Urgently, Aaron

Aaron Jackson went to Haiti a few years ago on a mission to help the malnourished children in one of the poorest countries in the world. With a little help from local allies, Jackson has dewormed millions of children, giving them medication that kills parasites and allows the kids to get the nutrients and vitamins they need.

Earlier this year, Jackson took a trip to Cambodia and, cutting through the red tape of the bureaucracy of philanthropy, established a shelter there for homeless and disabled people within days.

Jackson called the 'Pipe last week to talk about how bad things are right now in Haiti. Following the string of recent hurricanes, most of the country is still under water, he says. The extent of the devastation isn't being reported because most areas don't have any kind of communication with the outside world.

"I've seen reports that say there are like 30 people dead from the flooding," he says, "but there are spots where there are more than 30 bodies just floating there. Entire cities are gone, still under water. It's much worse than people realize, and it's getting worse every day." Jackson's charity, Planting Peace, is conducting an emergency food drive to bring some relief to the Haitian people. As usual, there's a sense of raw, inescapable immediacy to Jackson's plea. "People are suffering," he says. "People are suffering now!"

Here's what the charity needs: bulk rice, bulk beans, baby food, peanut butter, vitamin A, and protein powders. All the money donated will go toward shipping and toward buying more deworming medication. No canned foods, please.

Goods can be dropped off at the Voice Homeless Shelter at 1203 N. Federal Hwy. in Hollywood. Checks can be mailed to Planting Peace, P.O. Box 221951, Hollywood, FL 33022.