January 15, 2010

The Bay Area Lawyers for Haiti Relief Fund at The San Francisco Foundation Aim to Raise $1,000,000

(SAN FRANCISCO) – Friday, January 15, 2010 – David McClain of Kazan, McClain, Lyons, Greenwood and Harley, and Paul Friedman, of Morrison & Foerster, announced today the launch of The Bay Area Lawyers for Haiti Relief Fund at The San Francisco Foundation. Aiming for $1,000,000, the Fund already has raised $50,000 from the Kazan McClain Foundation, and Morrison & Foerster will match their partner and employee gifts to total $50,000.

"As we learn about the devastating effects of the Haitian earthquake, we are moved to do something bigger than one can do alone. Bay Area lawyers are extraordinarily compassionate and generous. This Fund provides a powerful, effective, and efficient way for all of us to join forces and make a difference," said David McClain.

Sandra R. Hernández, M.D., CEO, and The San Francisco Foundation staff experts in disaster response, healthcare, and education, vetted the four organizations that comprise the Fund. They chose organizations that have a stellar track record on the ground in Port-au-Prince, and that will be able to deploy massive relief resources effectively. They provide critical food, water, shelter, and medical care to the hundreds of thousands of Haitians now in need.

"The Bay Area Legal Community has always stepped forward to help those in need," said Arturo González, President of the Bar Association of San Francisco and partner at Morrison & Foerster. "We are hopeful that we can provide assistance that will save lives."

Oxfam America
Oxfam is an international relief and development organization with over three decades of experience in Haiti and 200 staff on the ground there - including a team of 15 emergency response experts. Additional Oxfam teams from around the region are being brought in as needed to help provide clean water, shelter, and sanitation. Oxfam is working with Haitian officials, the UN, and other local and international organizations to respond as quickly and efficiently as possible. Staff is assessing the scale of the disaster across the different parts of Port-au-Prince. Some areas have been more severely affected than others. There is an Oxfam warehouse in Haiti and emergency supplies in Panama are ready for deployment.

Doctors Without Borders
Your support to Doctors Without Borders will provide emergency medical care for the men, women, and children affected by the earthquake in Haiti. Doctors Without Borders has already treated more than 1,000 people on the ground in Haiti following Tuesday's earthquake, but the needs are huge. An inflatable hospital with operating theatres is expected to arrive in the next 24 hours. Doctors Without Borders is an international medical humanitarian organization providing aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from healthcare, or natural disasters.

Partners in Health
Partners in Health has been on the ground in Haiti since 1985. Its mission and principles strongly align with those of The San Francisco Foundation and we endorse its approach to public health, poverty alleviation, and strengthening communities. Founded by Harvard physician Dr. Paul Farmer, its facilities are strategically placed two hours outside of Port-au-Prince and will accommodate patients fleeing the city. Your support will help quickly procure emergency medical supplies, basic living necessities, and transportation and logistics support for the tens of thousands of people that will be seeking care at mobile field hospitals in the capital city. Partners in Health brings the benefits of modern medical science to those most in need and works to alleviate the crushing economic and social burdens of poverty that exacerbate disease. By partnering with poor communities to combat disease and poverty, it cares for its patients, gets at the root causes of disease in their communities, and shares lessons learned around the world.

Save the Children
Save the Children has worked in Haiti for 25 years with about 100 staff on the ground, primarily in the capital city of Port-au-Prince and the Central Plateau region, providing vulnerable children with health, education, protection, and food security programs. The agency, with offices in Port-au-Prince, is sending teams out this morning by motorbike in Port-au-Prince and is flying in additional staff to help support the emergency response. As it has done in recent disasters in Haiti, Save the Children is preparing to provide immediate lifesaving assistance, such as food, water, shelter, and child-friendly spaces.

The San Francisco Foundation (TSFF) is the community foundation serving the Bay Area since 1948, granting more than $800 million over the past ten years. Through the generosity and vision of our donors, TSFF awarded grants totaling more than $80.6 million in fiscal year 2009. Bringing together donors and building on community assets through grantmaking, leveraging, public policy, advocacy, and leadership development, TSFF addresses community needs in the areas of community health, education, arts and culture, community development, and the environment. The San Francisco Foundation is a community foundation serving San Francisco, Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo Counties.