I knew this would happen. After reports of devastating floods in Haiti and photos of the destroyed cities of Gonaives and Cabaret appeared in the media, Americans opened their hearts to flood victims. Dignitaries and celebrities visited and international relief agencies began the process, once again, of ministering emergency aid. In South Florida, there was an outpouring of support - our own school - the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and our affiliated NGO raised a considerable amount of money for flood relief, including an extraordinary generous gift from Gloria Estefan. In a community frequently fractured by ethnic provincialism, this donation is worth highlighting - a Cuban-American so moved by the crisis in Haiti to make this sort of commitment to the poor folks is unprecedented in our community. Surprisingly, the media did not pick up on this. Sometimes, even the famous can be unsung heroes.

Read more: Unsung Heroes - Dr. Fournier Featured On The Huffington Post

Commitment at 2008 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Will Continue Support to the First Millennium Village in the Western Hemisphere in Haiti

NEW YORK, September 26, 2008 - The Green Family Foundation (www.greenff.org), a private, non-profit organization that supports social programs dedicated to improving global health and elevating universal socio-economic conditions, announced today that it has joined forces with the Earth Institute at Columbia University and the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine to fight extreme poverty, hunger and disease in rural Haiti. The Millennium Villages Project in Haiti, which was launched in 2007 and began operations in January 2008, is being heralded by President William Jefferson Clinton at this year’s Clinton Global Initiative. The partnership will also work directly with Haitian President René Préval and his distinguished colleagues to help further solutions to Haiti's many challenges at the national level.  First launched in 2004 in Kenya by the Earth Institute, the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) is a community-driven development program tackling the toughest challenges of extreme poverty in order to achieve the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Currently there are 80 Millennium Villages in 10 African countries, affecting the lives of nearly half a million people. This collaboration supports the first MVP in the Western Hemisphere.

Read more: The Green Family Foundation Joins Forces With The Earth Institute At Columbia University And The...

MIAMI, September 22, 2008 -- Emilio and Gloria Estefan have made a $25,000 donation to the University of Miami’s fundraising effort aimed at helping storm-weary Haiti.

“Gloria has been on tour in Europe, but following the tragedy unfolding so close to South Florida, we interrupted the concert tour in Spain to direct funds to the University of Miami and Project Medishare,” said Emilio Estefan.  “We want the Haitian community to know that we love and support them during this time of need.”

Read more: Estefans Rally to Support UNIVERSITY of MIAMI’S STORM Relief for Haiti

2008-09-09

It’s bad - even worse than the reports from Cabaret and Gonaives would lead you to believe, and these cities, on the coast, are at least relatively accessible. In fact, most of Haiti’s 8-12 million people live in an inaccessible interior, rarely visited by the press, who focuses more on the coastal areas of the country.  With the entire country denuded, any town or city at the base of a mountain will be at risk for a mudslide, any city with a river through it will be flash-flooded.

Read more: No Time For Subtlety - Dr. Fournier Featured On The Huffington Post