SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF NAVY IN ACTION IN HAITI
Steve Pardo / The Detroit News
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100204/NATION/2040402/1409/USS-Normandy-diverted-from-Middle-East-to-help-Haitians#ixzz0fW63mIne
Stationed just off the coast of a Haitian island, Navy Capt. Jeffrey Griffin has seen wrenching poverty, sickness and hunger, but the Grosse Pointe Park native also sees hope as the sailors of the USS Normandy deliver daily food, water and medicine. Griffin is the commanding officer of the ship -- a 570-foot guided missile cruiser with a crew of 300. Last month, they were in final preparations to head to the Middle East until Griffin received a call about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 12. The new orders: Head to Haiti immediately to aid in humanitarian efforts, prompting the crew to switch from readying Tomahawk missiles to relief endeavors.
Quick turnaround
The sailors worked continuously and readied the ship for the new mission in 15 hours. "Sailors are very flexible and can adapt to different types of environments," Griffin said. "You give them the mission and they're going to figure out a way to do it." Now, the day starts at dawn with the ship's two helicopters moving supplies and medical equipment inland. Inflatable speed boats also loaded with supplies, head out, too. Griffin said he rotates the crew so everyone can get to land and see and help those in need. The boat is currently stationed off Ile de la Gonave -- an island west-northwest of Port-au-Prince. The residents didn't suffer from the earthquake devastation of those in Port-au-Prince, but supplies have been essentially cut off. The ship has been skirting the coastline and delivering the rations from town to town. The ship can produce hundreds of thousands of gallons of water a day. So far they've delivered about 80,000 rations. Even the food the crew delivers has a Michigan connection. Griffin was meeting with local pastors outside of one town as boxes of food were brought in from the ship. The writing on the boxes caught his eye: "Kids Against Hunger Packed in Oak Park, Michigan."
SEE PHOTO GALLERY OF NAVY IN ACTION IN HAITI
Local students help
The organization, operating from a 14,000-square-foot warehouse on Northend Avenue, has already provided 1 million meals to Haiti since the earthquake, said founder Donald Burwell. Navy personnel have collected shipments from the warehouse twice. Coast Guard officials, once. And there's good odds that many of the meals were packed by local students. "I feel great for all the school kids that have been packaging the meals," Burwell said. "Really, it's thanks to the 35,000 volunteers who have put this food product together all across the state." The USS Normandy can go delivering for about 10 days before it needs to get resupplied at sea by another ship. It carries about 120,000 meals. The ship will continue to help indefinitely, but not permanently, Griffin said. The ship and crew will most likely be deployed to the Middle East in the spring.
From The Detroit News: http://www.detnews.com/article/20100204/NATION/2040402/1409/USS-Normandy-diverted-from-Middle-East-to-help-Haitians#ixzz0fW38I8CL
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Kids Against Hunger Great Lakes Coalition has packaged 5,132,592 meals since the fall of 2004. 1,846,152 of these were packaged in 2009. This year, 2010, KAHC volunteers have packaged 856,872 meals. Since 2004 over 43,028 volunteers have participated in KAHC packaging. KAHC has shipped over 1,000,000 meals to Haiti, through The United States Navy, Coast Guard, and other humanitarian groups. KAHC has shipped over 14,692 meals to the Dominican Republic, over 648,000 meals to Guatemala, and 108,000 to Baton Rouge, Louisiana as part of Hurricane Katrina relief effort. KAHC has sent 50,000 meals to Ghana, and 405,120 to Kenya Africa. KAHC has also shipped 200,000 meals to the following countries: Panama, Nicaragua, Columbia, Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Tobago, and French Guiana. We have shipped over 70,000 meals to Manila in the Philippine Islands. Finally KAHC has shipped over 1,655,528 meals to local community shelters & food depots in Michigan Indiana and Ohio through distribution channels like Our Lady of Fatima delivery systems.