Earthquake Relief For Project Hope, Les Cayes, Haiti

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I left Port-au-Prince Haiti 4 hours before the earthquake struck. I spent the week before, visiting my friends at Project Hope, an orphanage and school for 700 children in Les Cayes, 120 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince. I was running to my connecting flight to Minneapolis in Memphis, when I heard the news of the quake on CNN. Once home, I was able to call Peter Faford, Project Director at Project Hope. He said the guest house where I had stayed felt like you were walking on Jello. The kids were safe but scared. Many of the staff had family members in Port-au-prince who were killed or injured. Most of the 700 children there don't know what happened to their family members.

As of this morning, 1/20/10, Linda Faford contacted me to say the 6.0 aftershock caused damage to the dining hall, but they were all still alive. Fr. Marc Boivert, the founder of Project Hope, is also helping the people of Les Cayes and the surrounding area, sharing what little they have. Putting the staff and children of Project Hope on rations, they set up a soup kitchen in Les Cayes. They sent medical supplies from their little clinic to the hospital in Les Cayes, which had none. They've been in contact with 2 orphanages in Port-au-Prince about taking in more newly orphaned children, if they have the fuel to transport them. They are in desperate need of fuel for their generators, so they can pump the wells; transport supplies and the wounded; and continue to communicate with the outside world.

Fr Marc started Project Hope 12 years ago with a handful of children. He felt that the way to change Haiti, was to raise strong, educated, caring children to be self-sufficient adults, and future leaders in their communities. His organization has grown to almost 700 children, where the children receive food, a home, and an education and vocational training. Given help, Project Hope can quickly help not only these children, but their neighbors as well. To donate and learn more about Project Hope, go to www.freethekids.org. Check Fr. Marc's blog for daily pictures and updates. No contribution is too small. Please keep these children in your prayers; and know that they are praying for you, their supporters, in return. Thank you. Sue Valiton, Eden Prairie, MN