Housing Works: NYC Relief Agencies Assist Haiti's HIV-Positives

Housing Works CEO Charles King is in Haiti coordinating relief efforts for the country's HIV-positive residents, many of whom are now cut off from their HAART medications. I recommend following King's blogging from the scene.

About 5 o’clock yesterday evening, Edner and I left the compound where we are storing the supplies in order to to rent a vehicle to distribute them. As I stepped out of the compound, an elderly man with a weathered face grabbed my hand. “You must come with me,” he said in Spanish. “I will show you what God has done to us.” Gripping my hand tightly, he led me down a flight of steep concrete steps, badly broken by the tremors. At the bottom was a small terrace high in the bank of a creek. Turning me around, the man pointed to his tiny house, already half-fallen into the creek, and the other half listing in the same direction.

On the way to the airport, we passed CEPOZ, an HIV/AIDS clinic and psychosocial support center. The two-story building was completely flat. Edner didn’t have to explain that anyone who was there when the quake struck never had a chance. And, if the strong stench was any indication, the clinic had been fully occupied by both patients and staff. We later passed a second AIDS clinic. This one is still standing but clearly not for long. PHAP+ desperately wants to open a temporary clinic for the surviving patients of these two clinics.

Housing Works is accepting directed donations for their work helping Haiti's HIV-positive population. With AID For AIDS, they are also accepting your unneeded medications which will be shipped directly to Haiti. Donated meds should be sealed and unexpired.