Mooseheart Working With Federal, State Officials To Take In As Many As 50 Displaced Children From Haitian Earthquake Disaster

'It goes to the heart of our responsibility to care for children in need,' says Hart

On Tuesday, Jan. 19, Mooseheart Executive Director Scott D. Hart was put in touch with contacts at both the U.S. State Department and the White House, through Darell Hammond, a 1989 Mooseheart graduate who is CEO of KaBOOM Inc., a Washington, DC-based nonprofit which coordinates the construction of playgrounds in underprivileged areas throughout North America.

Since then, Hart has been working mostly with representatives of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, which would coordinate the children's placement. "They've established a priority order for evacuations from Haiti," he said, "the first being American citizens; the second group is orphans who were already in the adoption process prior to the earthquake on Jan. 12 -- these children will be transported directly to their adoptive parents."

"All other orphans, and what the government classifies as 'unaccompanied children', constitute the third group, and it is from this group that children would come to us," said Hart. "As of today (Jan. 25), we're being told that the government is still working on the first group. So we could be getting a call in a matter of days from now, or it could be a few weeks; we don't know."

On Tuesday January 12, 2010 at 4:53 pm the impoverished island of Haiti was hit with a 7.0 magnitude quake that flattened hundreds of buildings and caused widespread destruction to its fragile infrastructure. The quake was followed by many aftershocks, one of them as strong as 5.9. The devastation on the impoverished Caribbean island of Haiti is great.

Our own amazing Fairfax County Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 was on the ground Wednesday to help survivors. Virginia Task Force 1 (VATF-1) was activated by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), on Tuesday evening, January 12, 2010. The team of 72 highly trained personnel was deployed to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They hit the ground with six search and rescue canines, physicians, paramedics, structural engineers, other support personnel, and 48 tons of rescue equipment and supplies. We are so very proud of their efforts.

Help agencies from around the globe have been activated to help the impoverished nation. Here at the Centreville Moose Lodge, our hearts go out to the victims of this natural disaster. We are trying to do what we can for the families, friends, and children of Haiti. Our Loyal Order of Moose board of officers has elected to donate to the relief efforts that are underway. We have made a donation to the non-profit group "Doctors without Borders". They are gearing up to help the Haitian people with doctors, nurses, and medical supplies.

There are many reputable non-profits helping in the relief efforts. If you elect to make a cash donation to help the Haitian people, please be careful of scams out there to miss direct money. I am providing a link to an article that has a good list of reputable groups helping in the relief efforts. I think you can feel safe donating to one of them.

Every year the Centreville Moose donates to deserving people and groups around the holidays. This year we selected the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board for the good work they do. They were established to provide Mental Health, Mental Retardation, and Alcohol and Drug Services, as well as specialized services in Prevention and Early Intervention for individuals and families. They provide leadership to ensure the integration of the principles of resilience, recovery and self-determination in the development and provision of services. They maintain accountability by ensuring that continuous system improvement is anchored in best practice, outcome and effectiveness measurement, and the efficient use of resources. Their goal is to provide timely, individualized, quality services when and where they need them, in addition to active support, resulting in acceptance in the community.

As a public support network, they provide services which assist, improve and maximize the potential of individuals affected by these conditions and strengthen their capacity for living self-determined, productive and valued lives within our community.

They work with all individuals and families, but really excel in helping low income individuals and families who are in most need. This group is the safety net that these individuals and families need. Without their continued support, many in the Northern Virginia area would go without needed mental health treatment, medical treatment, and other needs. It is around the holidays, the people of the Fairfax Falls Church Community Services Board really shine too. They help those in need by going the extra mile by finding out what their members might need for Christmas! This extra effort is to give someone special a resemblance of normalcy in what has become a very difficult life. They partner with local churches and other nonprofit groups to get toys, gifts, and more into the hands of families that most often do without. This is truly a deserving and wonderful group of people.

In the 28 years that Yesterdays Rose has been in existence, they have managed to sell lots of gently used clothing in order to help those less fortunate. Since their start, they have distributed over $2.5 million to the charities within their coalition family. Their family includes The American Red Cross - National Capital Area Chapter, The Association for Retarded Citizens of Northern Virginia, The National Council of Jewish Women-Northern Virginia Section and ServiceSource (formerly Fairfax Opportunities Unlimited). We count our selves among their supporters.

The Centreville Moose lodge continues to donate gently used clothing to their charity each month. This month, we are changing gears again. They need jackets, sweaters, gloves and mittens now. They say they have their fill of regular clothing. Please hold on to your regular weather clothing for now. We will start accepting regular clothing next spring.

In the month of November 2009, we donated 240 clothing items!

Please also know that they no longer accept stuff animals per a new Virginia State law.

Some times we forget to say one important thing, thank you for helping make our community a better place with your donations!

Important Note: We know that some of our lodge members are having troubles in this economy too.  There are reports of missing jackets near the clothing drop-off box in the lodge.  If you see a jacket or coat hung up by the lodge drop-off box, please dont take it! If you have taken a jacket or sweater hung up please return the item.  No questions will be asked!