The Christian Outreach Committee (COC) has established a Haiti Earthquake Relief fund, to which you are encouraged to make a contribution. Monies from this fund will be divided between three organizations: (1) Haiti Fund, Inc. (2) Building Goodness Foundation, and (3) Presbyterian Disaster Assistance. The COC selected these organizations because of the strong ties that our church already has to all three ministries, through both our financial support and hands-on mission work. Also, the COC believes that our church's funds can make an impact in both the short-term and the long-term by supporting the unique ways that each of these organizations are serving the people of Haiti.

Please make your check out to First Presbyterian Church with "Haiti Earthquake" in the memo line. If you would like to designate your contribution specifically to one of the above organizations (described below), please also indicate that in the memo line. Otherwise, the Christian Outreach Committee will disburse the funds across these three organizations at its discretion.

Haiti Fund, Inc. is the stateside fundraising arm of the Comprehensive Development Project (CODEP) in the Cormier watershed region of Haiti, where many mission teams from our church have served. CODEP is one of the most successful agricultural and reforestation programs in all of Haiti. It has been so successful that USAID and other large organizations have used it as a model for their own efforts. CODEP's strength lies in its large network of Haitian leaders, who have been empowered not only to participate in but also to oversee the implementation of CODEP's development programs, which include reforestation, agricultural development, and nutrition. Supporting CODEP will allow us to partner with a strong core of Haitians who are actually on the scene and who can help ensure that relief is getting to the people who need it. Since CODEP's main base in L'Acul was only 9 miles from the earthquake's epicenter, CODEP will be engaging directly in the immediate relief needs of their surrounding communities, in addition to their ongoing, long-term development work.

Building Goodness Foundation (BGF) is a local organization through which our church continues to support CODEP financially. One of our own church members, Jack Stoner, started BGF after participating in one of our church's mission trips to CODEP. Haitians who participate in CODEP's development programs earn points that eventually qualify them for a house, which BGF builds for them. BGF gathers building materials and sends skilled construction volunteers into the remote mountains of Haiti's Cormier River Valley, where construction takes place. Volunteers must sometimes hike for hours into the mountains with the supplies before reaching the building site, where they camp until the house is completed. One of BGF's seven core values is "Craftsmanship and Design: Building Goodness Foundation only builds projects of high quality in both design and craftsmanship. In order for our buildings truly to transform their communities, they must be thoughtfully created and masterfully constructed." Evidence that BGF is true to this core value is shown in the fact that many of BGF's shelters and structures in Haiti are the only ones still standing in communities that suffered severe damage from the earthquake. Once BGF is able send teams back to Haiti, there will also be opportunities for volunteers to help with their building efforts.

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (PDA) is our denomination's own disaster relief fund. PDA contributes 95% of the funds it receives directly toward relief efforts. Funds are being used to help with basic humanitarian relief in providing temporary shelter, food, and health assistance. Funds are also being used to provide water and sanitation engineers, as well as equipment to construct water purification systems. Resources for building latrines are also being provided, as the sanitation situation is critical.

Many of our members who participated in our church's mission trips to Haiti remember Sharyn Babe, a PC(USA) mission co-worker who, along with her husband Rodney, served for years at CODEP. Although Sharyn suffered significant injuries in the earthquake, she is now safe and receiving treatment and comprehensive support in Florida. If you are interested in knowing more about supporting Sharyn specifically, please contact Associate Pastor Kim Wells for more information. You may also send a card to: Sharyn Babe, c/o The Presbytery of Tropical Florida, 440 E. Sample Road, Suite 208, Pompano Beach, FL 33064-4440.

Thank you for your compassion and generosity. We will update this site as we receive and distribute funds, and as relevant information becomes available.  <top>

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