Wyoming Haiti Relief Continues

It was in her basement in Casper that Jill Ramaker-Hendricks created the outreach organization, Wyoming Haiti Relief, following the earth quake.  Over the last six months Hendricks collected Haitian Artwork that sold at a special fundraiser-exhibition recently in Casper.  Ktwo Radio's, Karen Snyder, has more...

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Jill Ramaker-Hendricks carried a special place in her heart for Haiti after acting as an Election worker there.  So when the earthquake hit last January it didn't take much to spur her on to create and move forward with aid efforts.  A medical team was quickly sent.  "Later in the week, after the earthquake, we got front page coverage in the Star-Tribune for our effort. That solicited 40 calls from medical providers from places as far away as the Bronx all trying to get into Haiti."

The momentum to serve picked up quickly and, Hendricks says, the challenge initially was getting people in when there were no commercial flights.  A collaboration with the Governor's office got them over that hurdle. "But its something thats just evolved.  We went from sending a medical team, to more medical teams, to sending prosthetic teams to help the amputees gain mobility again, to making Prosthetic legs.  We've fitted 20 amputees with legs custom made for the Haitians."

Building and educational projects have followed.  She says recently a group of about 180 orphans received assistance with educational expenses.  "And I think its just an amazing testimony to Wyoming and the way in which people in Wyoming see somethng that needs to be done and set about in a very pragmatic way, 'well, lets do this, we can do it.  'Cause if we don't do it, who will?'  And so thats our connection between Wyoming and Haiti."