Hand Me Downs for Haiti Clothing Relief Effort

Good Friends United has partnered with House of Blues and Belly Up Tavern to bring clothing to the men, women, and children of Haiti.
 

Countless buildings are in shambles and despair is everywhere in earthquake-devastated Haiti. Residents sit and wait for help as thousands of bodies remain missing and others lie lifeless in the street. After watching heartbreaking images from this quake-stricken land, local San Diegans Lydell Fleming and Michael Tostado felt the need to take action. Their solution: Hand Me Downs For Haiti.
 

“We knew that medical supplies and 44,000 pounds of pre-packaged food supplies were already being sent through global organizations and that millions of dollars have been raised via text message campaigns, and even the Jolie-Pitts have stepped up with a monetary contribution. We want to do something more; something we know will have a direct and positive impact on the men, women, and children of Haiti in need of basic necessities such as clothing and shoes,” says Tostado.
 

Partnering with community businesses House of Blues and Belly Up Tavern, Tostado and Fleming are hoping the community will come out this weekend with gently-used clothing for all ages as well as closed-toe shoes. With the temperature in Haiti being quite warm, donations of coats and sweaters are not encouraged.
 

Drop off locations include:
 
House of Blues San Diego (Friday, January 15 to Sunday, January 17 during retail hours. 1055 Fifth Avenue, San Diego, CA 92101. (619/525-1966) Anyone who brings in a clothing donation will receive 25 percent off any retail purchase.
 

Belly Up Tavern (1-9pm Friday, January 15 to Tuesday, January 19)
143 South Cedros Avenue, Solana Beach, CA 92075. (858/481-8140)
 

All items will be collected from drop off locations and given to a grassroots organization mobilizing efforts to get the clothing directly to the Haitian people. For Fleming, it is about helping what he calls our global family. “I know we have needs here in our own backyard.  But we are a global community. We are one world and there is a dire need right now for everyone to pull together and contribute.”