I tried to enjoy my three-day weekend, but it was pretty difficult knowing that relief workers in Haiti have been working non-stop since that massive earthquake hit.

Generous people all over America have been supporting the effort through donations to places like the Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. When Hurricane Katrina hit, we were able to collect supplies like clothes and food, but for the victims of the Haiti disaster, it’s very difficult to get supplies into a country where the infrastructure is virtually gone. And unless you’ve got the bank account of people like Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, it’s hard for “normal” people to feel that their contributions can actually make a difference.

College students typically don’t have a lot of money either, which means that they must resort to interesting fundraising measures on campus. Or, in the case of my new heroes at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska, you say goodbye to classes for a while and hop a plane to Haiti to pitch in with the effort first-hand.

The five Union College students and one administrator are all part of the school’s International Rescue and Relief program. They are trained to be an integral part of rescue operations and are responding directly to an invitation from Haiti Prime Minister, Jean-Max Bellerive. The group has been assigned to distribute supplies at a hospital clinic and orphanage right in the midst of the devastation. CORRECTION: There are four students and one administrator that went to Haiti. Shortly before they left, their assignment was changed to training rescue volunteers.

One of the many wonderful things about being a college student is the high level of energy with which you take on important tasks, like the one these Union College students have before them. There is no doubt that they will be seeing some truly horrendous sights once they land in the capital of Port-au-Prince, but their energy and determination will carry them through it.

The Haitians need all the help they can get, and their relief effort will soon be six people stronger. Join me in sending many positive thoughts and good wishes to the Union College students, and, of course, to Haiti as it struggles to rebuild.

–Barbara Bellesi