International Women's Day @ The White House

THE HEART OF A NATION

By Roxanne Lord
Zen Media-Around Town Magazine
White House correspondent.

March 15, 2010

As the Healthcare battle rages in Washington and in the mind, body and spirit of millions of inadequately insured Americans, I will fight with my President for My Healthcare Benefits. I want the same kind that members of Congress get because I deserve it and Natoma Canfield worked hard enough and deserves it too.

You see as small business owners, we are one of the hardest working, multiple-hat wearing entrepreneurs that exist. We pay taxes, we live, we breathe, we should have good healthcare. We embody the strength and soul of the American dream and our businesses will grow into large corporations. Some of us are artists, writers, musicians, real estate professional, construction workers, plumbers, actresses without proper healthcare.

Today President Obama went to Strongville, Ohio to defend Natoma Canfield against the Insurance company bullies who hiked up the price of Natoma’s insurance premiums. The President is putting his career on the line to fight for people like her and I and we should all help him. He is not only defending people like Natoma but small business owners all over America. We should have health insurance and make that good health insurance. This is a question of life or death. Vote for life. Health equals life and quality of life for families and longevity of generations.

Here is an excerpt from the president’s speech today,
Now, the reason Natoma is not here today is that she’s lying on a hospital bed, suddenly faced with this emergency -- suddenly faced with the fight of her life. She expects to face more than a month of aggressive chemotherapy. She is racked with worry not only about her illness but about the costs of the tests and the treatment that she’s surely going to need to beat it.
So you want to know why I’m here, Ohio? I’m here because of Natoma. (Applause.) I’m here because of the countless others who have been forced to face the most terrifying challenges in their lives with the added burden of medical bills they can’t pay. I don't think that’s right. (Applause.) Neither do you. That’s why we need health insurance right now. Health insurance reform right now.
The key elements to the President’s Health care bill are as follows:
1. This bill would end some of the worst practices of the insurance companies.
2. Uninsured people with pre-existing conditions would be able to purchase healthcare insurance.
3. No dropped coverage when people need it the most; when they are sick.
4. Same coverage for small business owners as members of Congress at affordable rates.
5. Tax credits offered to small businesses to help them afford to cover themselves and their employees.
6. Preventative healthcare measures such as Free Check-ups.
7. This bill would support life. Health = Life.

This healthcare reform bill is important to all people who consider themselves Americans. It is reform that will enhance the quality of life in America for the suffering and for the hard working. It can also help the rich to feel good about doing something to help others. Doing the right thing can bring about solidarity and healing. It can bring us closer together as a nation. Helping others is good for the entire nation; if you have healthcare already, consider-- mind you, consider --don’t look down on- others who are not as fortunate, let us all chip in and make this country a better place for ALL. Let’s do the right thing. Vote Yes for Healthcare Reform

Lady Simone Meets Lady Obama

March 8, 2010
Washington, DC
The White House
East Room
by Roxanne Lord

It was an extremely exciting and momentous evening as First Lady Michelle Obama joined President Obama at reception at the White House honoring Women from all around the world for International Women's Day.
Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright read a beautiful poem and President Obama stated that if a woman works as hard as a man she should get paid as a man.

In celebration of accomplished women, the First Couple lauded women for achieving high standards of distinction in their fields. The emcee for this reception was actress Kerry Washington, above. Singers Katharine McPhee and  Afghani singer, Mozdah performed for the reception, where members of the audience included senators and congresswomen, Yvette Clarke, congresswoman from Brooklyn was present.

As a writer and publisher of Around Town Magazine, I felt honored to receive a handshake from both Mr. & Mrs Obama. It felt like they knew the struggle, determination and hard work that it takes to produce a great magazine each month with little staff or budget, in a recession.

A NIGHT OF HEALING @ WHITE HOUSE

Article by Lady Simone

Yolanda Adams, Mellencamp, Negro spirituals Rocks White House

(February 9, 2010) President and Mrs Obama celebrated Black History month with musical performances that brought healing to both races.  It was the day before the blizzard; the show was actually rescheduled for February 9^th on account of the expected blizzard.  Yolanda Adams, John Mellencamp didn’t seem to notice the cold or the snow as they brought healing to the crowd.

Mellencamp told his story about his teenage Black friend who taught him about rhythm and dance, who was also not allowed into restaurants and hotels after performing with the White singer. He sang and played his guitar encouraging everyone to end hate and racial divide in order to heal a land.

