January 20, 2010

Dear Members and Friends,

capital of Port-au-Prince on Tuesday, January 12th. The damage to buildings is extensive

and the number of dead or injured is in the many thousands.

Haiti was the first country to recognize the independence of the Greeks early in their war

of liberation, in 1822. In addition, Haiti sent 500 tons of coffee to Greek collaborators in

France to be sold and the money used for the Greek independence effort. Haiti’s support

for Greece did not end there as they attempted to send 100 soldiers to fight along side the

Greeks, but unfortunately these were killed en route to Greece. As the first independent

nation born of a successful slave revolt in 1804, Haiti played an important role in the

liberation of other peoples in Central America and elsewhere.

Your generous gift now will help distribute life to children and families devastated by

the earthquake and aftershocks in Haiti.

“We would be very concerned about a quake of this magnitude anywhere in the world,

but it is especially devastating in Haiti, where people are acutely vulnerable because of

poor infrastructure and extreme poverty,” said Edward Brown, World Vision’s relief

director in the United States.

I ask all our chapters and all our members to join the Greek Orthodox Church and offer

generously as a response of compassion to the needs of the people of Haiti. Please give

to the “Greek Orthodox Archdiocese” earmarked for the Haiti Relief Fund. You may also

Sincerely,

Nina Gatzoulis-Supreme President                                 Maria Hatzinakos-Supreme Secretary