Thomas MacMillan Photo
City employees will soon be able to send a portion of their pay directly to humanitarian relief for Haiti, thanks to a unanimous vote by the Board of Aldermen.
The aldermen voted Tuesday night to create a payroll deduction program that will allow city workers to contribute money to help fund relief efforts in Haiti, which suffered a devastating earthquake one week ago.
The measure was put up for unanimous consent at Tuesday’s meeting of the Board of Alderman. The item was sponsored by Aldermen Gina Calder (pictured above), Mike Jones, Jackie James-Evans, Michael Smart, Roland Lemar, Gerald Antunes, Charles Blango, Greg Morehead, Darnell Goldson, Greg Dildine, Marcus Paca, Justin Elicker, Migdalia Castro, Sergio Rodriguez, and Joey Rodriguez.
City workers will be able to make one-time or regular donations from their paycheck directly to AmeriCares or another relief organization working in Haiti.
Alderwoman Calder said her stepfather is from Haiti. He lives in the United States and has been unable to locate some of his relatives in Haiti.
She said she would be giving money from her aldermanic stipend to support relief efforts in Haiti. Pointing to Aldermen Antunes and Lemar, who were standing nearby, Calder said they would be donating also.
East Rock Alderman Roland Lemar offered the request for divine guidance that begins all Board of Aldermen meetings. Citing the recent tragedy, he led aldermen in a moment of silent prayer for the people of Haiti.
Calder said aldermen are also considering a suggestion by West Rock Alderman Darnell Goldson to make Port-au-Prince a sister city to New Haven. That would ensure that support for Haiti is ongoing, Calder said.