EXETER – The relief effort in Haiti has been under way a while now, and it doesn’t figure to end in the near future.
With an eye to the devastation seen in that poverty-stricken country, a number of Exeter businesses have initiated fundraisers to help out.
The downtown shop Bakelaar Jewellers is among them, having launched a campaign titled “Haiti Relief: Every Gram Counts.”
The goal is to collect as much gold as possible, sell it to a refiner and donate all  the proceeds to Haiti relief through the Canadian International Development Agency.
 “We just wanted to do our share,” said Adrian Bakelaar, owner of the Exeter store. “The reason why we’re collecting gold is because the markets are very good. The gold price is very high, and we figure that’s the best way for us to collect money.”
 Old jewelry, broken chains, rings that aren’t being worn anymore, and rings with missing stones are among the items being accepted, and the campaign has been ongoing since Jan. 16.
Bakelaar said someone recently donated gold they’d panned for in Alaska.
“You can pan for gold in Skagway, and they brought those little pieces of gold … and donated it to Haiti,” he added.
Anyone wishing to donate to the campaign is invited to visit the store.
Four Seasons Jewellery, another downtown business, intends to raise funds by holding a draw for a hand-crafted pendant worth $1,300.
The pendant, designed by co-owner Jos Bervoets, is 14-karat gold, has diamonds in it and is custom-designed, said fellow owner Tinka Bervoets in an interview.
Tickets will be sold for about two months, with proceeds going to an orphanage in Haiti.
“We saw the devastation that was on TV – those poor people,” Tinka said. “They were already poor to start off with. I couldn’t imagine those kids losing their parents and then having nothing – nothing to eat, no houses. They’re all in tents.
“Some of them don’t even have tents – they’re just in little cloth houses. So that’s what made us want to do something to give from our business to the children of Haiti.”
Last year a similar fundraising drive was held for a cause in Mongolia, with about $2,500 raised, Tinka said.
 She added later it may take a week for the tickets to be made up, but they will be available at the store. The plan is to display the pendant in the store window, “so that people can come and see it and decide if they want to buy a ticket on it or not,” Tinka said.
Catherine Swance, a sales associate with Exeter’s Innovative Flooring, is collecting money for an international organization called Mission Possible, which she said has had a mission in Haiti for 30 years.
Swance said a sign was placed on the door at Innovative Flooring Jan. 12 with donations accepted inside, and all proceeds going to Haiti.
She said money will be used however designated by donors, and funds will continue to be accepted at the store in the near future.
Donations can also be made at the Mission Possible website and more information about the organization can be found there. The website is www.ourmissionispossible.org
Home and Company, another Exeter-based store, intends to take part by donating a portion of sales from Feb. 6-13 to the Red Cross, and also plans to have a donation box available in the store.
As much as $100 more will be used to match donations made by customers, according to owner Angela Gould.
“When you see that kind of disaster on TV and all those people and children not having a home and not having family, or not knowing where family might be ... it kind of tears at your heart,” Gould said.
“We just want to help out where we can, if we can. I think every little bit helps.”
All of the banking institutions in Exeter have also been collecting funds, with the Bank of Montreal (BMO) and CIBC accepting donations for the Canadian Red Cross.
BMO’s Exeter branch had raised over $800 by late last week, though it was unknown how much had been collected by CIBC.
Donations were being accepted at Exeter’s RBC Royal Bank, with an additional $1 million already committed by RBC, according to Jane Heffley of the Exeter branch.
Scotiabank has been involved in various initiatives, including a corporate donation to the Red Cross, accepting donations to the Red Cross at local branches, and an employee donation-matching program.
United Communities Credit Union, which has offices in Exeter, Clinton and several other communities, has been collecting money for a centralized fund from the Ontario Credit Union Charitable Foundation.
More information about this initiative, called the Can Help Program, can be found online at www.ontariocucf.ca/programs/international