Haiti Relief

On January 12, 2010, the island nation of Haiti was struck by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. The nation, already suffering from extreme poverty and economic conditions was devastated. Its infrastructure was unable to withstand the powerful earthquake, with its epicenter within miles of the crowded capital of Port-au-Prince. Reports are still coming in, but the death toll was immediately high and is now estimated to exceed 200,000. The world responded with support and aid as rapidly as possible.

WLOY moved to be a coordinator of fundraising efforts on the Loyola University campus, acting as a central conduit and information resource. We were able to secure, with the assistance of BaltimoreACTS!, and the Baltimore Community Foundation, a matching donation for our fundraising efforts. The Aber D. Unger Foundation provided a 100% match of the $11,000 that was raised in a few short weeks on campus.

We are proud to have been a part of this great effort at Loyola and to do our small part to help those in dire need. As a part of our ongoing efforts to keep attention focused on the conditions in Haiti, WLOY will be providing interviews with various individuals and groups providing aid directly in Haiti. While we can help write the checks, these are the people truly doing the miraculous service on the ground. We will continue to update this page with new interviews and information as we gather it. Should you have news you wish to share, please email wloy@loyola.edu.

Help for Haiti Radio Program

Our first gathering on the air to discuss the still-unfolding situation in Haiti as we began fundraising. Guests included Nora Collins (Catholic Relief Services), Sister Catherine Gugerty (Center for Community Service and Justice), TIm Teeling (WLOY General Manager) and John Devecka (WLOY Operations Manager).

Listen to the show: HERE

USNS Comfort Interviews

On January 20, 2010, the USNS Comfort arrived in Port-au-Prince, having staffed, stocked and shipped out from Baltimore’s harbor in an amazing 2 days. This massive hospital ship began taking on injured Haitians before it even reached port, performing life-saving surgeries and care on board for over 1000 people. Additional staff went ashore to provide supplies and training to personnel and families in Port-au-Prince. Naval surgeons & nursing staff and civilian volunteers spent an incredible 7 weeks providing aid on board. When it was determined that there was sufficient restoration of hospital services in Port-au-Prince, the Comfort headed back to Baltimore. We have been lucky enough to reach several members of the ships staff and hear their thoughts and experiences.

Commander William Todd (Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeon)*

Lieutenant Carrie Easton (Registered Nurse)*

* These interviews were conducted by ship-to-shore phone while the Comfort was en route back to Baltimore. There were poor weather conditions over the ship at the time and the audio quality is less than ideal.

Interview audio coming soon.

International Federation of the Red Cross Interviews

Mr. Paul Conneally is a member of the communications team for the International Federation of the Red Cross. He was providing constant updates on the situation in Haiti (audio, video and text) via his Twitter account. His updates were powerful and brought an immediate humanity to the situation. Since his return to Geneva from Haiti, he has continued his efforts to open the world’s eyes to the situation in Haiti and others around the world. We were able interview him by phone from Geneva.

Interview audio coming soon.