AT&T Display Phones Used To Donate To Haiti

It is very easy to donate your own funds to Haiti. One example is to text HAITI to 90999. Of course, what if you're not using your own phone?

In this case, as heard on NPR, a resourceful individual texted from AT&T retail store display phones. In fact, according to NPR, he posted on Facebook (which doesn't really make sense) that he wondered if AT&T was going to get ticked at him for continuing to use their display phones.

It doesn't make sense since NPR indicated that the employee posted anonymously on his Facebook page, which sort of removes the anonymity, doesn't it. Still ...

It's unconfirmed if AT&T will come through with the funds, but NPR noted that after spending two hours on the phone with its own customer support, AT&T gave up and decided to pay up.

Doisy College Faculty Member Reaches Out to Haiti

Kudos to Dr. Tim Randolph, faculty member in the Doisy College of Health Sciences Department of Clinical Lab Science, and Students Who are Helping Rebuild Medical Clinics in Haiti

By: Sara Savat (Taken from SLU Newslink, January 15, 2010, LINK)

A lot can change over the course of a few days.

On Saturday, Tim Randolph, Ph.D., associate professor of clinical laboratory science at Saint Louis University, returned home from his semi-annual trip to Haiti. For a decade Randolph's non-profit organization, Randolph World Ministries Inc. has partnered with medical clinics in Haiti to improve health care for the poorest of the poor.

Tim Randolph, Ph.D., works with health care providers at a Haiti clinic

During his three-week stay, Randolph and a team of volunteers, including SLU students, worked with established clinics and pursued plans to partner with an eighth clinic outside the country's capital in Port-au-Prince.

Tuesday, just two days after he returned home, disaster struck. A 7.0 earthquake jolted the country, killing thousands and devastating buildings in the area.

Garrett Ungerer, a first year student in the physician assistants program at SLU, joined Randolph on the most recent trip to Haiti. In the wake of the earthquake, he said he was feeling "heartbroken and devastated."

"We were just there. Obviously I feel guilty, and wish I were still there to help. I've asked all my friends and family to keep Haiti and all the people there in their prayers," Ungerer said.

While plans to build an additional clinic have been put on the backburner, Randolph has been working around-the-clock to get muchneeded supplies to his clinics in Haiti. Wednesday was consumed with phone calls and emails to his networks of supporters, including vendors, financial donors, past team members, medical supply donors and prayer groups. By the end of the week, Randolph hopes to reach Haiti with the first of many shipments of medical kits, surgical supplies, wound care materials and other clinic necessities. He suspects the urgent need will last for months, if not longer.

Randolph says he needs medical supplies, toiletries and monetary donations to cover the cost of shipping supplies.

"Our turnaround is very fast because we're a small organization and made up entirely of volunteers," Randolph said. "Approximately 99 cents out of every dollar donated goes directly to our clinics in Haiti."

Past student volunteers also have expressed interest in helping, including sophomore Tim Toby who joined Randolph on a trip to Haiti last summer.

"I loved my experience in Haiti - the people are amazing. When I heard about the earthquake I was devastated because I have all these connections to the country, yet there is little I can do right now to help. I'm eager to help Dr. Randolph is any way possible, and definitely hope to go back on future trips to help in the relief efforts," said Toby, who is majoring in investigative and medical sciences.

About Randolph World Ministries Inc.
Randolph established Randolph World Ministries Inc. in 2000. Through the non-profit organization, Randolph provides lab services, training, medical supplies and consultations to physicians and technicians who are fighting HIV, malaria, sickle cell disease, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases.

Each year, Randolph and teams of volunteers travel to Haiti in June and December to service the 23 existing clinics. Randolph says his primary job is to assess the resources a clinic has in place and the patient population it serves, which helps him determine how they can best improve and provide medical services.

"A functioning laboratory plays a critical role in clinics. Laboratory data provides precision to diagnoses and takes out the guess work. While we started out focused on providing laboratory supplies and service, our work has evolved as our team of volunteers has grown to include doctors, nurses, physician assistants and other health care professionals," Randolph said.

According to Randolph, everything his ministry does is in the spirit of the Gospels.

"We're there because God called us to be there. And by healing the body, we open up lines of communication for sharing the Christian Gospels," Randolph said.

Currently, donations can be mailed to Randolph World Ministries, Inc., 318 Vandalia St., Collinsville, Ill 62234. In the near future, Randolph plans to set up a PayPal account to collect donations on his Web site:http://www.randolphworldministries.org

Pat Robertson Blames Haiti's Earthquake On Its Victims

On Wednesday, Christian televangelist Pat Robertson of the "700 Club," while stating his Christian Broadcasting Network will be there “to help the people," blamed the disaster on the victims. He said that the earthquake was a result of a "pact with the devil" that the Haitians made long ago.

Something happened a long time ago in Haiti and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. Napoleon the Third and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you get us free from the prince.” True story. And so the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.” They kicked the French out, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free.

But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other, desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle, on the one side is Haiti, on the other side is the Dominican Republic. The Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, etc. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island.

They need to have, and we need to pray for them, a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people and the suffering is unimaginable.

It's interesting that they need to turn to God, since 80 percent of them are professed to be Roman Catholic. Of course, Robertson is the same person who has linked terrorism and Hurricane Katrina to legalized abortion.

Watch the broadcast: