Do you speak Creole? Have a background in social work?
If so, Lutheran Services Florida desperately needs you - as either an employee or a volunteer.
The nonprofit group is the lead agency in relocating injured and ill Haitians and their families displaced by the Jan. 12 earthquake, said Eric Tillich, an executive in the Tampa office. And it's doing the job without funding and a dearth of caseworkers.
"This is a leap of faith for us," he said. "It's our mission to respond to tragedies like this, but we haven't figured out how to pay for it yet."
So far, some 70 Haitians are in Tampa under a special "humanitarian parolee" status, and the intake grows daily.
"Planes keep arriving, and we're there to ease the transition and get everything processed," Tillich said. "This is above and beyond our normal workload in resettling immigrants and refugees."
About 40 of those are in hospitals. For the healthy Haitians who accompanied them, agency staff and volunteers are providing cash assistance, clothing, transportation, housing and other services.
"They arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs and maybe a suitcase," Tillich said. "They don't speak English, and they're so disoriented."
The organization has only two caseworkers assigned to this, but it is committed to hiring additional staff who can speak the language and have a background in social work.
The organization has received pledges of financial aid from several Lutheran groups that support disaster response efforts. It's also seeking donations from individuals and faith-based groups. Volunteers are also needed, Tillich said.
"We're doing everything in our power to help these displaced Haitians during this very difficult time," he said. "This is what we're called to do."
To find out how to help, call (813) 875-1408 or go to www.lsfnet.org
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