First of all, thanks to all of you who donated money or purchased Haitian crafts from Tesoros Trading Company's retail and wholesale operations, of which 100% of the sales has already gone to several non-profit organizations as listed below. Tesoros has been able to donate over $32,000 to Haitian relief and recovery efforts. Your participation and concern has been overwhelming.

Thank you!!

Total Donations made to:

Partners in Health: $16,325

AmeriCares: $5,300

American Red Cross: $420

Artisan Grants Initiative/Vital Edge: $5,000

Artisans Supplying Tesoros (Caribbean Craft, Rara): $5,000

Donations to Date: $32,045

Although Tesoros' commitment of donating 100% of its sales of Haitian products ended February 1st, we will continue to work closely with many Haitian artisans as they recover. But Haiti needs more help, for many months to come. With this in mind we would also like to re-direct your generosity to another effort that we have been involved with. Our friend Jenny Dubin, also from Austin now living in New York, works as a producer for 60 Minutes. She is coordinating an immediate impact effort to get more tents/sleeping bags to Haiti. She co-produced a 60 Minutes segment on Haiti immediately after the quake and has seen first hand the devastation. As the rainy season is around the corner, the need is even greater for tents, which are better than the tarps that many Haitians are now still living under. Maggie Steber, another transplanted Austinite, permitted us to use some of her incredible photographs of current conditions in Haiti.

Jenny was able to get Dr. Phil to help kick off her tent campaign a couple of weeks ago. As a private citizen, Jenny facilitated the donation of 260 tents which were carried on President Clinton's plane last week to Haiti. Through Jenny's efforts Partners in Health has purchased an additional 130 tents with roughly $14,800 raised. In addition, she will be moving more than 1000 sleeping bags and hopefully some 1400 sleeping pads that are being donated as well. Most of these will go to children who lost one or both parents in the quake. This new camp will be called Oasis 1.

Jenny's Partners In Health Website

Now Jenny is trying to raise more funds to supply about 300 tents for artists and artisans that have been individually identified as in need in Haiti. If you are able to continue donating, please go to her Partners in Health (PIH) website, the non-profit that will accept the donations and assure that Jenny's effort is fulfilled in Haiti. Tesoros donated most of the money from its sales to PIH, a non-profit organization that is very widely respected both inside and outside of Haiti.
Please help this effort if you can. Kisla and I believe that tents are the next critical need for the Haitians and we can personally assure you that your contributions will be well used by Partners in Health.

Thank you all for your help.
Jonathan Williams / Kisla Jimenez

Artisan Members of Rara, February 6, 2010 / Photo by Frederic Bellande