I promised yesterday a post on technology companies in Pittsburgh, but I feel the need to cover the news around the burghosphere and twitsburgh (that’s new, you can use it).
The three fairly awesome young ladies in the picture above are Virginia Montanez (the artist formerly known as PittGirl) and Jamie and Ali McMurtie. The McMurties run an orphanage in Haiti. Needless to say the last few days have been a bit trying. The last I heard, they were alive (as were there children) but running low on supplies and options. So here are the humble goals PittGirl set out with:
- Get the girls supplies
- Find the girls a plane that they can load the kids in.
- Arrange for some sort of exemption that would allow the kids to seek asylum in the US.
- Find a home for any of the children that don’t already have a home (many already have families in the US who are going through adoption procedures).
I know, it sounds like something a blogger should have no problem solving, right? After all, bloggers have all kinds of official power, a presence in Haiti and (of course) a Plane. As of this writing she (and everyone who has helped her) has accomplished the following:
- CNN has a crew on the way to the orphanage to cover the story. You may recall CNN owed Virginia one.
- Assembled an impressive list of politicians to help out:
- Dan Onorato
- Rep. Mike Doyle
- Bill Peduto
- Arlen Specter
- Jason Altmire
- Mary Beth Buchanan
- Robert Casey, Jr.
- Jesse White
- Rep. Doyle
- Found a fellow blogger with a friend in Haiti to help with food and water.
- Found several offers of airplanes
- Found a lawyer to work through the immigration issues (with politicians help).
All assembled in 48 hours. There’s a lot of work left to do, but there’s no doubt that the Burghosphere and Twitsburgh (mostly Virginia) have helped make this happen.
The broader question I leave you with is, “What else should the Burghosphere be accomplishing?” Maybe it’s time to raise the Pittsburgh Manifesto again.