Adams rocked the house with all her songs. Thank God Almighty We’re Free at Last. Jennifer Hudson sang a duo with Smokey Robinson, Baez sang We Are Not Afraid which was a message to the world that our President is not afraid, come what may.  Our royal couple will face it together. The singers also performed to over 150 highs school students who were invited to the White House for this awesomely healing concert. Log on to PBS.ORG to see this amazing concert.

Creme de la Creme Networking Party

Greetings folks,

We have a nice and simply empowering evening planned for you on February 23, 2010.
You're invited to Occasion Hall for a business card exchange and networking event, the theme is Travel & Spa.
Clayton Sizemore from CNN will do his Walk to Wealth presentation showing us the way to travel the world and stay at the best hotels, for less, while we make money doing just that.

Lady Simone will touch on community empowerment and media for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

The event will be catered by Southern Girls, Sangrias and we'll have some Caribbean food too...

Makeovers by Honey Spa & Cosmetic! (3 branches, Brooklyn, Queens, Baltimore)

Tips & Tricks by D&G Hairspa

Looking forward to seeing you there Feb 23, from 6-9pm.

Occasions Hall
127-08 Merrick Blvd
Springfield Gardens, Queens, NY

RSVP & Vendor table space
Call Roxanne 917-720-2485

GUEST LIST-THE FIRST LADY'S BOX AT 2010 STATE OF THE UNION

Mrs. Michelle Obama

Dr. Jill Biden

                                                      

Clayton Armstrong (Washington, DC)

Clayton was a DC Scholar with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs during the summer of 2009.  He is currently a freshman at the University of Arizona.  Clayton grew up in Southeast Washington, DC and graduated from Ballou High School where he was the captain of the football team. 

Li Boynton (Bellaire, TX)

Li is a 18-year-old senior from Bellaire, Texas whose passion for science and global health has led her to new and potentially ground-breaking methods for testing the quality of drinking water. Almost one billion people lack access to safe drinking water, and 3.5 million people die each year from water-related diseases.  Observing the limitations and significant expense of conventional chemical-specific tests, Boynton saw a need for a broader, more efficient assay for testing – and developed a bacteria bio-sensor. Li’s work, which has the potential to be significant in improving public health worldwide, received the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair award for 2009.

Jeffrey Brown (Philadelphia, PA)

Jeffrey Brown is the founder, President and CEO of Brown’s Super Stores, Inc., a growing ten-store supermarket chain trading under the ShopRite banner. As one of the leading supermarkets in the Philadelphia area, the company employs 2,300 associates who are committed to making a difference for their customers and the local communities they serve.

Mayor Mick Cornett (Oklahoma City, OK)

Mick Cornett became Oklahoma City's 35th mayor on March 2, 2004, and was re-elected on March 7, 2006.  In 2007, he was elected as a Trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors.  Cornett is also the national President of the organization representing Republican Mayors and Local Officials.

Tina Dixon (Allentown, PA)

Tina is currently employed by Lehigh Valley Health Network as a Technical Partner Trainee, a job that she was able to secure through the EARN program (Employment Advancement and Retention Network – a program focused primarily on Paid Work Experience placement) at the Allentown, Pennsylvania CareerLink in preparation to re-enter the workforce after years as a stay-at-home mother to three girls, Olivia, Allison, and Lauren. 

Gabriela Farfan (Madison, WI)

Gabriela is a 19-year old from Madison, Wisconsin whose passion for geology started at a young age – collecting rocks as a seven-year old with her father. In 2009, as a senior in high school, her hard-work and research won her one of the top awards in the Intel Science Talent Search, winning a scholarship for her independent research describing why certain gemstones appear to change color when viewed from different angles—a finding that directly affects the gemstone industry and may have applications in the nano and materials sciences. Gabriela is now in college as a freshman at Stanford University, and a declared geology major.

Julia Frost (Jacksonville, NC)

Julia is a former Marine bandsman trumpeter, a wife of an active duty Marine, and current student at Coastal Carolina Community College. She served a four year term with the United States Marine Corps stationed at Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Her husband, Sergeant Ryan Frost, is also a Marine bandsman, stationed at Camp Lejeune North Carolina.

