Haiti Relief from Tampa Bay - Concert, Coast Guard and More

Last week, Tampa's MacDill Air Force Base deployed a medical team of nurses and technicians to join relief efforts in Haiti. Other MacDill troops had already been deployed with various relief supplies.

Another group of local Tampa doctors landed in Haiti this past Saturday, organized by Help Brings Hope for Haiti. This organization has already been running mission trips to Haiti for seven years, so are experienced with helping in the area. They will be working in a city about 20 miles from Port au Prince, especially with Haitians who would likely otherwise die without medical supplies and treatment.

The Florida Opry in Plant City announced that one of their already-scheduled Winter concerts will be used as a fundraiser for Haiti. Portions of the profit from the January 30 Bluegrass Concert will be donated to relief efforts.

When: Saturday, January 30
Where: Plant City High School Community Center, 605 N. Collins St.
Time: 5:00 pm
Admission: $15.00, to include a free meal coupon for a local CiCi's Pizza

The Florida Opry already donates portions of concerts to various charities, so this will be nothing new for the organization.

A Clearwater Coast Guard unit (Port Security Unit 307) will be setting up a self-sustaining service center near Port-au-Prince. According to a Tampa Tribune report, they will patrol the waters off Haiti's port to provide safety for the Haitian people and a Marine Transportation Recovery Unit, who will be helping to rebuild the port.

About 120 members of the Clearwater Coast Guard were scheduled to leave in waves, carrying large quantities of supplies, beginning this past Saturday night.

Publix Supermarkets in Tampa Bay and the rest of Florida have set up the capability for shoppers to donate money while at the checkout line by just adding whatever amount they wish to donate into their shopping bill total.

For those of us in Tampa who would like to physically help Haiti, but can't travel there for various reasons, we can do our part to help build donations for Haiti by simply buying our weekly food or going to a concert. How easy is that?

Prayer always helps too, but faith needs works. "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?" James 2:12-16, NIV.

Sources:
Tampa Tribune, 1/24/10, p. 15, and tbo.com, Coast Guard unit headed to Haiti.
Tampa Tribune, 1/24/10, p. 14, Local doctors land in Haiti, Jeff Patterson, Michelle Sager.
Florida Opry, Plant City
BayNews9.com, Air Force deploys unit for Haiti 1/18/10.
Publix Supermarkets