Issue Position: Seven Houses for Haiti

Issue Position

SEVEN HOUSES FOR HAITI :: Within days of the tragic 2010 earthquake in Haiti, I wrote to the American Red Cross offering to travel to Haiti to teach survivors how to build Geodesic Dome frames, from relatively inexpensive and readily available materials.

If you know anything about Bucky Fuller's geodesic domes, you know that a well constructed dome will resist earthquakes, hurricanes, and even tornadoes.
I was disappointed that I didn't get any response from RC, and even more disappointed to find out more recently that after raising over $500 MILLION to 'help' Haiti, it's been widely reported that Red Cross built just SIX houses, and they were SQUARE houses.

Since I want my campaign to be about service, I have made a commitment to make at least SEVEN dome frames, with the help of volunteers and donors, to be turned over to local Haitian community groups who will commit to transporting to Haiti and carry on the circle of teaching the methods there. Here's a small toothpick model I made a couple months ago, which made the rounds with me most days when I was campaigning for my Candidate Petition signatures.

So for anyone considering making a small contribution, I'm estimating a cost of about $100 per frame to complete the SEVEN HOUSES FOR HAITI pledge. That's $700.

While there are an almost innumerable sum of variations on the geodesic frame, I have chosen one which renders an edifice approximately 16+ feet (5 meters) in diameter, with a height of nearly 9 feet at the center. This is an adequate size, comparable to a small cabin which could shelter a family, and can be erected on site with just a few hands in a matter of hours.

For each $100 donation to the campaign, we'll give you a free ARTISANAL MINI DOME KIT, which will contain all the hub assembly parts used in the little matchstick dome shown here, and of course the matchsticks, which you'll cut to size.

After experimenting with the included toothpicks, you might want to graduate to using a rigid metal wire system for an even larger and more impressive model, using the same hubs.

I'll deliver your kit, including an assembly schematic anywhere within Florida's NEW 21st Congressional District (that's MOST of Palm Beach County).
For out of area donors, we'll mail your kit anywhere in the continental states for $5 shipping donation.

Source