HEART TO HEART INTERNATIONAL’S EFFORTS IN NEPAL
 
The death toll in Nepal has surpassed 4,000.  Thousands more are injured and unaccounted for.  The 7.8 magnitude quake was powerful enough to rock the Himalayas, causing avalanches on Mt. Everest, killing climbers.  In the capital city of Kathmandu, homes and historic cultural structures have collapsed, burying people.  There have been multiple powerful aftershocks.  The devastation in surrounding villages is even more dire.
 
I saw firsthand the destruction in the wake of the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.  I tasted the dust, heard the cries and smelled the stench.  It was terrible and wrenching and was one of the most impactful things I have ever done.  The world's response helped keep the situation in Haiti from becoming even worse than it was.  Now, the people of Nepal face a terrible situation that can only be addressed with outside help.  
 
Heart to Heart International is mounting a response.  Heart to Heart, started by the Rotarian Gary Morsch at an Olathe Rotary Club meeting, has an advance team en route to Kathmandu.  Heart to Heart responding as with previous disasters in Haiti, Joplin, the Philippines and others has a medical team which will follow shortly.   They are coordinating with partners on the ground to provide large shipments of needed medical aid and supplies for the responders and survivors.  With the people of Nepal, Heart to Heart will embody the Rotary motto that was it's birthright, Service Above Self.
 
You can support Heart to Heart’s efforts to aid the Nepalese people by donating at http://www.hearttoheart.org.
 
Dr. Rick Randolph, Shawnee Rotary Club