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On Saturday, the 6th of March 2010 I was standing in the check out line at the Canadian Tire on Olgivie Road when I noticed that a tiny middle aged Caribbean woman in line in front of me was purchasing camping gear, which to me seemed a bit out of character. Being the curious person that I am I inquired if the camping gear was for herself or was it for her children? She stated it was for Haiti. The dome tent and tarps she was purchasing was for someone in Haiti. Being such a tiny woman and such a big heavy tent I offered to carry it out to her car for her. Once in the parking lot I asked where her car was? She had no car, that she had taken the bus.
At this point my girlfriend Divania and I realized we just couldn't let this tiny little woman try and take this big tent and tarp's home on the bus and we offered her a ride. She, Anna accepted our offer. On the ride home I inquired who the tent was for; it was for her 74 year old mother and her brother who had lost there home in the earthquake and were currently sleeping in the open air on the streets in Haiti - not even a tarp to cover themselves. I thought about my own mother, what it would be like if she had lost everything and was sleeping on the streets of Toronto, just as the winter season was coming.
Being a curious person I further inquired and discovered that the Airline she is travelling on to Haiti to deliver this tent to her mother is going to charge her extra for bringing the tent and relief supplies with her. This is a women of modest income and this trip is no doubt a great expense for her. As we turned from Montreal Road onto Anna's street to drop her off she didn't need to tell me which home was hers; the vividly painted home with bright cheerful Caribbean colours that she had painted herself jumped right out at us. After carrying Anna's mothers new home from the trunk of my car to her front door again I thought of my own family. I knew at that moment I would just have to do something to help this wonderful lady and if nothing else at least try to get her story told.
As Anna is bringing relief supplies to homeless family members in Haiti I am hoping that someone from the Ottawa Citizen or even the Office of the Governor General can inquire with the airline on this wonderful ladies behalf and see if the airline has any special provisions that would permit them to waive the normal surcharge they charge customers who go over their weight allocation. After all, Anna is bringing relief supplies to people who lost everything in the earthquake and are now sleeping in the open on the streets of Haiti just as the rainy season is starting.
Anna is leaving for Haiti from the Montreal Airport on the 24th of March 2010 and flying Air Transit to Haiti.
Thank you so much for your time,
David Loftus
To help please contact premierblueprints@gmail.com
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Organizations help nurse flying with aid to Haiti
Woman loads up on vital supplies for family
By Katie Stewart, The Ottawa CitizenMarch 22, 2010
Anna Junie Jeanty is surrounded by the relief supplies she is taking to her family in Haiti on Wednesday.
She won't have to pay $400 in excess baggage fees and Canadian Tire will reimburse her for some of the supplies.
Photograph by: Julie Oliver, The Ottawa Citizen
With the help of an Ottawa non-profit organization, an area woman will not have to pay $400 in excess baggage fees to bring essential supplies to her family in Haiti.
Not Just Tourists Ottawa arranged to have the fees waived for Anna Junie Jeanty, who is flying to Haiti on Wednesday with a five-person tent and other supplies for family members made homeless by the Jan. 12 earthquake.
It's unusual for Not Just Tourists Ottawa to get involved with a flight to Haiti. The charity, which originated in St. Catharines, Ont., accepts donations of medicine and medical supplies from pharmacies, physicians, and hospitals, then arranges for travellers to volunteer to take these supplies on their flights. Often NJT can make arrangements with airlines to waive fees for humanitarian goods.
Because Haiti is not a hotspot for tourists, NJT does not often send donations there. However, when the organization heard of Jeanty's plight, it stepped in.
"We're just trying to make a small difference in something so big," said Mary Metcalfe, founder and co-ordinator of NJT-Ottawa. "You do what you can do."
Jeanty has lived in Ottawa for 10 years, working as a registered practical nurse. It was more than a week after the earthquake struck before she received news that her family, including her 74-year-old mother and a brother, had survived. However, they were left with nothing and are now living on the streets.
Air Transat resumed weekly flights to Haiti on March 10. Soon afterward, Jeanty booked a $580 return flight from Montreal to Port-au-Prince. She plans to stay a week.
"I am going to support and comfort my family," said Jeanty.
She plans to bring the tent, an electrical converter and other much-needed goods. "I need to bring covers, candles -- people need these things."
Jeanty's not the only one packing a heavy load to Haiti.
Air Transat spokesman Jacques Bouchard said the Haiti flights have "heavier than normal baggage because people pack as much as possible."
Although they have made an exception for Jeanty, Air Transat has not adjusted excess baggage policies to accommodate travellers bringing supplies to Haiti.
"We are limited by the plane," said Bouchard. "There's a legal and performance limit."
Air Transat allows a maximum of 50 kilograms of personal luggage. Passengers are allowed 32 kilograms of excess baggage, but must pay $12 for each excess kilogram.
"I think they should make exceptions in situations like this," said David Loftus, an Ottawa resident who met Jeanty at the Canadian Tire on Ogilvie Road when she was purchasing the tent. When he learned about her situation, he felt compelled to help however he could and began contacting various organizations.
"I think a while back, airlines would have gone out of their way to help their customers, but times have changed," said Loftus
In addition to the help from NJT-Ottawa, Canadian Tire has also offered to reimburse Jeanty for the supplies she bought at their store.
"We would love to help her out," said Joanne Elson, manager of Canadian Tire retail communications.
"I just thought that Anna would get community support from telling her story," said Loftus.
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