It was just six months ago that CaribPress spoke with Los Angeles restaurateur Jean-Marie Monfort Hebert Georges Fils Laguerre about his passion for his native land of Haiti and his efforts to revive the "Haitian Bleu" brand of coffee he has brought to market.
Laguerre has a new job to handle at his colorful restaurant in the Echo Park district northwest of Downtown, where he Hatian émigrés and other community members have now made a gathering place where they can work off some of their anxieties by sharing hope and working toward aiding relief efforts in the wake of the devastating earthquake that has devastated Haiti — the largest temblor to strike in the Caribbean in more than two centuries, by some estimates.
TiGeorges Chicken has already hosted one fundraiser, an event that drew 200 or so to the restaurant on the evening of January 14. Another is planned for January 16, with the prospect of a Saturday afternoon likely to boost the turnout.
The relief efforts come as many Haitian Americans are frantically trying to get in touch with their families back home, and TiGeorges has turned into a clearinghouse of sorts, where émigrés can share information.
"The country of Haiti is in chaos and they truly need our help," say Laguerre.
Various countries are responding, including some of Haiti's neighbors in the Caribbean. Jamaican Prime Minister Bruce Golding is expected to lead a delegation that will include the opposition leader Portia Simpson Miller. The Jamaican delegation is expected to assess immediate needs that their nation could help meet in conjunction with international efforts.
U.S. President Barack Obama has directed his administration to play a key role in the effort, calling on appropriate agencies to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives.
"The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States," Obama said.
Obama acknowledged that many in the U.S. are struggling with the economic downturn these days, but the nevertheless Americans who want to support the urgent humanitarian efforts in Haiti to go to whitehouse.gov on the Internet, where they can learn how to contribute.
Tigeorges remains on duty with efforts to spur local support and donations. The Janaury 16 event will start at 2 p.m. at TiGeorges' Chicken, located at 309 Glendale Boulevard, south of Temple Street.
Various other groups are planning fundraisers around Los Angeles in coming days, including:
* Mother's for Africa, a non-profit organization that will host an event at 6p.m. on January 16 the Afiba Center, located at 5730 Crenshaw Boulevard, Los Angeles. Contact Micheline Robertson at (310) 903-3932 for information.
* Hollywood Unites for Haiti (HUFH). The organization was founded by Haitian native and Los Angeles-based actor Jimmy Jean-Louis, who spent more than two days wondering about the fate of his elderly parents in Haiti after learning that a house he had grown up in collapsed, killing several of his relatives. (He located his parents, who are alive, on the afternoon of January 16). HUHF is a nonprofit organization whose original mission was to provide sports and cultural education to underprivileged youth on the island. HUFH is currently focusing on providing support for victims of the earthquake and accepting donations of all kinds for this purpose. At the present time, HUFH is seeking two kinds of donations: Financial and equipment. Please log on to www.hufh.org for further information on how to make your donation.
If you need any information about any other local Caribbean-American community relief effort or event in the Los Angeles area please call our CaribPress office at (323) 508-2626 or visit the publication's website at caribpress.com.
Photos by Sheannette Virtue, Carib Press.
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