Ping Fu (Chapel Hill, NC)

Ping Fu co-founded Geomagic, a company which pioneers technologies that fundamentally change the way products are designed, engineered and manufactured around the world from automobiles to medical devices. Geomagic, under her leadership, has been an active participant in the SBA’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.  Fu has led Geomagic to deliver broad-based economic impact to the US economy with tangible results – the company tripled its customer base and employment while achieving high growth and profitability.  As such, the NSF awarded Geomagic the prestigious Tibbetts Award for exemplifying the very best in SBIR.

Janell Holloway (Washington, DC)

Janell was a DC Scholar with the White House Domestic Policy Council during the summer of 2009.  She is currently a freshman at Harvard University where she is a member of the Harvard College chapter of the American Red Cross, dances with the CityStep dance troupe, and is active in the Black Student Association. Janell is interested in the connection between child abuse and youth violence and has served as a volunteer at Safe Shores: DC Children’s Advocacy Center for more than three years. She is a native of Washington, DC and graduated from Benjamin Banneker Academic High School.

Ambassador Raymond Joseph

In 1990 Raymond Joseph was called to be Haiti’s Chargé d’Affaires in Washington and his country’s representative at the Organization of American States.  After helping with the first democratic elections in December 1990, he returned to the Haiti Observateur where he remained until he was called back to Washington in March 2004, where he is currently the Ambassador.

Don Karner (Phoenix, AZ)

Don Karner is the President, CEO, and Co-Founder of eTec (Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation).  As President of eTec, Don provides strategic direction, conducts research and leads the company’s development of new products and services.

  
Janell Kellett (Sun Prairie, WI)

Janell has served as a lead volunteer within the Wisconsin Army National Guard for approximately six years, including during her husband’s fifteen  month deployment from 2005-2006 and recent twelve month deployment from 2009-2010.  Janell’s husband, Major Michael Hanson, serves with the 32^nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team and recently returned home to Wisconsin. During Major Hanson’s deployment, Janell served the 3,200 families of the 32^nd Brigade and over 50 volunteers of the 32^nd Brigade with dedication.  Janell was honored for her service with a 2009 Wisconsin National Guard Volunteer of the Year award by the Wisconsin State Family Program.  Under Janell’s leadership, the 32^nd Brigade was selected for the prestigious Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Award in December 2009 for the Army National Guard.  Additionally, Janell served as the Battalion Volunteer for the 2^nd Battalion, 128^th Infantry when it received the same award, the Department of Defense Reserve Family Readiness Award, in 2006.

Rebecca Knerr (Chantilly, VA)

Rebecca is representing her husband, Captain II Joseph Knerr, the Task Force Leader of Fairfax County’s Virginia Task Force 1 serving in Haiti.  Having worked as a Fairfax County Firefighter for 15 years, Joe currently serves as Station Commander at Fairfax Fire and Rescue Station 18.  He initially joined the USAR team in 1998 serving in a variety of operational capacities and now in leadership positions.  Joe is also involved in the coordination, teaching and training of other international rescue teams.  A former Fairfax County Firefighter and Paramedic herself, Rebecca works as an Emergency Physician’s Assistant in a Northern Virginia Hospital and for Fairfax County Fire and Rescue Department developing and delivering emergency medical services  education to uniformed personnel.  Rebecca, 24 month old son Jackson, and 12 week old daughter Grace are eager to welcome Joe home.  

Chris Lardner (Albuquerque, NM)

Chris Lardner is a patient service manager at the New Mexico Heart Institute and her husband, Scott, owns a small family business. Together they have three children, two daughters in college at Regis University in Denver, Danielle and Caitlin, and a son in 7th grade, Sean.  As a result of the economic downturn they resorted to paying for some of their daughters’ education with a credit card. Lardner realized she was close to reaching the card limit, so she contacted the college to change the card on file. The school mistakenly charged another payment to the original card, which then put her above the limit. In response, the credit card company more than tripled her rate to nearly 30 percent, despite of record of responsibility with her finances and payments. Lardner submitted a letter to the President online expressing her frustration with the rate hikes leveled as a result of the mistaken charge.

Anita Maltbia (Kansas City, MO)

Anita Maltbia is a native of Kansas City, Missouri, and has over 30 years experience in city government, and community activism. In August 2009, at the request of Congressman Emanuel Cleaver II, Anita assumed the director position of the Green Impact Zone.  This initiative works with the residents of a 150 square-block area in the urban core of Kansas City to raise the quality of life environmentally, economically and socially.  Energy efficiency and environmental conservation, including home weatherization and energy upgrades are critical goals as is job training and acquisition. 

