The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

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February 5, 2010

ECC students step up for Haiti

KIMBERLY BELLAMY

Edgecombe Community College began its ECC for Haiti drive last week hoping that their contributions would help, and got confirmation that the project will indirectly help members of their student body.

Dean of Students Jonathan Wirt received an e-mail from student Verna West-Fede whose husband is Haitian. Her family was affected by the earthquake that hit the area in January and West-Fede expressed appreciation for ECC stepping up to help provide necessities for the Haitians.

“Thank you for being of assistance. My husband is from Haiti and his entire family was affected. We are thankful that no one lost their life. However, their houses were destroyed and some escaped with low-to-moderate injuries. Once again, thanks for caring and sharing,” West-Fede wrote in her email.

From Jan. 22-28, ECC students, faculty and staff brought in canned goods, non-perishable food items, hygiene items and bottled water to send to Haiti.

The project was hosted by the Student Government Association, Diversity and Global Connections under the direction of Wirt. Both the Tarboro and Rocky Mount campuses participated.

“It gave us an opportunity to help out someone other than in our community. They were in desperate need of necessities, and we made that our main focus,” said Margarita MacDonald, SGA president.

The college not only worked among each other to get the items to Haiti, but with Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church in Rocky Mount. As a result of a recommendation from the American Red Cross, the items were delivered to the church, which has been designated as a collection site.

While the school didn’t keep a tally of how much they collected, Wirt said it gained the most participation than any other project done this school year.

“The school really took a proactive approach to get the students involved as soon as the crisis occurred. ECC wanted to be involved as a community to assist those in Haiti. We have students that are from Haiti or married to those from Haiti … the tragedy impacted our students,” Wirt said.

“We still have people delivering things and we’re taking it down to the church.”

Ebenezer Baptist is still accepting items from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday.

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