FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas -- Besides responding to the earthquake in Haiti as a military organization, Soldiers and civilians of the 470th Military Intelligence Brigade also responded on a personal level by collecting clothing for the Haitian people.

Earlier this month, brigade members were invited to place good-condition clothing in donation boxes set up in Bldg. 1070, the brigade's new headquarters building, and Bldg. 1000, where some elements are still located.

The idea for the collection was the brainchild of Chief Warrant Officer 3 Qasim Sattar, brigade human resource chief.

"People in Haiti lost their homes," said Sattar. "The least we could do is give them some clothes, and I knew we had people around here who had clothes they could give."

Sattar took the idea to Brigade Family Readiness Support Assistant Carla Weeks.

"I thought this was a fabulous idea," said Weeks. "It offered people an alternative to monetary donations and an opportunity to clean out closets as well as help the Haitian people at the same time."

Ten large boxes of clothing were accumulated in a nine-day period. Brigade Soldiers and family members then sorted and re-boxed the clothing.

Weeks made arrangements for Richard Rodriguez, director of the American Red Cross office on Fort Sam Houston, to pick up the clothing. Rodriguez took the clothing to Good Will Industries, which will store the boxes until they can be sent to Haiti.

The brigade's donated clothing is destined for the Family Ministry Home in Port-de-Paix, located about 80 miles from the center of Haiti's devastation.