Members of the student organization set up a table in the Wyoming Union on Thursday in order to raise funds to provide humanitarian relief for the devastated Caribbean island nation.

Part of the motivation for Chi Alpha members to raise funds for Haitian earthquake victims grew from Bayse’s observation that not many other student groups were raising funds for Haiti in the Union.

“You didn’t see anyone raising money on campus,” Bayse said, describing how the groups fundraising had the potential to “set a good example” for others on campus.

Another reason the group was working to raise funds for the country was because Haiti was already impoverished before the Jan. 12 earthquake.

“Things were already bad prior to the earthquake in Haiti,” Abner Gonzalez, member of Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship, said.

Haiti is among the poorest nations in the world, with four out of five members of its population living in poverty, according to the New York Times. More than half of Haiti’s 8.7 million residents live in abject poverty.

“We just know that they are known as a poor nation,” Bayse said.

The funds raised by the organization will pay for semi-clean drinking water, food, clothing, temporary shelter and hygiene kits. The funds and supplies will be administered and distributed by Samaritans Purse, an international relief organization.

Bayse said students shouldn’t be reluctant to donate money to Chi Alpha’s relief fundraising because unlike other fundraising efforts where one may be uncertain if the money is going to aid disaster victims the money, raised goes to an organization already in Haiti.

“Samaritans Purse is already on the ground there,” Bayse said.

Besides raising money for Haiti, members of the Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship have also raised money for Operation Christmas Child, an organization that sends Christmas presents—such as toothbrushes and clothing—to children in-need around the world.

The group is raising money to build wells in the Philippines.

“$300 builds a well that’s good for 20 years and can supply clean drinking water to an entire village,” Bayes said.

Even without the attention of a natural disaster like an earthquake, the American people need to look at the struggles and hardships of other people in the world, Bayse said.

“There are other people out there besides the U.S.,” Bayse said.

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