15 January 2010
Dear Members and Friends,
I, like you, am deeply saddened by the devastation that the people of Haiti are facing in the aftermath of Tuesday's earthquake. As a first step, we have determined that our offering this Sunday will be given to Médecins sans frontières Canada (Doctors without Borders).
After speaking with members of our community who have strong connections to Haiti, we believe this will be the best way to quickly support efforts on the ground. Médecins sans frontières is among the organizations that will receive matching grants from the Canadian government for gifts given by individuals and certain groups. As a church, we qualify as an organization whose gifts will be matched.
We still advise that you write your cheques to the Unitarian Church of Montreal, designating "Haiti" in the subject line. In this way, we can provide tax receipts and remove that burden from Médecins sans frontières.
Recovery in Haiti will be long and hard. If you are interested in participating in an ongoing effort to provide relief, please let me know. Our Social and Environmental Concerns Committee will be meeting this week and will be considering future projects.
I am deeply grateful to all who have expressed care and concern to help. My heart goes out to the people of Haiti and to all who are waiting to hear news of loved ones, colleagues and friends.
With love,
Rev. Diane Rollert
