Roughly translated from the Latin, opera non verba means “deeds, not words.” In my former life as a Navy Search and Rescue (SAR) Paramedic, opera non verba was an informal motto and shared mindset in the squadrons I flew with. We let the hard missions we accomplished speak for us, rather than blather on about how wonderful we were.



In their voluntary response to the Jan. 12 Haiti earthquake, millions of Americans have demonstrated the same spirit, choosing with little or no prompting to do what they can to help. Without fanfare. With deeds, rather than self-promoting and empty words. Here are a few examples:



Close to home



At Chadron State College, news of the massive quake, loss of life, and the desperate situation facing millions of survivors came in the midst of preparations for the annual Martin Luther King Day events. One professor organized a fundraising effort at an MLK event in downtown Chadron.



The event was an “Open Mic,” held at Chadron’s Bean Broker Coffee House. A student honors society coordinated a small Haiti fundraising effort at the event. According to one professor, who prefers not to be identified, the students wanted to do something to help out the situation in Haiti. “A lot of the poetry and performances were directed toward that effort,” he said. “We had been encouraged by the Red cross to do some fundraising, so I put a donation bucket together at home, with a printed plea for donations and a slot in the top of the bucket, and my kids were watching all of this. Then, out of nowhere, here comes my daughter with her allowance, and she put $5 in the bucket. The first donation. We passed the bucket around at the open mic and at the MLK march on Monday. Several kids from Job Corps come and put in some change and some dollars. We didn’t raise a lot, 172 bucks, but it was nice to see the effort.”



Team Rubicon



Team Rubicon is a self-financed, all-volunteer medical rescue unit operating in and around Port au Prince. Co-founded by former Marines Jake Wood and William McNulty, the initial team consisted of four men, each with military medical experience and each having served in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. On Jan. 17, five days after the quake, the team crossed the Artibonite River from the Dominican Republic into Haiti. Initially operating in areas considered not to be secure, the team immediately began treating large numbers of severely injured Haitians. As word of the team’s efforts spread, Team Rubicon’s ranks swelled as former Marines and soldiers, firefighters/EMT’s, nurses and physician assistants answered the call of duty. As of Jan. 25 the Rubicon effort consists of three teams, including a 79-person unit from Pittsburgh. All members are unpaid, and the group is funded entirely by the generous donations of Americans. One-hundred percent of donations go to Haiti to purchase medical/rescue supplies, medicine, food, water, local transportation and local translators/guides.



What’s in a name? The Rubicon was a small stream that separated Gaul (France) and ancient Rome. On January 11, 49 BC, Caesar crossed the Rubicon, and it marked the point of no return. Like Caesar, once Team Rubicon had crossed the Artibonite River, they were irrevocably committed to their task.



As of today, 17 days following the earthquake, the initial surge of rescue work is complete. There will continue to be an urgent need for medical care for months to come, however, and donations to Team Rubicon will continue to go directly to medical care for the Haitian survivors of the quake. The team is organized as a Minnesota non-profit corporation. To donate to Team Rubicon, visit http://blog.teamrubiconhaiti.org/ or mail your tax deductible donation to: Team Rubicon, 3150 Lundy Lane, Bettendorf, IA 52722









For the complete article see the 01-29-2010 issue.

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