Haiti Earthquake
Just Returned from Jacmel
February/Wednesday/2010 11:55
Email from Marlaine at the orphanage:
Once again, our trip was a great success and we want so much to thank all our friends that stand with us in this difficult moment with your fervent prayers and your financial support! All the children at the homes are doing fine, except 3 girls with a kind of skin infection, especially for Natacha. But, we are so blessed to have a Sri Lankan medical doctor helping to check up on our kids on site. The kids are happy, keeping their strong faith and are so positive for their future even in a crisis like this. Everyone is still staying outside and a couple of more tents are still needed. Compared to the extreme damages in Leogane, Port-au-Prince, and other places, I can say that Jacmel was so blessed. There are many that have been killed or injured, houses and buildings leveled (in places like “Bord de Mer” and downtown) and so many are sleeping on the streets. In the remote villages and communities, so many people died from landslides and falling rocks. Despite this, Jacmel is fortunate and there are so many more survivors!
We were in Marbial on Saturday and distributed about 12,000 lbs of food with the help of a Sri Lankan military battalion based in Jacmel. There are still places further north of Marbial where help will never arrive unless we do something. I know where these villages are very well and just need the opportunity to help them. Daniel also went up to St. Rock with a truckload of food for the communities up there. Part of the school we have up there collapsed and many families have moved into the front and back yards since their homes are gone. As you all know, it is not an easy situation and it is not something that will be solved rapidly. We continue to rely on your support to continue food distribution to the city of Jacmel, to the remote area of Marbial and the surrounding villages, in St Rock, and in Cayes Jacmel. Over the past week, we have been able to reach people that had had no access to any help at all since the earthquake. We distributed what we could but people are hungry and need medical attention. Some places with no means of transportation will need to be reached via helicopter.
I am back in FL preparing for the next trip to Haiti and trying to make sure Daniel and others on the ground are receiving supplies to distribute and help more people. We have so many pictures and there will be dozens posted on the website over the next few days! Daniel and the boys have traveled to Jacmel, Port-au-Prince, Carrefour, Delmas, Petionville, St. Rock, La Plaine and many other cities to locate friends and family as well as give out what they could load into the truck. I’ve attached a few pictures to this email but there is no space for all of them!
I ask that you continue to keep Haiti in your prayers. I have never seen things as bad as they are now and the people’s suffering is more than ever. I know God has a plan and I pray He continues to use us to help these people.
God Bless!
Below - Some of the 22,000 pounds of rice sent from Hope For Families
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Tomorrow we fly to Jacmel
February/Tuesday/2010 17:26
Tomorrow we fly out to Jacmel from Kingston Jamaica. We are using the services of Win Aviation and tomorrows flight includes 2200 pounds of supplies that include :
1.- Rice
2.- Milk (baby formula)
3.- Diapers
4.- Evaporated milk (carnation)
5.- Spaghetti
6.- Cooking oil
7.- Tents
8.- Generator
9.- Canned fish
10.- Canned meat
Most of these items will be purchased in Jamaica where they are cheaper. We will then fly into Jacmel tomorrow and get them distributed. We will make a short visit to the 3 orphanages there and be back in the US on Thursday. We hope to get some pictures to all of you by Friday.
In the meantime we have an opportunity to ship the following supplies which will run another $6,500 in fuel from Ft Pierce FL to Jacmel and return. These supplies will go to the hospital in Jacmel which was destroyed in the earthquake. Patients are now kept outside under tents. In the past week - surgeries were still being done WITHOUT anesthesia! Can you believe it? We cannot avoid helping while we wait for the adoption process to reopen. If you feel led to help us financially, you can make a check donation to Hope For Families Charity or send your donation via paypal at this link.
> Approx load 3,600 lbs > > 2 pallets instrument cleaning/disinfectant supplies - various types - > 1 pallet humidifier oxygen kits > 1 pallet iodine scrub and prep swab sticks > 1 pallet of exam gloves, gastric larvae and mixed medical supplies > 1 pallet of clothing - dresses specifically donated for girls in Haiti. > Partial pallet of nebulizers
Thanks for your support as we supply interim relief in the wake of the earthquake.
