Below is the University's initial response to the earthquake in Haiti. For more information on the University's response, how to donate funds, items, volunteer or other information, please click the links to the right.

To: Members of the University Community
From: Kimberly Goff-Crews, Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students in the University
Re: Haiti earthquake response
January 15, 2010

Each day the scope of the disaster in Haiti and the enormity of suffering become more apparent. Our hearts go out to all those touched by this calamity and those who await word on loved ones.

In a special way, our thoughts are with members of the University community who may have family, friends or colleagues in Haiti. Since news of the earthquake first broke, staff members in my office have been working with colleagues across the University, as well as government officials and private citizens, to locate members of our community who may have been in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and to ascertain their well-being. So far the news has been good, but because communications are so limited, we do not know when we will be able to answer that question definitively. In addition, we are offering support to students, staff or faculty who have family members in Haiti affected by the disaster.

Many of you want to help the people of Haiti. The University Community Service Center has assembled a web page with guidance and links to international relief organizations: https://blogs.uchicago.edu/chicagostudies/2010/01/disaster_in_haiti.html. That page, as well as the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs at omsa.uchicago.edu, have information on a student-led fundraising, clothing and toiletries drive, with drop-off sites at the Reynolds Club and at OMSA's office at 5710 S. Woodlawn. As other new efforts arise, we will make note of them on the University's website.

A special space has been set aside in Rockefeller Chapel for those who want to pray or grieve or leave remembrances of those affected by the earthquake. Members of the University's many faith communities will remember the people of Haiti at their regular gatherings, and special prayers will be included in Sunday morning worship at Rockefeller at 11 a.m. An interfaith act of remembrance will take place at the Chapel on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 5 p.m., a week after the time of the earthquake.

If you have questions or suggestions about the University's response to the disaster in Haiti, please e-mail ucsc@uchicago.edu. Please write to that address with any new relief efforts or observances at the University, as well, so that we can share them with the broader community.

It's hard to keep an ear to the ground when it's so darn cold out, so I'm trying out a new feature: a regular re-cap of interesting news items of city-wide, local and campus importance.

City news—Is it warm out here? Chicago weather will hit above-freezing this week for the first time since Christmas Day's unseasonable 43 degrees. Not exactly reason to break out a tank top, but maybe now my hands won't turn into icicles every time I fumble to retrieve my CTA card from inside my wallet.

South Side news—3 months after Chicago lost the Olympic bid, and still no word from the city on what will take the place of the Olympic Village in its massive reconstruction project at Michael Reese Hospital. I wrote this story for the Chicago News Coop last week, and my fingers really did turn into icicles when I attempted some man-on-the-street reporting up in Bronzeville.

Campus news—52nd Street has a new bakery, the Chicago Weekly reports. Sounds like a yummy way to keep warm (Note to self: don't write a blog post right after running across the snow-capped quadrangle to get to work.)

The Sustainability Council is sponsoring a free Winter Gardening Workshop on Tuesday in Swift Hall:

Julia Govis (Master Gardener/International Organic Farm Inspector) will demonstrate and explain ways in which you can grow your own organic meals indoors this winter. There will be a Q & A session after the demonstration and materials will be available to take away to try the techniques presented during the workshop at home.