Elsewhere: Mayor announces Haiti relief efforts, asks for concessions Ex, San Francisco lends a helping hand to Haiti Chron
San Francisco leaders are partnering with Safeway Inc. to install coin machines at prominent locations throughout the city to collect money for relief efforts in Haiti, Mayor Gavin Newsom announced at a news conference today.
The machines, which are being installed today and Tuesday, accept loose change and give back a printed receipt saying how much was donated and where the money will be sent.
Ten machines will be installed at spots including City Hall, Moscone Center, the Hall of Justice, the de Young museum, Pier 1 and the California Academy of Sciences.
Donations will go to the American Red Cross, UNICEF, Partners in Health and the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund.
Donations are also being accepted at the 15 Safeway supermarkets in the city. So far, Safeway stores in San Francisco have collected more than $24,000 in donations, said Karl Schroeder, president of Safeway’s Northern California division.
Safeway stores throughout the United States and Canada have raised and donated more than $1.7 million in the past 11 days for relief efforts, according to Safeway.
San Francisco has also developed a payroll deduction program so that the city’s nearly 28,000 employees can opt to have donations taken from their paychecks and put directly into the San Francisco Haiti Relief Fund, Newsom said.
“I think we have big hearts and will step up,” Newsom said.
The city has also developed a donation referral service to provide information about how people can make donations. People can call 311 24 hours a day and receive information about how and where to donate to relief efforts in Haiti, Newsom said.
“San Franciscans have a deep understanding of the devastation caused by natural disasters and we stand ready to assist Haiti in providing relief to the residents in the difficult days and months ahead,” Newsom said.
He said that the city would seek to develop a partnership with Haiti’s government to provide long-term support to the nation.