1.- Rice
2.- Milk (baby formula)
3.- Diapers
4.- Evaporated milk (carnation)
5.- Spaghetti
6.- Cooking oil
7.- Tents
8.- Generator
9.- Canned fish
10.- Canned meat
Most of these items will be purchased in Jamaica where they are cheaper. We will then fly into Jacmel tomorrow and get them distributed. We will make a short visit to the 3 orphanages there and be back in the US on Thursday. We hope to get some pictures to all of you by Friday.
In the meantime we have an opportunity to ship the following supplies which will run another $6,500 in fuel from Ft Pierce FL to Jacmel and return. These supplies will go to the hospital in Jacmel which was destroyed in the earthquake. Patients are now kept outside under tents. In the past week - surgeries were still being done WITHOUT anesthesia! Can you believe it? We cannot avoid helping while we wait for the adoption process to reopen. If you feel led to help us financially, you can make a check donation to Hope For Families Charity or send your donation via paypal at this link.
> Approx load 3,600 lbs > > 2 pallets instrument cleaning/disinfectant supplies - various types - > 1 pallet humidifier oxygen kits > 1 pallet iodine scrub and prep swab sticks > 1 pallet of exam gloves, gastric larvae and mixed medical supplies > 1 pallet of clothing - dresses specifically donated for girls in Haiti. > Partial pallet of nebulizers
Thanks for your support as we supply interim relief in the wake of the earthquake.
Notes about our food distribution this week - It got through!
February/Monday/2010 12:13
Hope For Families Haiti Relief Effort is Underway!
Update from the ground February 15th, 2010
We have just returned from a short trip to Haiti! In most outlying areas of PAP, the local Haitian people complain of not receiving aid or food through the UN or World relief organizations. We are not sure where the problem lays, as World relief supplies are arriving and are seemingly disappearing or simply not reaching their intended recipients. At the airport, we hear of major stockpiles of supplies that are under guard so as to avoid looting. At the north end of the island, an area not affected directly by the actual earthquake damage, secondary effects of shortages of food and fuel are being felt. There appears to be little moving in or out of PAP and most roads around that area are still greatly damaged. As a result, we have made plans to get our own relief delivered to Haiti in person.
So, with the help of Marlaine and friends in Haiti - she travelled to the Dominican where we purchased rice and shipped it under our watch to Haiti where it arrived in Jacmel.
Last week, Hope For Families wrote a check for $5,000 for rice shipped to Haiti through the Dominican Republic via our orphanage workers. Plans were to take the money to buy over 100, 100 pound bags of rice to directly distribute to the Haitians in Jacmel and the surrounding orphanage areas. The workers flew to the Dominican Republic, purchased the rice, loaded it on a Navy ship and sailed around Haiti to Jacmel. We are happy to report the supplies went through and the kids have food as of today!
We are planning a flight this week via Jamaica to Jacmel where we will fly in 2,200 pounds of food directly to Jacmel. Through the generosity of Parachute Jamaica and Tru News and Hope For Families Adoption , we will pay to purchase 2,000 pounds of supplies and fly them into Jacmel. We will be visiting the orphanage that morning and fly out later in the day. We will be taking many pictures while there and will personally oversee the distribution of the relief supplies to make sure the people in need get them.
Hope For Families has a charity which is pending IRS approval for 501C3 tax status as a non profit. We expect that approval any day now. In the meantime, if you can help us feed these Haitian children directly where we know it is getting through - please send us a donation as you feel led. Right now, we are covering all these expenses out of our own adoption budget and agency and it is putting a real strain on our finances as we are spending thousands. If we obtain IRS approval as a non profit, we will get you a donation receipt if your donation is received after approval.
You may make your donation here and please type Haiti Donation in the details.
Below are some pictures of recent shipments this past week into parts of Haiti and pictures of our orphanage workers sailing into Jacmel with the rice on the local Navy ship from the Dominican. Please enjoy and give as your heart leads.
Praise God, our efforts of our own people got through to the Haitian orphans and area in and around Jacmel! Here is yesterdays' communication from Marlaine our orphanage director that we are affiliated with in Jacmel.
"Hello! Our internet connection is very bad right now in Haiti but we have finally gotten a chance to send some pictures and updates.
We left Pedernales, DR on Sunday at midnight and arrived in Jacmel by 7 AM. It took about 4 hours to unload the ship and it was safe at the port with the presence of the Sri Lankan military who helped get the trucks in and out of the port. We started delivering some foods to families in the community since Monday and we still provide a meal to some people in the community at our place.
