On August 25, I attended an event at Cross International in Pompano Beach, Florida where the organization was presented with a grant of $25,000 from the Turkish Coalition of America (TCA) to assist with its ongoing efforts to provide relief to the people of Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake that struck the island earlier this year.  The TCA is an educational, charitable organization that is committed to building coalitions based on shared values and goals in the sponsorship and organization of educational programs on Turkish-American issues, Turkish heritage, and Turkey.

I commend the TCA for this generous contribution, which will undoubtedly help the people of Haiti in their daily struggles for survival as they rebuild their country.  The tremors may have ceased, but families and indeed the entire country have been left broken.   It is only with the assistance of the global community and the generosity of organizations such as the TCA that Haiti can and will recover.

Cross International should be recognized for its dedication to serving the global community and for continuing to provide relief to regions that are in need.  The ministry of Cross International began in Haiti, distributing aid to church-based ministries that serve the poor.  While the organization has expanded its efforts throughout the world, it has remained committed to working towards recovery in Haiti.  Following the January 12 earthquake, Cross International was able to provide rapid and much-needed assistance through already established partnerships within the nation.  With the TCA’s generous gift, Cross International will help rebuild schools, health care facilities, and other crucial infrastructure in Haiti.

I have long admired Cross International’s work in Haiti and throughout the world, as well as its ability to maximize resources by working through existing groups on the ground in the areas in which it has relief efforts in place.  The effectiveness of Cross International’s work should serve as an example to other organizations.  I remain committed to supporting and working with organizations such as Cross International and the TCA to assist with relief efforts in Haiti and around the world whenever disaster strikes.

For more information on Cross International, please visit: http://www.crossinternational.org/.

For more information on the TCA, please visit: http://www.turkishcoalition.org/.