Kimberly Munley (Killeen, TX)

Kimberly was born and raised in North Carolina. In 1999, she completed Basic Law Enforcement Training and began her career in law enforcement.  Kimberly spent the next 11 years working as a University of North Carolina, Wilmington undercover vice/narcotics agent, a Wrightsville Beach uniformed patrol officer and beach patrol officer, a Special Police Officer for New Hanover County Regional Medical Center, a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear Operations Specialist Soldier in the United States Army, and is currently a federal police officer serving on the Special Reaction Team for the Fort Hood Police Department in Fort Hood, Texas.

Cindy Parker-Martinez (Belle Isle, FL)

Cindy is a mother of two young children, who shared her story of the problems her family faces with the current health care system at a Health Care Community Discussion held at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, one of thousands of discussions held nationwide in December 2008.  In April 2008, Cindy, her husband, and her son were all denied insurance coverage on the individual insurance market because of pre-existing conditions. Her 11-month old daughter was also denied coverage due to an insurance company age requirement of 12 months.  Both Cindy and her husband are currently uninsured because they cannot afford the insurance offered at her husband’s employer.  Although they previously paid their premium, they could not afford to keep up the monthly payments after receiving thousands of dollars in medical bills from her husband’s unexpected 6-day hospital stay for pneumonia.  Their family’s income is too high for them to qualify for Medicaid.  Cindy and her husband currently have no insurance and have thousands of dollars in medical debt. 

Deborah Powell (Hugo, OK)

Deborah Powell is a Native American Development Specialist for the Housing Authority of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Having earned only a high school diploma, Powell built her experience outside of college and soon became interested in accounting and finance. After spending 43 years of her life in her hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona, she moved to Oklahoma in April 2004 for a change of pace and is currently working on a project funded by the Recovery Act. A member of the Choctaw Nation, she is currently helping to track budgets and ensure bids for independent elderly homes. This project, which is still under construction, will provide homes for more than 86 elderly people in the Choctaw Nation. Powell is recently remarried, and enjoys hunting, fishing, and spending time with her family.

Sergeant First Class Andrew Rubin (Savannah, GA)

Sergeant First Class Andrew Rubin entered the Army in 1997 from Boston, Massachusetts and completed One Station Unit Training, Airborne Training and Ranger Assessment and Selection at Fort Benning, Georgia before becoming a Ranger assigned to the 75^th Ranger Regiment. 

Mark Todd (Killeen, TX)

Mark Todd was born and raised in San Diego, California.  Todd enlisted in the United States Army as a Military Policeman in 1985.  He was selected to attend Military Working Dog Handlers Course and later assigned as a K-9 handler at Fort Devens, Massachusetts, Fort Polk, Louisiana, and Wurezburg, Germany.  Later he was assigned as a K-9 Trainer and Instructor at Lackland Air Force Base Texas. Todd earned an Associate in Applied Science – Instructor of Technology and Military Science from the Community College of the Air Force in 1997.  His last two assignments were Grafenwoehr, Germany and Fort Hood, Texas.  In 2007, he joined the Directorate of Emergency Services and is currently the Lead Police Officer, Military Working Dog Branch – Acting Chief at Fort Hood Texas.  Todd is married to Lisa Dalton and together they have three children; Jennifer, Mark Jr., and Kristyn; and two grandsons.

Army Specialist (ret.) Scott Vycital (Ft. Collins, CO)

Specialist Scott Vycital served as a paratrooper in the 82^nd Airborne Division. Vycital spent 8 months deployed in Iraq as a Specialist with 2nd Platoon, Bravo Company, 3-505 Parachute Infantry Regiment and was medically retired due to injuries received in defense of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  On February 15, 2004, while on patrol of suspected mortar sites, his fire team was engaged by enemy fire and he sustained gunshot wounds on the right side of the face, neck, and shoulder.  As a result of his injuries, the right side of SPC Vycital’s face has been paralyzed and he lost the hearing in his right ear. After spending some time rehabilitating from injuries, SPC Vycital returned to school and with the assistance of the VA and the Army Wounded Warrior (AW2) program. He completed his degree in Business Administration with an Accounting concentration from Colorado State University in December 2008.  Following graduation, with the help of his AW2 advocates SPC Vycital landed a position within the Federal Highway Administration.  He has since been promoted to the position of Programs & Planning Financial Specialist and will have been with the Agency for one year in March. The President's executive order on employing Veterans in the Federal Government has made employing Veterans like Vycital a priority. Vycital resides in Fort Collins, CO with his wife of 7 years, Jarah, and has a 4 year old son, Breccan, and a 17 month old daughter, Micah. 

