American Idol winner Kris Allen holds a coded card developed by UPS and used by The Salvation Army to streamline the emergency supply distribution process in Haiti.

American Idol will kick off “Idol Gives Back” on Thursday, February 25, where you can see 2009 winner Kris Allen perform to video footage of his recent trip to Haiti. Partnering with the UN Foundation, Allen visited Place de la Paix, Haiti where The Salvation Army serves as the camp management agency for a settlement that is home to 20,000 individuals displaced by January’s earthquake.

The UN specifically selected the camp due to its extreme overcrowding and overwhelming need.

According to the proposed schedule of events, Allen met with representatives from The Salvation Army, UNICEF, Irish NGO Concern, and the Camp Management Committee, which is composed of residents of the settlement.

After being introduced to the organizations that have been deeply involved with emergency relief in the area, Allen was guided through the camp, visiting the registration office, sanitation area, and water storage bladders as he learned about the process that aid-seekers must go through and the struggles they continually face such as extreme congestion and sanitation issues.

Kris Allen, last year's "American Idol" winner, teamed up with the UN to pay a special visit to The Salvation Army in Port au Prince over the weekend. Allen helped Army officials distribute high-tech laminate cards that bear unique barcodes to more than 4,000 families.

To serve the settlement of Place de Paix, The Salvation Army has partnered with Concern, which is focusing on water and sanitation, as well as nutrition, in the area.  There are currently two large water bladders that provide some 300,000 liters of drinking water for the population on a daily basis!  Concern is also working to put in latrines and showers for the population.  The Brazilian NGO Vivario, which had a pre-existing program in the neighborhood, continues to work in the areas of water and sanitation.

In an interview, Allen said he did some hard work of hauling debris during his brief visit, but he also had precious moments with the people like singing with some local children.

Be sure to tune in to American Idol on Thursday, February 25 to see the work that is taking place (and the work that is still needed) in Haiti!

If you would like to support The Salvation Army’s ongoing relief efforts in the devastated country, you can contribute a financial donation through:
•    Text messaging “HAITI” to 52000, and confirming with “Yes”
•    www.salvationarmyusa.org
•    1-800-SAL-ARMY
•    Mailing a check or money order to:
The Salvation Army World Service Office
P.O. Box 630728
Baltimore, MD 21263-0728
*with designation “Haiti Earthquake.”