Helping in Haiti

Southern Vermont College is pleased to announce that Dean Anne Hopkins Gross has been named as the SVC point person on overseeing SVC initiatives to help Haiti and its people. She will coordinate all our efforts across campus--students, faculty, staff, alumni and athletic department initiatives. If you would like to be involved in the relief efforts, please contact Dean Hopkins Gross at 802-447-6323 or e-mail ahopkinsgross@svc.edu.

SVC Efforts

On Saturday, February 13, SVC Athletics hosted a triple-header fundraiser for Haiti Relief Efforts. The Men's and Women's Basketball teams, as well as the Men's Volleyball team, played against Newbury with a moment of silence for the living and the dead in Haiti at the beginning of each game. School officials spoke about the need to help Haiti through the continued struggle of rebuilding their country after the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010. SVC athletics gave out red hearts with an outline of Haiti in exchange for donations and hung up hearts with donor names along the gym wall. The support and generosity of the SVC community was evident with a gym full of Mountaineer fans, many wearing red paper hearts on their chests.

Spring Break: Destination Haiti

While many college students spend spring break relaxing at home, or jet-setting for tropical vacations, one SVC student traveled to the poorest nation in the western hemisphere, still recovering from a devastating earthquake in January.

First-Year Student Zach Cota-Weaver recently spent two weeks in Haiti providing emergency medical care for hundreds of Haitians. A Pre-Nursing Student from Starksboro, VT, Zach is an active member of the Bennington Rescue Squad and works at the Southwestern Vermont Medical Center. From March 5th through the 15th Zach brought his real-world experience and classroom education to work in hospitals and clinics providing patient care for the sick, injured and chronically ill.

Reflecting on the trip, Zach said, “It’s given me a different perspective of the world. I witnessed humans engaged in primal animal instincts and doing things we, Americans, could never comprehend.” Many children spend nights sleeping on piles of trash to keep warm. A common sight was thirsty Haitians on their hands and knees, drinking from water from puddles and potholes. Zach plans on returning to Haiti again later this year.

Zach self-funded his trip after hearing about some of the experiences of SVC student Christie Henry’s father, George Henry. Both Zach and Mr. Henry travelled to Haiti in association with the Vermont Haiti Project.

The Vermont Haiti Project (VHP) (http://www.vermonthaitiproject.org/index.html) was formed in 2007 to provide humanitarian services in Haiti. VHP sends groups of Vermonters to volunteer in Haiti, as well as bringing Haitians to Vermont for professional development and advocacy. The organization has been selected as a benefactor for Southern Vermont College’s Haiti Relief Fundraisers.

Below are some pictures from Zach's experience in Haiti:

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