Our Response to the Haiti Earthquake Disaster
By now, we have all seen or heard of the devastation, death and despair happening in Haiti. News accounts suggest the 7.0 earthquake which struck Haiti January 12th—leveling that island nation’s capital city, crippling its infrastructure and government, and, most significantly, killing or injuring hundreds of thousands of people—is one of the worst natural disasters in recent times in terms of its toll on human life.
These neighbors of ours (just 600 miles off the coast of Florida) are in immediate dire need of our prayers, water, food, medical care, etc. They also have the long-term need of help rebuilding structures, institutions, and lives. “Are we our brothers’ and sisters’ keeper?” In a Word, yes.
There are several responses for First & Calvary to consider as a church and as individuals. The most immediate need appears to be for cash donations to support organizations that already are, or soon will be, on the ground in Haiti.
Session Action
With these considerations in mind, the First & Calvary Session took the following actions at its Jan. 17th, 2010 meeting:
- Endorsed Youth Ministry mission project through Convoy of Hope to assemble relief kits & collect funds. – See Rob Howard or Kristin Hall for further details.
- Endorsed Children’s Ministry mission project through Canaan Orphanage. – See Melissa Hartley or Cathy Potts for further details.
- Called for a special offering to be collected at morning worship services on February 14th (Jazz & Jambalaya Sunday). – See Greg Ellis or Earle Doman for further details.
- Approved a list of disaster relief agencies for congregational giving.**
Donations may be made to First & Calvary to meet the needs in Haiti. Contributions marked “Haiti Relief” will be disbursed to various Mission partner organizations [from the list below] working in Haiti as determined by the Missions Committee based on an assessment of short-term and long-term needs. Should you desire your funds applied to a specific organization in addition or instead of the Mission's Committees designation, please contribute individually to the organization by going directly to the organization's website.
**Note: The Session-approved list is not intended as a comprehensive list of worthy relief agencies working
to meet the needs in Haiti. Instead, we have compiled a list of organizations we can readily vouch for, based
on information we currently have available. The Mission's Committee will print the financial designations and
results in The Review once gifts have been processed.
For other agencies, due to the possibility of funds being fraudulently misdirected, we encourage all First &
Calvary donors to satisfy themselves of the integrity of any relief agency before making a gift.
Session-Approved/Recommended Haiti Relief Agencies
PC (USA)-affiliated organizations
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance - www.pcusa.org/pda
Ø PDA is rushing an initial $100,000 from One Great Hour of Sharing and designated funds to provide immediate emergency relief to the affected people, through our ecumenical and local partners working in Haiti. PDA has also created the Haiti Disaster Assistance Fund (DR000064) with a fund-raising goal of $1,000,000.
Ø John Calvin Presbytery’s PDA chapter is collecting emergency hygiene kits for delivery to Haiti through PDA’s Arkansas distribution center. If anyone is interested in assembling kits, e-mail toddandkathy.morriss@gmail.com for further information.
Medical Benevolence Fund - www.mbfoundation.org/haiti-earthquake.htm
Ø The Haiti Earthquake Medical Response Fund #503-453 will support our partners as they respond both in the
immediate and long-term to the devastating January 12 earthquake.
The Outreach Foundation – www.theoutreachfoundation.org
Ø The Outreach Foundation is responding to the disaster through the work of Haiti Outreach Ministries (HOM), its local mission partner in Haiti. HOM is based in Port-au-Prince and works with people in several of the poorest districts. Through its congregations, primary schools, feeding programs and clinics, HOM shares God’s love in word and deed.
First & Calvary Mission Partners and Projects
Canaan Orphanage – www.canaanorphanage.org – See Wayne & Marcia Hlavacek
“Medika Mamba” Project
C.H.A.P. (Christian Haitian American Partnership) – See Art & LoAnn Trask, Judy Dasovich
Hosean International Ministries – See Art & LoAnn Trask
Springfield Area Disaster Response Agencies
Convoy of Hope – www.convoyofhope.org
Ø Convoy of Hope is setting up an emergency command center just outside Port-au-Prince where food, water and supplies are being distributed to victims of the earthquake.
Other Agencies
Community Coalition for Haiti – www.cchaiti.org (See Art Trask, member of the Board of Dir.)
Haiti Water Project – www.haitiwaterproject.org (See Bob Kick)
Water.org – www.water.org (See Erin Swanson)
The American Red Cross – www.redcross.org