Rensselaer Matches Haiti Earthquake Relief Donations to 3 Aid Organizations
Our hearts are with those in Haiti
Post updated at 4:27pm to clarify donations.
In a commendable step to helping those affected by the recent earthquake in Haiti, RPI has announced that they will be matching donations from Faculty, Staff, and Students to the aid organizations AmeriCares, Oxfam America, and Save the Children. The ‘Tute will also donate $10,000 to each organization, for a total of $30,000, in addition to matching donations by community members. RPI has been accepting donations since the 14th and Bill Walker (Vice President for Strategic Communications and External Relations) has confirmed that the community has donated almost $12,000 already. This means that the people of Rensselaer will be sending almost $54,000 in aid to help with rescuing and rebuilding Haiti. So much for pervasive apathy!
Yesterday, the deadline for RPI’s offer was extended to January 31st. This means there’s still time to take advantage of this opportunity to do twice as much good with your money! If you’d like to have RPI match your donations to one of the designated aid agencies, follow these instructions:
Donate direct to the organization electronically through their website:
- Make payment to AmeriCares, Oxfam America, or Save The Children
- Forward the electronic receipt to salval@rpi.edu
Donate electronically though RPI:
- Go to RPI’s giving page
- Select “Other Designation” and type “Haiti Relief Fund”
- Enter your donation amount (no dollar sign)
- Click “Submit Securely”
For more details, see the emails below. We are very proud to be members of the RPI community at times like this. A big sincere thanks to everyone at RPI who made this possible!
Email announcing donation matching:
To: The Rensselaer Community
From: Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., President Professor of Physics and Professor of Engineering Sciences
Date: January 14, 2010
Re: The Tragedy in HaitiI am deeply troubled by the tragedy that has befallen Haiti. The massive earthquake that struck the capital of this island nation on Tuesday has resulted in catastrophic destruction and a devastating loss of human life. We grieve for those who have perished, and our thoughts are with those who have been affected and must begin the distressing task of rescuing their family and neighbors, and then rebuilding their homes and communities.
We know of five Rensselaer students who were in Haiti at the time of the earthquake. All five are accounted for, and thankfully there are no injuries. Four of these students were in Haiti participating in a humanitarian effort. They are expected to return to the United States on Saturday. The project, a partnership between St. John’s Episcopal Church in Troy and the Institute’s chapter of Engineers for a Sustainable World, involved building a sustainable classroom at a school in Lascahobas, Haiti.
The four Rensselaer students and faculty adviser Michael Jensen had been planning and doing preliminary work on the project for about six months. Together with three humanitarian volunteers from St. John’s church, they traveled to Lascahobas on January 5 and successfully installed 2.4 kilowatts of solar panels on a local school – enough to power 10 HP laptop computers donated by the Office of the President at Rensselaer. The power system, which entailed installing all of the electric and wiring, as well as backup battery storage, will also be used to charge 140 laptops donated via One Laptop Per Child.
Dr. Jensen departed Haiti, as previously scheduled, on Monday, Jan. 11, and the rest of the group was scheduled to leave on Wednesday, January 13. Their departure was delayed by the earthquake, but we look forward to their safe return home this weekend.
Even as I write this, new local, national, and international efforts are being launched to bring vital aid and assistance to Haitians. As a matter of community and global responsibility, we intend to make a university contribution to the earthquake relief effort. We have selected three agencies, based on our research, and we will provide $10,000 contribution to each in the name of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, for a total of $30,000. The agencies are: AmeriCares, Oxfam America, and Save the Children.
I strongly encourage you to contribute to this global effort. If you would like to add your contribution to the Rensselaer effort, I invite you to write a check or provide a money order made payable to one of the three agencies listed above. Please note that Rensselaer as an institution will match your contribution with a donation of equal value. Please send or deliver your check or money order by January 21 to Laura Salvati, Administrative Coordinator for the Vice President for Finance, Troy Building, Fifth floor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180. Ms. Salvati can also be reached by phone at (518) 276-6426. Please note “Earthquake Relief” on the memo line, and write the check or have the money order payable to the agency and not to Rensselaer.
We are deeply relieved and grateful to know that our students have not been harmed. But as members of the global community, we must make a commitment to offer aid and compassion to those who are still suffering and face a long, difficult battle in recovering from this disaster. Please join Rensselaer or contribute to a relief agency of your choice. Please also keep the victims of this terrible tragedy in your thoughts and prayers.
We will continue to keep the Rensselaer community informed of relevant developments in this area, including any new information on ways to help with the relief effort. A website has been set up for this purpose, which can be reached at http://www.rpi.edu/news/haiti/
Email extending deadline:
To: The Rensselaer Community
FROM: Shirley Ann Jackson, Ph.D., President Professor of Physics and Professor of Engineering Sciences
Date: January 21, 2010
Re: Haiti Earthquake ReliefLast week, in immediate response to the tragic earthquake in Haiti and in an effort to aid those in need in Haiti, we offered the opportunity for Rensselaer faculty, staff, and students to have their relief contributions matched by the Institute through January 21. We are now extending the time frame for that commitment through January 31 in order to accommodate those who have not yet had the opportunity to give.
Your contribution may be made in the form of a check, a money order, or an online payment to AmeriCares, Oxfam America, or Save the Children. For your gift to be matched by the Institute, please forward the check or money order to Laura Salvati, Administrative Coordinator for the Vice President for Finance, Troy Building, Fifth floor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, 110 8th Street, Troy, NY 12180. Please note “Earthquake Relief” on the memo line, and write the check or have the money order payable to the agency, not to Rensselaer. In the case of online contributions, the receipt for your contribution (the online acknowledgement showing the charity, donor, and amount) may be sent to salval@rpi.edu. All proof of donations made in this way will be matched by Rensselaer.
Additionally, donations may be made via Rensselaer’s Web site for online giving, at http://www.rpi.edu/giving/giveonline.html. If you use this method, please select “other” and type in “Haiti Relief Fund.” Rensselaer will match these funds as well. However, please note that, if you use this method, your credit card statement will show a debit to “RPI,” not to one of the listed charities. Funds in this account designated for the Haiti Relief Fund will be totaled, and checks for the donation plus matching funds will be sent to the three listed charities.
It is clear that the people of Rensselaer have stepped up in response to this terrible tragedy, and I am grateful for the compassion we have demonstrated as a community. Thank you for your generosity, and for keeping the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.
Please direct any questions to Laura Salvati at (518) 276-6426.
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