Update on Our Plan to Help Affected Areas

An update from our Founder

Thank you so much for the messages these recent weeks. Although the circumstances are not ideal, it’s great to get affirmation of our 20+-year partnership. Whatever we have been able to do in Haiti is because you have played an extraordinary role coming alongside us.

I have been developing plans for HFHF’s relief efforts with our team in Haiti, our team leaders, local partners, and other groups I have helped start in Les Cayes and Jacmel. Our plans will evolve as we get more information.  

Strategizing
Through connections with Haitians living in the diaspora who are from Les Cayes and Jeremie, we’ve begun to mobilize and discuss how we’re going to help those areas impacted.Our team in Haiti is brainstorming and will travel to the affected areas to provide support. We’re asking our Haiti medical team to help us with the prioritization of supplies to bring or to purchase.

Traveling to Haiti
Travel to Haiti will likely not happen for another 4-6 weeks. The government is pleading with people not to come all at once to the areas impacted, as they are working through recovery and coordinating the relief effort.

Given that we will not be staying in a hotel built in concrete because of the aftershocks, we have to be sure of the safety of the places we do stay, so we can be confident in continuing the work.

Micro-targeting the Help
A lot of people are driving and flying to Les Cayes and Jeremie, but they are passing thousands of places that don’t have the big city names and people who will never see someone come to provide any support. 

This happened in 2010 when nobody made it to Bainet, Zorange, and Gandou, but our organization worked tirelessly with the people to carve out a plan to help those communities. We will do the same for the small communities affected this time. 

How will we help?

Medical and food supplies: Supplies need to be transported to Haiti, so I’m not sure how much supplies we can take. But we already have people offering to help organize and collect supplies who I’ll be reaching out to.

Travel: We don’t know yet, but if we take anyone it will be a very small team because of all the logistics that need to be ironed out like transportation, lodging in a disaster zone, etc. If you have access to a plane that can accompany Hope for Haiti Foundation on this trip – please don’t hesitate to reach out to me anytime.

Donations: You can earmark your donation for the Earthquake Relief Fund on our website.
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For this to be done right, not perfectly, a lot of logistics, coordination, and conversations with local people and leaders will need to happen — which is why it can’t happen tomorrow or next week.

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I will send relevant updates as to our planning in Haiti, when we might travel, where we are with supplies, etc.

We are once again finding ourselves in a situation where we have to act in support of our compatriots. We are grateful to you for your prayers, support, generosity, and partnership.

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