As we listen to tales from the many local volunteers who have visited Haiti to help with the recovery from the Jan. 12 earthquake, we realize that the problems there began long before any natural disaster occurred.

One tale is of a medical team providing treatment for a 12-month-old baby who weighed only 6 pounds. Obviously, the earthquake just over a month ago did not cause that baby to only weigh 6 pounds. The problems on the island existed long before the quake. The quake killed thousands. But it also brought the world’s attention to a place we had chosen to turn our eyes away from.

Certainly, there is nothing we can do about the many who died in the quake. But we can do something for the living. Recovery in Haiti will be a long term project, as they must recover from the quake and generations of poverty. Many of the rescue workers have already said their commitment to Haiti will go beyond a week of relief work.

Let us all include Haiti in our charitable contributions as well as our discussions with a higher power.