Trevor Yager (Indianapolis, IN)

Trevor Yager began his career in 1995 while in college by founding TrendyMinds, a full-service advertising/public relations firm. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Anderson University and went on to work with various motor sports sponsors, team owners and sanctioning bodies. Today, at TrendyMinds, Yager provides strategic planning, business development, marketing and technology guidance and support to various local, national and international clients. In 2009 the agency grew by more than 200 percent, doubled the number of employees and gained 15 new accounts.  Yager credits President Obama’s welcoming climate for small businesses, including the many initiatives under the Recovery Act, for this success.

Juan Yépez (Lawrence, MA)

Juan Yépez, and his brother Luis, are Ecuadorian-natives, who in ten short years, have built a successful and growing commercial real estate company in addition to growing Mainstream Global, a worldwide distributor of computer products, consumer electronics, and electronic components, in mills once inhabited by earlier generations of immigrants.

The Yépez brothers were the recipients of the 2009 Small Business Administration Phoenix award for recovering from a major flood that destroyed almost $400,000 of inventory while still managing to flourish in the midst of an economic downturn.  They believe that doing business in an area hit by 17 percent unemployment is more than just giving back and that hiring first generation Americans like themselves who want to work and contribute to society is the cornerstone of long-term success.

Phil Schiliro, Assistant to the President and Director, Office of Legislative Affairs

Tina Tchen, Deputy Assistant to the President and Director, Office of Public Engagement,

Executive Director, White House Council on Women and Girls

United States Government Haiti Earthquake Disaster Response Update

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Photo by Roxanne Lord

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 17, 2010

United States Government Haiti Earthquake Disaster Response Update

On January 12, 2010, a massive earthquake struck the nation of Haiti, causing catastrophic damage inside and around the capital city of Port-au-Prince. President Obama has promised the people of Haiti that "you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten." The United States Government has mobilized resources and manpower to aid in the relief effort. Below please find some key facts and examples of government actions to date.

All numbers below are accurate as of noon Sunday, January 17, 2010

AIRPORTS AND AIRSPACE

•         The airfield is open for 24/7 operations and has a 100-aircraft per day capacity, this is an increase from yesterday’s 60 aircraft per day capacity.

•         The airport has received more than 600 short tons of supplies.

•         USAF air traffic control and airfield management personnel continue to manage air operations at the airport with approval of the Government of Haiti.

•         There are 30 military helicopters providing relief to the people of Haiti.

•         These helicopters are operating out of nine landing zones, including five drop-off points.

SAFETY

•         Approximately 5,800 military personnel on the ground or afloat. 

•         Approximately 7,500 additional military personnel are expected to arrive by 1/18.

•         More than 1,000 personnel from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Haiti on 1/16.

HEALTH

•         More than 250 HHS medical personnel have arrived in Haiti. 

•         2 planeloads of medicine, medical equipment and supplies from HHS have arrived in Haiti with a third expected to arrive today.

•         3,840 hygiene kits taken from USAID stockpiles in Miami have arrived.

•         The USNS Comfort is currently underway and expected to arrive on 1/20 with 600 medical personal on board.

EVACUATION AND RESCUES

•         As of 0900 a total of 1,760 American citizens have been airlifted out of Haiti.

•         USAID/DART reported that a U.S. Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team had rescued an additional three individuals at the Caribbean Market.

•         As of 0900, US USAR teams have rescued 26 individuals. 

•         There are currently six US USAR teams operating in Haiti along with 21 international USAR teams from around the world.  US teams are based out of Fairfax VA, Los Angeles CA, Miami FL (two teams), New York NY and Virginia Beach VA.

•         Each USAR team includes approximately 70 team members.

FOOD AND WATER

•         U.S. military aircraft have airlifted 130,000 humanitarian daily rations and more than 70,000 bottles of water to Port-au-Prince.

•         Three water purification units are operational and can supply 180,000 liters per day.

•         USS Carl Vinson continues to provide potable water production.

•         U.S. military aircraft will continue to support the delivery of an additional 600,000 daily rations over the next several days.

