The people of Haiti are still in crisis. Months after the devastating earthquake of January 12th that left hundreds of thousands dead and over a million people homeless, the Haitian people are still suffering.

In response to the Haiti disaster, Headwaters volunteers traveled to Haiti in July and September as part of the ACTS World Relief Effort. We provided mental health support to children and staff at several orphanages. ACTS, a faith based organization, has been sending teams to Haiti since the disaster.

One of our experiences stood out from the others because of the seriousness of the unmet needs of the children. Johnny’s orphanage is operated by François, a caring person who has very limited resources. She clearly is worried about the children, about the lack of food, water and space and about the medical needs of some of the children. She has neighbors who reportedly help her by providing food, although it is not clear how often they help. The small rooms are clean but depressingly dark. There is a small space behind the home which is a driveway, not really a yard, in which to play. When we saw the children for the first time they were appeared listless. When we returned to Minnesota, our team members felt we must do something to help the children at Johnny’s. We truly felt that it was a matter of survival for the children. We sent a description of the orphanage and the conditions there and asked that our friends, families and past volunteers to sponsor 25 children at 15 dollars a month. Our goal was to raise enough money to support feeding the children for six months. Within 24 hours the generous Headwaters’ supporters had pledged over $3,200, exceeding the goal we had set and allowing us to sponsor 25 children for 9 months.

Headwaters volunteers are returning to Haiti in January 2011. In the meantime, Headwaters is supporting a school in a mountain village by ensuring books are purchased for the school. We are also sponsoring a 22 year old young man who wants to come to the United States to pursue his education and then return to Haiti to help his country. We continue to distribute funds to feed the children with assistance from ACTS World Relief.

Our volunteer activities in Haiti, are driven by our passion to assist the children there. Traveling to Haiti is an overwhelming experience because of the incredible devastation and the need of so many people. Our volunteers continue to support projects that make a tangible difference in the lives of people there.

Your donation will assist with feeding and educating children in Haiti. One hundred percent of your donation will go to support the people of Haiti. Our volunteers pay their own way to travel to Haiti. Our administrative time is donated by Orion Associates, a related human services entity.