Several of Athens' faith-based groups will collaborate to hold a fundraiser tonight to collect money for a country that still needs aid nearly a month after disaster struck.
The University Interfaith Association will present A Day of Hope For Haiti from 5 to 8 p.m. tonight at the First United Methodist Church on 2 S. College St. The event will include a dinner featuring traditional Haitian cuisine and musical entertainment by three area groups. Although the cost of the meal will be covered by the University Interfaith Association, attendees are encouraged to donate to Haiti relief efforts.
I feel that we are just one of many wonderful partnerships between student organizations and community organizations that have rallied together in recent weeks for Haiti relief
said Rabbi Danielle Leshaw of Hillel at Ohio University, which is also involved in the fundraiser. Our work is in keeping with the vision of Ohio University to be part of a global people and to realize that our lives are best lived when we serve other people.
The event is an opportunity to educate people about Haiti's condition, which was poor even before the earthquake hit, said Bill Carroll, the priest at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd in Athens.
It will be a chance to give and a chance to learn about Haiti and its people Carroll said. We really want to get people involved in Haiti for the long haul.
In addition to each denomination's respective relief funds, there will be four non-sectorial organizations to which attendees can give money, said Jeff Bartlett, the interim pastor at the First Christian Church in Athens. Doctors Without Borders, Habitat for Humanity, Red Cross, and UNICEF were chosen because of their widespread reputations.
We kind of want to have organizations that we believe do credible work Bartlett said.
Bartlett likens the tradition of relief aid to the health of the physical body.
If there's not a good circulation system of blood in the human body
it can be disastrous. If we don't have a healthy flow of compassion
it's not just people off in one part that suffer
the whole humankind suffers
Bartlett said. It's also in giving that we receive a kind of blessing as well.
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Graylyn Roose
