The Daily Northwestern – Local Haitians support distant relatives

The Daily Northwestern – Local Haitians support distant relatives
By Brittney Wong

Published: Friday, February 19, 2010

After the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti, Judith Francois didn’t know if her brother or her grandmother were alive for five days. “It was devastating,” the Rogers Park resident said. “Everyone was just scared.” A relative eventually told Francois her family was safe. They were physically fine, but after her brother’s school collapsed, they slept outside to avoid getting trapped during an aftershock. Fortunately, Francois, 24, had family here for emotional support. Her parents own Sweet Nick’s Caribbean, 741 Howard St., a small Haitian eatery filled with the faint odor of fried pastries and black bean rice. She and her family members are part of the estimated 5,000 Haitians who live on the North Side, a population that started receiving national attention due to their fundraising efforts after the disaster. CLICK TO READ MORE.

Native of Haiti Reflects on Medical Mission to his Homeland

Article on Haitian Congress Board Member, Dr. Joel Augustin’s experience in a recent medical mission to Haiti.

Native of Haiti Reflects on Medical Mission to his Homeland
February 23, 2010 by Kim Waterman

Dr. Joel Augustin, a family practice physician at Rush University Medical Center, traveled back to his native country of Haiti on January 29th as a member of a medical relief team organized by the International Medical Corps. Here are his reflections on his two-week trip.

I was born in Haiti, and the last time I went to my country of birth was in 2001. I was eager, and anxious to go to Haiti with the team of seven health providers (three ER physicians, one family physician and three nurses from Rush and Northwestern) after the earthquake. CLICK TO READ MORE.

Help for Haiti from Chicago – chicagotribune.com

Forged by disaster, fortified by generosity

Formed after 2005 hurricane, Evanston-based Haitian Congress again races to get help to the homeland

By Brian Cox, SPECIAL TO THE TRIBUNE

February 3, 2010

At the Haitian Congress to Fortify Haiti in Evanston, volunteers are trying to keep their hopes as high as the piles of canned goods, blankets and hand-washing lotion being collected for friends, relatives and countrymen who survived Jan. 12’s devastating earthquake. CLICK TO READ MORE.