•         Six additional water purification units are scheduled to arrive in the coming days from USAID stockpiles in Dubai. Each unit provides 1000,000 liters of safe drinking water serving 10,000 people per day. 

•         12,000 water containers have arrived from Miami.

•         Yesterday, the U.N. World Food Program distributed high-energy biscuits to a total of 50,000 people.

•          The World Food Program Port-au-Prince metropolitan areas schools feeding program is no serving hot meals to 50,000 affected people

How to Help Support Relief Efforts

•          Contribute online through ClintonBushHaitiFund.org.

•          Text “QUAKE” to 20222 to charge a  $10 donation to the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund (the donation will be added to your cell phone bill).

•          Find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information.

Get Information about Friends or Family

The State Department Operations Center has set up the following phone number for Americans seeking information about family members in Haiti: 1-888-407-4747 (due to heavy volume, some callers may receive a recording). You can also send an email to the State Department.  Please be aware that communications within Haiti are very difficult at this time.

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT ON RESCUE EFFORTS IN HAITI

REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT

ON RESCUE EFFORTS IN HAITI

Diplomatic Reception Room

January 13, 2010

10:20 A.M. EST

     THE PRESIDENT:  Good morning, everybody.  This morning I want to extend to the people of Haiti the deep condolences and unwavering support of the American people following yesterday's terrible earthquake. 

     We are just now beginning to learn the extent of the devastation, but the reports and images that we've seen of collapsed hospitals, crumbled homes, and men and women carrying their injured neighbors through the streets are truly heart-wrenching.  Indeed, for a country and a people who are no strangers to hardship and suffering, this tragedy seems especially cruel and incomprehensible.  Our thoughts and prayers are also with the many Haitian Americans around our country who do not yet know the fate of their families and loved ones back home.

     I have directed my administration to respond with a swift, coordinated, and aggressive effort to save lives.  The people of Haiti will have the full support of the United States in the urgent effort to rescue those trapped beneath the rubble, and to deliver the humanitarian relief -- the food, water and medicine  -- that Haitians will need in the coming days.  In that effort, our government, especially USAID and the Departments of State and Defense are working closely together and with our partners in Haiti, the region, and around the world. 

Right now our efforts are focused on several urgent priorities.  First, we're working quickly to account for U.S. embassy personnel and their families in Port-au-Prince, as well as the many American citizens who live and work in Haiti.  Americans trying to locate family members in Haiti are encouraged to contact the State Department at 888/407-4747.  I'm going to repeat that – 888/407-4747.

Second, we've mobilized resources to help rescue efforts.  Military overflights have assessed the damage, and by early afternoon our civilian disaster assistance team are beginning to arrive.  Search and rescue teams from Florida, Virginia and California will arrive throughout today and tomorrow, and more rescue and medical equipment and emergency personnel are being prepared. 

     Because in disasters such as this the first hours and days are absolutely critical to saving lives and avoiding even greater tragedy, I have directed my teams to be as forward-leaning as possible in getting the help on the ground and coordinating with our international partners as well.

     Third, given the many different resources that are needed, we are taking steps to ensure that our government acts in a unified way.  My national security team has led an interagency effort overnight.  And to ensure that we coordinate our effort, going forward, I've designated the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, Dr. Rajiv Shah, to be our government's unified disaster coordinator. 

     Now, this rescue and recovery effort will be complex and challenging.  As we move resources into Haiti, we will be working closely with partners on the ground, including the many NGOs from Haiti and across Haiti, the United Nations Stabilization Mission, which appears to have suffered its own losses, and our partners in the region and around the world.  This must truly be an international effort.

     Finally, let me just say that this is a time when we are reminded of the common humanity that we all share.  With just a few hundred miles of ocean between us and a long history that binds us together, Haitians are neighbors of the Americas and here at home.  So we have to be there for them in their hour of need. 

Despite the fact that we are experiencing tough times here at home, I would encourage those Americans who want to support the urgent humanitarian efforts to go to whitehouse.gov where you can learn how to contribute.  We must be prepared for difficult hours and days ahead as we learn about the scope of the tragedy. We will keep the victims and their families in our prayers.  We will be resolute in our response, and I pledge to the people of Haiti that you will have a friend and partner in the United States of America today and going forward. 

May God bless the people of Haiti and those working on their behalf.

     Thank you very much.