'People there are desperate'

A group from Springdale is heading to Haiti in the spring to help out with relief efforts.

Gilbert Saunders, his wife, daughter and a few others make up the group that will heading to the poorest country in Western Hemisphere.

"The need is great there now, and we've decided to pack it all up and do what we can with the orphanages and feeding programs," said Mr. Saunders.

Mr. Saunders and his wife will be heading to Port-au-Prince on May 9, and will return the 23.

On January 12, a 7.0-magnitude earthquake destroyed the capital, leaving most of the frail infrastructure scattered around Port-au-Prince. Reports indicate that the death toll could reach 200,000.

Port-au-Prince was home to roughly 2.5 million people, but the federal government estimates that 150,000 to 200,000 people have left the capital since the quake.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 1 million people need new shelter.

While Mr. Saunders and his wife aren't leaving until the beginning of May, his daughter, Rana will be heading to Haiti with others in April.

Mr. Saunders and his wife visited the Dominican Republic and Haiti in August 2009. His daughter has been there several times for humanitarian missions.

He said the experience was an eye opener.

"It changed me," said Mr. Saunders. "It's the greatest experience a person could have. It was one of the best experiences I've had."

Mr. Saunders said when they visited Haiti last time the country was severely impoverished, and imagining the devastation now is unfathomable.

"We saw poverty beyond belief," he said. "And once you step outside of the hotel and see the living conditions - there's raw sewage running through the streets and the streets are full of garbage."

Mr. Saunders said after returning from Haiti in the summer, it was only a matter of time before he went back.

"I vowed that when I came out I would be going back," he said. "People there are desperate."

He said once spring comes, the group will be fundraising as past years to raise money for Haitians.

Mr. Saunders said the group pays for their own travel arrangements and accommodations.