Because of you, so many Haitians whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Matthew have received food, water, shelter and immediate relief. There is still much need, and the road ahead is long. However we have seen real hope infiltrate the despair as we’ve delivered more than 10 tons of food to the greater Port Salut and mountain communities, repaired dozens of homes, and provided medical care to hundreds more.
Shortly after the hurricane, our intern Emmanuela grabbed an old video camera so she could show you what has happened to her home and her community. She also captured some of our early relief efforts.
If you have not already, please consider donating today so we can reach even more children and families affected by the storm: https://restavekfreedom.org/relief.
Today we mobilized 40 volunteers and staff to work on various projects, from construction to debris clearing. We are organizing mobile clinics to visit those who don’t have access to medical care, chainsaw crews to clear debris, and construction teams to provide shelter.
We also greatly appreciate the many local Haitian businesses donating to help. Epidor, the local bakery, sent 800 packs of bread. Brana, the company that makes Prestige and Heineken, donated 20 pallets of bottled water. A local mill gave 1,000 bags of cornmeal. Thank you to the many supporters both here and in Haiti providing relief!
Water continues to be a major focus. Today we hit fresh clean water and now have a well that will produce 4,000 gallons per day. This will greatly increase our ability to provide water for the broader community, and we appreciate our partners at Water for Life in fast-tracking the process to dig this well.
Our teams have removed all of the debris on the beach path, which will now allow cars to access the hotels and homes in that area. In addition, we cleared trees from many homes in the area and cleared a path to the city water line so they can inspect the line and start to repair the pipes. It will be a major effort to repair and could take months.
We are moving from community to community in our area, repairing homes and schools to protect children and ensure they can get back to learning. The outpouring of gratitude from those we’ve been able to help has been overwhelming. Thank you for helping to transform lives! Your donations are providing the food, water, and building supplies these families need.
Please consider also sharing with others this opportunity to provide tangible hope to those who lost everything in Hurricane Matthew, and every dollar donated will be matched up to $100,000!
Thank you for standing with us,
Joan and Ray Conn
