Kimberly-Clark continues to provide support to people of Haiti

Haiti is still reeling from the January 12 earthquake that devastated large areas of the country. Recently, Haiti's government raised the death toll for the 7.0-magnitude earthquake to 230,000 and says more bodies remain uncounted. Another 300,000 injuries are estimated and tens of thousands of buildings destroyed. Meanwhile, the second stage of Haiti's medical emergency has begun, with diarrheal illnesses, acute respiratory infections and malnutrition beginning to claim lives by the dozen. Officials, with an eye on the upcoming rainy season, have asked the international community for tents and other temporary housing for 1.1 million homeless.

The island of Hispaniola (Dominican Republic and Haiti) is home to 180 Kimberly-Clark employees. Our operations on the island include a family care plant and office in the Dominican Republic and a distribution partner in Haiti.

Although all K-C employees are safe and accounted for and our facilities are operating normally, we are naturally concerned about the devastation affecting the island. Kimberly-Clark has been providing and will continue to provide support to organizations working to assist the survivors of this disaster through a variety of mechanisms.

American Red Cross

Employees continue to make individual and group donations to the American Red Cross through the Kimberly-Clark Employee Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund. On March 17, Kimberly-Clark will tally the total donations to the relief fund and then match that amount dollar-for-dollar with a corporate donation, up to US$300,000.

Volunteers sort and organize medical supplies shipped to Good Samaritan Hospital by MedShare. This shipment was made possible by a contribution from Kimberly-Clark.

In addition, Kimberly-Clark is a leading corporate partner of the American Red Cross’ Annual Disaster Giving Program (ADGP). The company has committed $1 million over five years to ADGP, and a portion of our gift is designated for the International Disaster Fund which helps Red Cross organizations outside the U.S. when disasters of this magnitude strike.

In an operation that has involved more emergency response teams than any other single-country disaster in global Red Cross history, the American Red Cross so far has spent or committed $80 million to meet the most urgent needs of earthquake survivors in Haiti. The American Red Cross is currently focusing on three areas through its emergency responders and partners:

1. Sending food to those in need, including 3 million pre-packaged meals and funding for World Food Program efforts that will enable them to feed up to 1 million people for a month.

2. Providing clean drinking water, including 3.5 million liters distributed to date in 68 settlements. Each day, the Red Cross is distributing enough water for 100,000 people.

3. Distributing shelter items, such as blankets, tarps, sleeping mats and tents, to families who have been left homeless.

The Red Cross also is meeting the health needs of Haitian survivors and providing support to Haitian families in Haiti and the U.S. This includes providing relief supplies, shipment of blood products, family linking services and providing Red Cross volunteers to the USNS Comfort, a U.S. Navy hospital ship.

MedShare

Kimberly-Clark has sponsored an 11-pallet shipment of first aid supplies, orthopedics, steel instruments and drug administrative medical supplies, valued at $125,000, to the 100-bed Good Samaritan Hospital in Jimani, Dominican Republic, on the Haitian-Dominican Republic border, through our nonprofit partner, MedShare. These supplies are being used to treat more than 1,800 earthquake victims.

Health care professionals treat Haitian earthquake victims. Many of the supplies were provided by MedShare.

This is all part of a bigger earthquake-relief effort on the part of MedShare, which includes:

• Shipping 11 shipments of approximately 11,000 boxes of requested medical supplies to partnering organizations doing medical relief work in Haiti

• Outfitting 22 medical teams going to Haiti with medical supplies, and offering free medical supplies to medical teams going to serve in Haiti

Mobilizing K-C product donations

K-C volunteers in the Dominican Republic have been mobilizing donations of much-needed health care products, diapers, feminine care and tissue products, valued at $50,000. Additional product is being assembled and will be shipped as soon as the logistics and infrastructure improve.

His House Children’s Home, Miami Gardens, Florida

Shortly after the disaster struck, His House Children’s Home was notified that their services were needed to care for more than 90 Haitian orphans who were in the process of being adopted by U.S. families. They were to arrive in 24 hours. Kimberly-Clark assisted with a donation of 28 cases of diapers and four cases of wipes.

David Aitken tickles his adopted son Yonelson, 4, at the His House Children's Home in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Chris Detrick)

Mario R. Martinez, Kimberly-Clark Professional Latin America sales director, visited the home on behalf of Kimberly-Clark.

“It was a tremendous experience to see His House Children’s Home in operation,” Martinez said. “It’s a beautiful environment – they even have a school. It’s heartbreaking to see these kids, but when you see all the people who work there, and all the parents who drove in from all over the state, it was a humbling experience. It made me feel like I’m not doing enough, with Haiti so close to us. They were very grateful to K-C’s generosity and made me feel like a very special person.”

Kimberly-Clark will continue to monitor the earthquake relief effort and provide assistance where we can.

[ printer friendly version ]