, these are the things we're going to buy once we're in Haiti (note, when we can, we try to invest in Haiti's economy rather than taking everything with us.  Haiti needs all the help it can get.  Simple supplies can be purchased there, even though we take specialty items like wheelchairs with us):

• sponsors (students are sponsored for school)
• exercise books
• school books (eg copying, math problems etc)
• rulers
• pencils
• book bags

If you want to make dollar contributions to purchase supplies, please make your checks out to Healing Hands for Haiti Foundation and send them to my address, 8201 Camino Media, Suite 166, Bakersfield, CA 93311.   For more information about Healing Hands, please visit their website, http://www.healinghandsforh....    I can be reached for more information by calling 661.885.2699.   Healing Hands for Haiti is a 501c3 non-profit organization and your donation may be tax deductible.   Check with your accountant.

If you think of someone else who should see this, or who might be interested in being involved, please pass this blog on to them.

Mesi davans!   Kimbe la.

Matt 

Volunteer Webmaster/Translator
Healing Hands for Haiti Foundation
mraymus@yahoo.com
661.885.2699 - phone
661.885.4441 - fax
AIM ID: mateoray
SkypeID, MSN & Yahoo!: mraymus
http://www.healinghandsforh...