Restoring Hope in Haiti

Haiti is a country no stranger to disaster and hardship. Last fall, the country fell victim to Hurricane Matthew's wrath as the category 4 hurricane made landfall, impacting all of the country's 10 million+ people. Haiti's geographic location in the Caribbean and on the Gonave microplate makes it especially vulnerable to natural disasters. Today, it is considered the fifth most disaster-prone country in the world. By the end of 2016, 60% of Haitians still live in poverty and half do not know how to read or write or have access to health care. It's times likes these when charitable work by various organizations and religious institutions make all the difference in the rebuilding efforts of local communities.

Our business manager Celina, recently returned from her church's annual mission trip to Haiti, where she witnessed first hand the monumental rebuilding effort that is underway throughout the country. Every year, a group from her church, visit the Thomazeau Christian Orphanage, presently home to 12 children, where they provide food, supplies, and medicine. Major rebuilding efforts are currently underway at the 21-acre Hope Center at Thomazeau. The foundation, structural walls, and roof of the new 1,200 square foot Thomazeau Christian Orphanage kitchen and multi-purpose facility are finished and the plastering, flooring, and electrical is scheduled for completion in November. Near the end of her trip, Celina documented over a dozen men from the church and community working to complete the incredibly difficult task of manual pouring the concrete roof for the orphanage. The human assembly line in this video is incredibly humbling to see and is a true testament to the resiliency of this local community. To find out how you can help, please visit Hope for Haiti's Children website.