Many people in Sevier County have made donations to help the Haitian people and those trying to assist the relief efforts. This is a generous, giving community that cares about the plight of others, even if those in need do not live here. The earthquake in Haiti is a world crisis, and the world seems to be taking it on.

Some people have made the personal decision of traveling to Haiti to personally aid in the efforts. While military personnel and government workers are paid for their time, volunteers such as Mike and Karen Wyatt are not.

The Wyatts are Sevier County residents who, at their own expense, have traveled to Haiti to work with a medical team treating earthquake victims. Mike Wyatt is a retired Army Medical Service Corps officer who oversaw a mobile medical unit during the Gulf war. He’s doing similar duties now in Port-au-Prince, assisting a team from Mercy Ships, a global traveling medical organization. His wife Karen is serving as a caregiver and chaplain.

The Wyatts are members of the board of Impact Ministries, a 13-year-old organization that moved to Pigeon Forge five years ago. Headed by former Army chaplain Harvey Brown Jr., it has a world focus, helping the disadvantaged find material and spiritual support.

The Wyatts felt moved to make the trip to Haiti, and that was no easy task. They flew into Santo Domingo, the capital of neighboring Dominican Republic, and then drove overland for hours to reach Port-au-Prince. They arrived Tuesday afternoon to begin their work amid rubble, abandoned bodies and scarce resources.

Watching the images on television doesn’t give a complete picture. You don’t get the smell, the despair, the panorama of destruction and sadness. You can only sense the situation through TV. Go there and, like the Wyatts, you feel it viscerally.

Impact Ministries is accepting donations to assist the Wyatts in their efforts. Send checks, with the word Haiti in the check memo line, to P.O. Box 39, Pigeon Forge 37868. You can follow the Wyatts’ work in Haiti through Mike’s Facebook page. Search for it by Michael L. Wyatt. He posts messages as he can, knowing that conserving batteries is a critical element to life in Haiti.

Mike and Karen Wyatt are among thousands of people who have traveled to Haiti to help out, and millions around the world who have made cash donations. Do what you can, and keep the Wyatts in your thoughts and prayers. They need it.