HHP organizes donation drive for Haiti

October 8, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The College of Health and Human Performance at the University of Florida is organizing a donation drive of clothes, food and basic necessities for the people of Haiti, devastated by four hurricanes this summer.

The HHP Ambassadors are collecting clothes, dry food, canned goods, shoes, soap, laundry detergent and water purification tablets to send to Haiti. Donations can be dropped off at the Florida Gym Room 242 before Oct. 16.

All donations go directly to Partners In Health, an organization founded by Dr. Paul Farmer of Harvard University. A book about Farmer, “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” was selected as the UF Common Reading Program book in 2007-2008.

Storms Fay, Gustav, Hanna and Ike all hit Haiti between mid-August and mid-September.

Additional Information

• Haiti is often referred to as the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
• The involvement of the college with the drive and Partners In Health came about from an HHP student, Jackie Eisen, currently interning in Miami. A woman she is working with, Lizzi Nuell, and her mother, Laurie, have connections to Partners In Health. Contact information: Jackie Eisen,Gatorjax@ufl.edu or 954-401-6551; or Lizzi Nuell, LNuell5419@aol.com

For more information on the donation drive at UF, contact Michele Dye (mdye@hhp.ufl.edu or 352-392-0578, ext. 1280), director of communications and HHP Ambassadors adviser at the College of Health and Human Performance or hurricane relief co-chairs and HHP Ambassadors Tasmeer Hassan (mhgurl@ufl.edu) and Francesca Francois (fra9422@ufl.edu).