Helping Haiti: Friends of the Children of Haiti (FOTCOH)

It’s always a concern when donating to relief efforts whether or not the money will actually make it to the people who need it.

With the devastation in Haiti, I wasn’t sure to whom I should send money when one of the parents at my daughter’s grammar school sent this email:

This from Mrs. Laskey at Immaculate Conception:

"My uncle, Richard Hammond, runs a clinicin Haiti. He, my aunt Barb, and his team were there on
Tuesday when the earthquake hit, and luckily only his building was damaged. My uncle started out as a
deacon for St. Andrews Catholic Church in Bartonville, IL. He became aware of the poverty and lack of
medical assistance in Haiti, so he started going over there every year with medical supplies. He started
up an organization called, "Friends of the Children of Haiti" or FOTCOH. This organization is nonprofit
and the proceeds help with the medical supplies, food, water, and the running of the clinic. He and his
team go to Haiti several times a year with supplies and stay there running the clinic helping people who
walk for miles and miles to get the medical care. That is what they were doing when the earthquake hit
on Tuesday.

The devastation is beyond belief. There are far more injured than any hospital or clinic can handle. The
clinic is quickly running out of supplies and need donations to keep up with the demands for food,
water, and medical help.

To find out more about this organization, go to www.fotcoh.org . It will give instructions for donations.
This organization was also written up in today’s Peoria Journal Star for it’s outstanding
accomplishments. If you want to see the article in the Peoria Journal Star, go to www.pjstar.com for
January 14, find the subtitle "Luciano: Medical Team Can’t Wait to Help Haita" then click on "Will you
give Aid in the Haiti Earthquake Relief".

Thank you for getting the word out for this organization. It really does help the people it’s
intended to help.

Marilee Laskey