Parksville, BC – Prior to becoming a REALTOR® with Sutton Group – Whitecap Realty on Vancouver Island, Carolyn Dyment worked with World Team Canada as an office manager and teacher on a station in southern Haiti near Cayes for five years.  Her personal experience left her with a great respect for the resiliency of the Haitian people and the humanitarian efforts to improve their lives.  Even before the devastating magnitude 7 earthquake in January, Haiti was the poorest country in the Western hemisphere with insufficient housing, health care, and education.

“Traveling to Haiti to help would be one option since I do speak both Creole and French.  However, I’m not a doctor or trained in emergency relief, so I think that the best thing I can do to help is to get funds into the hands of individuals and organizations that will use the resources well.”  Dyment speaks highly of World Team Canada and Médecins sans Frontières/Doctors without Borders.

When Dyment was in Haiti before the earthquake, World Team Canada was helping to provide the essentials: medical care, drinkable water and safe buildings.  Her colleagues Rob and Debbie Wray had been in Haiti for years expanding a hospital and constructing an orphanage and a school.  They also led teams of medically-trained volunteers to outlying communities to assist people who had no other form of medical care.

Following the earthquake, their efforts are especially urgent.  “At last report, Rob and Debbie are creating a tent village to house the homeless.  They are working around the clock to care for the injured who are pouring into their hospital.  Once the temporary housing infrastructure is in place, they will be making trips to Port-au-Prince to collect needy families.  All who come will receive medical care, food and support.”

Dyment encourages Sutton REALTORS® across Canada to be a force for positive change.  “If you can help, please send your donation to World Team Canada, 7575 Danbro Crescent, Mississauga, Ontario L5N 6P9.  Please mark your gift “Wray-Haiti Relief” and include a business card so they will know that Sutton REALTORS® across Canada are thinking of them.”  World Team Canada and Doctors without Borders have lowered their administrative fees to just 5% during this crisis.  The federal government will match personal donations made until February 12, 2010.

Sutton is a 100% Canadian-owned and operated company with more than 8,700 REALTORS® in over 200 offices nationwide.  To find out more about Sutton, visit www.sutton.com.  To learn more about Sutton Spirit, visit www.suttonspirit.com.

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Sutton Group Realty Services Ltd. Contact:

Gabriel Soh                   604-691-1610       stories@suttonspirit.com

Sutton Group – Whitecap Realty Contact:

Carolyn Dyment             250-248-8801       dymentc@sutton.com

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