Headwaters volunteers were in Haiti recently to bring essential supplies to children we have been assisting at several schools and orphanages since the 2010 earthquake. Volunteers were greeted with big smiles by the children who are showing the positive effects of our help with their basic needs and safety, thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers. For example, as a result of a fundraising campaign lead by last year’s volunteer teams, the new fence and gate at the Bryant Institute Bi-lingual School (Jaguar’s) has resulted in greater service in the community by offering classroom space for other nearby schools.
The team delivered clothes, shoes, and health care supplies to the children at St. Benedictus Orphanage—collected by a group of passionate donors in the Twin Cities. Another local group, the Trinity Guild of Trinity Episcopal Church of Anoka, created gift bags appliqued with each child’s name and filled with clothes and toys for the 34 children at Life Christian Orphanage. The children also received scooters purchased by these generous friends along with personalized illustrated stories created by French students from York (Pennsylvania) Suburban High School. For children who have so little, their excitement could hardly be contained.
The team delivered to all Headwaters’ partners MannaPack® complete meals donated by Feed My Starving Children and shipped to Haiti from the U.S., thanks to a grant from UPS Foundation. This food, along with bulk food supplied by Headwaters, is critical to the children of Haiti, a country that continues to suffer from acute food shortages due to drought, severe weather, and poverty.
Volunteers also traveled north of Port au Prince to New Grace School, where sponsors are supporting the education of 33 children, and to Compassion Attentive aux Orphelins D’Haiti (Dina’s) where children received food, clothing and other essential supplies.
The team met with the Ministry of Education to discuss summer school programs focusing on a public health education initiative that includes vector-borne illnesses such as Zika. Headwaters has been providing public health education in Haiti for more than two years which will now be expanded with a donation from SC Johnson of nearly 90,000 cans of insect repellent that will be part of major public health campaign executed in partnership with other NGOs. To read more about the SC Johnson donation go here.
To learn more about our work in Haiti, please join us on May 23 (8:30 to 9:30 a.m.) for Mothers Giving Back Love, a free, one-hour breakfast event held at International Market Square. For details and to RSVP contact Ashley Emry at aemry@orionassoc.net or 763-450-3783.
To view photos of the Haiti April 2017 go here.