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More than 1500 miles from the epicenter of the Haitian quake, its effects rippled through Boston's teeming Haitian community
From the second that the Richter scale registered at 7.0 in Haiti, a desperate grief rippled through Hyde Park, Dorchester, and other corners of this region, which is home to the third-largest Haitian population in America.

HOLD ON: At a vigil on Monday in Somerville, Haitian Coalition Executive Director Franklin Dalembert and the Mission Church True Light Choir helped those in attendance find some solace, if only temporary, in the days following the earthquake.

Haiti earthquake resource guide. Covering a tragedy: How does a small local paper cover the world's biggest story? By Adam Reilly. Disaster, then détente: Politically speaking, Hurricane Katrina this was not. By David S. Bernstein. Quake response: Boston organization fighting good fight in Haiti. By Jeff Inglis.

From the second that the Richter scale registered at 7.0 in Haiti, a desperate grief rippled through Hyde Park, Dorchester, and other corners of this region, which is home to the third-largest Haitian population in America. Barber shops, offices, and island restaurants from Morton Street to Union Square buzzed with horror. Unless they were giving interviews themselves, Haitian-Americans spent every minute scanning broadcasts for news of surviving friends and family.

In service to that community (various reports have the state's Haitian count at between 80,000 and 100,000, and Greater Boston's at between 40,000 and 60,000), organizers and elected representatives did more than just issue press-release condolences. Working closely with Haitian community leaders, who, within 24 hours had established the centralized Haitian-American Earthquake Relief Task Force, Mayor Tom Menino arranged a Haitian Family Relief fund with Bank of Americato solicit donations. Meanwhile, Governor Deval Patrick provided the federal government with a roster of available disaster-tested aid workers.

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