Thursday we worked on packaging food for distribution. We distributed food to Cayes Jacmel where no help has been arrived. We visited the general hospital in Jacmel where most of the buildings collapsed or are severely damaged. Many of the hospital's patients were killed in the earthquake. Patients are now under tents in the yard and street. We focused on the 2 pediatric tents where we delivered baby formulas to many sick young ones. We found a brand new baby boy, Paterson, who was abandoned. It was a blessing to hold and feed him and we pray and believe that God has a great plan for him. We will continue to visit and provide aid to these living in tents and figure out ways to help these children.
Our biggest distribution will be in Marbial tomorrow (Friday). No help at all has been reaching these people and they badly need it. Their homes are gone and many have lost family members. We prepare to distribute food to 600-700 hundred families up there for a first distribution and will see how much more food and supplies can reach them again. It is not going to be easy because of the road conditions and then how far vehicles can go in the riverbed. A group from the Sri Lankan military will accompany us to assess the conditions and try to help bringing more food soon.
Our school up in Marbial and the church buildings are damaged and we don't know yet how we are going to continue providing education to the 340 children.
We have relocated the children that we support at the orphanage in Carrefour to La Plaine area because their former buildings are severely damaged. Yesterday morning, Daniel traveled to Port au Prince to visit them and to deliver food and supplies to them.
Les Cayes is in southwest of the country and it takes 5 hour drive from Jacmel, and we are praying to find a way for transportation so we can reach the people with our help as well. Transportation is our greatest obstacle when it comes to reaching the people who are far. Bob and I are speaking with the Canadian military to see if they could be of some help with transportation.
Rose, the Head House Mother at the Girl's Home lost her mother and we made arrangements to have the funeral in Jacmel on Wednesday.
The Haitian government has declared Friday-Sunday 3 days of national prayer; everyone is very motivated to seek God by prayer and fasting.
We will continue to send more updates!
Thank you so much for your support and prayers! None of this could be done without your aid!
God Bless,
~Marlaine & Daniel"
Picture 1: Truckload of bags of rice paid for by Hope For Families for distribution (picture taken in the Dominican)
Picture 2: Smaller bags of rice being brought to Marbial. These will be much easier for families to carry through the mountains and we are planning on giving each family enough for 5-7 days.
Supplies loaded onto the Navy vessel in the Dominican to transport to Port of Jacmel
Supplies moving off the Navy Ship to Jacmel and Marbial
Streets in Jacmel
Supplies making it to the folks in the town
Refugees in Marbial
One of the Orphanage schools in Marbial damaged as of today (Feb 15th)
You can make your donation here if you feel led to help. Your donations go directly, under our observation to the Haiti relief effort in Jacmel and surrounding orphanage ministries.
Update from the ground February 15th, 2010
We have just returned from a short trip to Haiti! In most outlying areas of PAP, the local Haitian people complain of not receiving aid or food through the UN or World relief organizations. We are not sure where the problem lays, as World relief supplies are arriving and are seemingly disappearing or simply not reaching their intended recipients. At the airport, we hear of major stockpiles of supplies that are under guard so as to avoid looting. At the north end of the island, an area not affected directly by the actual earthquake damage, secondary effects of shortages of food and fuel are being felt. There appears to be little moving in or out of PAP and most roads around that area are still greatly damaged. As a result, we have made plans to get our own relief delivered to Haiti in person.
So, with the help of Marlaine and friends in Haiti - she travelled to the Dominican where we purchased rice and shipped it under our watch to Haiti where it arrived in Jacmel.
Last week, Hope For Families wrote a check for $5,000 for rice shipped to Haiti through the Dominican Republic via our orphanage workers. Plans were to take the money to buy over 100, 100 pound bags of rice to directly distribute to the Haitians in Jacmel and the surrounding orphanage areas. The workers flew to the Dominican Republic, purchased the rice, loaded it on a Navy ship and sailed around Haiti to Jacmel. We are happy to report the supplies went through and the kids have food as of today!
