By Kathy Kurtz Ferrari
Staff Writer
1/21/10
Aftershocks from the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti on Jan. 12 can be felt here in Milton, as the town’s Haitian population is still reeling from the tragedy. Milton resident Kerby Roberson, who is originally from Haiti, heard from his two brothers who still live in Haiti. They were able to call relatives in the United States within the first days following the disaster, via an open phone line that was being shared by victims of the earthquake. Each person was allowed five minutes to make a call. One of Roberson’s brothers lives in Carrefour, a town very close to the epicenter of the earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale. He, his wife and small child were able to escape unharmed, but their house was destroyed. Roberson’s other brother lives a fair distance away from the hardest-hit area, and is doing well.
Forry said she was impressed by the number of constituents wanting to help the victims.
“Right now they need money and medical supplies, and there are several agencies that are ready to help. These resources are critical so they can save as many people as possible. …They are also looking for health care professionals who are Haitian, or who speak French,” she said.
The representative also took part in a meeting with other local government officials, held at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston on Jan. 13, trying to pull together resources to help the situation. Forry said the federal government is looking into whether the United States will Haitian refugees in the coming weeks.
Locally, a group of volunteers from St. Agatha Parish in Milton, who traveled to Haiti the week before the earthquake, are reacting to the devastating news. The poor nation, which shares the island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, was already suffering from economic and infrastructure woes.
“When I first heard about it I thought, ‘Oh, this can’t be.’ When you’ve been there and you see these poor people, you wonder how they survive, and now this happens,” said the Rev. Peter Casey, pastor of St. Agatha. The church-sponsored group returned just 72 hours before the quake hit. Casey was there in November.
“One thing I know about the Haitian people is that they have a lot of faith,” Casey said. “Being a person of faith, we need to keep the prayers going. That will help. It’s a little, but it’s a lot.”
For more than five years, volunteers from St. Agatha have worked at a medical clinic in the mountains above Port-au-Prince, in conjunction with St. Rock Haiti Foundation. Many of the volunteers have made several trips there in the past, forming bonds with Haitians they worked with.
Dr. Daniel Driscoll, a physician from Milton, was part of the most recent group.
“I am very concerned, because this country already had so many issues with water, with shelter, with food and even with security.” Driscoll said. “I think when we were there, I only saw one police officer the whole time. It’s anarchy.”
Driscoll said communications within their network had confirmed that the translator who worked with them was OK, which was a bit of a relief.
Jocelyn Bresnahan, a nurse who lives in Milton, also traveled with the contingent from St. Agatha’s. This was her fourth trip to Haiti, traveling this time with her daughter, Hope, and her niece. Her husband, Steve, and other children, Sophie and Gabriel, have also been to Haiti as volunteers at the clinic.
“From the information we have heard, the church near the clinic is gone, but the clinic is OK,” Bresnahan said. “We had stayed in a hotel that sits on the side of a cliff, and now it’s gone.”
Bresnahan also mentioned that their original plan was to travel to Haiti the following week, but due to Hope’s college schedule they were home when the earthquake struck.
Many local charities, groups and individuals are organizing efforts to help, which will no doubt be sustained over the coming months. Milton resident Catherine Liberles, a registered nurse and board member of St. Rock Haiti Foundation, is waiting for clearance to head back to Haiti – after having been there only weeks before – to offer her help.
In addition, there are bins in the front lobby of Town Hall for those who would like to contribute light clothing to the earthquake victims. For more information, call Nelly Browne-Janga at the Board of Health, (617) 898-4884.