10 Ways to Volunteer in Haiti

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Six months have passed since the devastating earthquake struck Haiti — the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere. While more than half of all Americans made donations to assist the Haitian people, many are deciding to do something more: To travel to Haiti to help. Could you be one of them?

As one Tonic reader who volunteered with Hands on Disaster Responsein Leogane, Haiti writes: "My wife and I just returned from a week there and we cannot say enough good things about our experience. It is hard work — I mean REALLY hard work — and the devastation in Haiti is heartbreaking. But the opportunity to help is also incredibly rewarding."
Builders. Nurses. Therapists. Translators. Teachers. As Haiti continues to rebuild, more volunteers than ever are needed for a variety of jobs. Below we've gathered a list of 10 volunteer opportunities that exist right now, with everything you need to know to get started.

Interested? Log on to the appropriate website. Make that phone call. Take that extra step, and get involved.

1. Hands on Disaster Response is running a rebuilding effort called Project Leogane in the town of Leogane through January 2011. "It is a wonderful organization doing great things for the people of Haiti," writes our Tonic reader. Currently, HODR only needs skilled carpenters, builders, and people with construction experience. Please contact info@hodr.org or click here.

2. From now to mid-August, the Colline Foundation, which was founded to build a top-notch school in Haiti, is organizing new groups of 50 volunteers each week for a 5-day stay (Monday to Friday) to help with relief work, translation, teaching, health care or with a number of programs currently being facilitated by NGOs. Check out their website for more information and to volunteer.

3. The Global Haiti Initiative, an intercollegiate clearinghouse for development programs in Haiti, has a few spots open for their August 14-21 trip to Haiti. They will be doing work in Port-au-Prince and Leogane, as well as building a health clinic. A member of Obama’s administration will be joining them. If you are at all interested, or know anybody interested, contact Jimmy Toussaint at jimmy@collinefoundation.org with the subject line “Global Haiti Initiative.”
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