We are planning a flight this week via Jamaica to Jacmel where we will fly in 2,200 pounds of food directly to Jacmel. Through the generosity of Parachute Jamaica and Tru News and Hope For Families Adoption , we will pay to purchase 2,000 pounds of supplies and fly them into Jacmel. We will be visiting the orphanage that morning and fly out later in the day. We will be taking many pictures while there and will personally oversee the distribution of the relief supplies to make sure the people in need get them.
Hope For Families has a charity which is pending IRS approval for 501C3 tax status as a non profit. We expect that approval any day now. In the meantime, if you can help us feed these Haitian children directly where we know it is getting through - please send us a donation as you feel led. Right now, we are covering all these expenses out of our own adoption budget and agency and it is putting a real strain on our finances as we are spending thousands. If we obtain IRS approval as a non profit, we will get you a donation receipt if your donation is received after approval.
You may make your donation here and please type Haiti Donation in the details.
Below are some pictures of recent shipments this past week into parts of Haiti and pictures of our orphanage workers sailing into Jacmel with the rice on the local Navy ship from the Dominican. Please enjoy and give as your heart leads.
Praise God, our efforts of our own people got through to the Haitian orphans and area in and around Jacmel! Here is yesterdays' communication from Marlaine our orphanage director that we are affiliated with in Jacmel.
"Hello! Our internet connection is very bad right now in Haiti but we have finally gotten a chance to send some pictures and updates.
We left Pedernales, DR on Sunday at midnight and arrived in Jacmel by 7 AM. It took about 4 hours to unload the ship and it was safe at the port with the presence of the Sri Lankan military who helped get the trucks in and out of the port. We started delivering some foods to families in the community since Monday and we still provide a meal to some people in the community at our place.
Thursday we worked on packaging food for distribution. We distributed food to Cayes Jacmel where no help has been arrived. We visited the general hospital in Jacmel where most of the buildings collapsed or are severely damaged. Many of the hospital's patients were killed in the earthquake. Patients are now under tents in the yard and street. We focused on the 2 pediatric tents where we delivered baby formulas to many sick young ones. We found a brand new baby boy, Paterson, who was abandoned. It was a blessing to hold and feed him and we pray and believe that God has a great plan for him. We will continue to visit and provide aid to these living in tents and figure out ways to help these children.
Our biggest distribution will be in Marbial tomorrow (Friday). No help at all has been reaching these people and they badly need it. Their homes are gone and many have lost family members. We prepare to distribute food to 600-700 hundred families up there for a first distribution and will see how much more food and supplies can reach them again. It is not going to be easy because of the road conditions and then how far vehicles can go in the riverbed. A group from the Sri Lankan military will accompany us to assess the conditions and try to help bringing more food soon.
Our school up in Marbial and the church buildings are damaged and we don't know yet how we are going to continue providing education to the 340 children.
We have relocated the children that we support at the orphanage in Carrefour to La Plaine area because their former buildings are severely damaged. Yesterday morning, Daniel traveled to Port au Prince to visit them and to deliver food and supplies to them.
Les Cayes is in southwest of the country and it takes 5 hour drive from Jacmel, and we are praying to find a way for transportation so we can reach the people with our help as well. Transportation is our greatest obstacle when it comes to reaching the people who are far. Bob and I are speaking with the Canadian military to see if they could be of some help with transportation.
Rose, the Head House Mother at the Girl's Home lost her mother and we made arrangements to have the funeral in Jacmel on Wednesday.
The Haitian government has declared Friday-Sunday 3 days of national prayer; everyone is very motivated to seek God by prayer and fasting.
We will continue to send more updates!
Thank you so much for your support and prayers! None of this could be done without your aid!
God Bless,
~Marlaine & Daniel"
Picture 1: Truckload of bags of rice paid for by Hope For Families for distribution (picture taken in the Dominican)
Picture 2: Smaller bags of rice being brought to Marbial. These will be much easier for families to carry through the mountains and we are planning on giving each family enough for 5-7 days.
Supplies loaded onto the Navy vessel in the Dominican to transport to Port of Jacmel
Supplies moving off the Navy Ship to Jacmel and Marbial
Streets in Jacmel
Supplies making it to the folks in the town
Refugees in Marbial
One of the Orphanage schools in Marbial damaged as of today (Feb 15th)
You can make your donation here if you feel led to help. Your donations go directly, under our observation to the Haiti relief effort in Jacmel and surrounding orphanage ministries.