“OUTREACH TO HAITI”

www.outreachtohaiti.org

A merge took place in December of 2010 between the Haitian Ministries and Hospice St. Joseph. Both ministries were a part of the Norwich Diocese.  Both sites had houses destroyed in the earthquake. 

The Bishop felt it necessary to bring the two together to better serve the people of Haiti.  Since the merge the site of former Hospice St. Joseph has been purchased and new board formed to work on rebuilding mission house in Haiti.

The new site will include clinic as well as safe house for travel.  Immersion trips are still taking place and twin parishes are visiting with groups as there is a temporary leased house to provide for travelers. 

Approximately 7% of the funds for this ministry are funded through the diocese and the rest of the working funds are raised through fundraisers, donations and grants.

St. Mary’s Haitian Ministry is only one part of Outreach to Haiti.  The ministry works to provide for sister parish that a covenant was signed with.  Our commitment to the parish community is a combination of prayer, relationship and financial support.  Each twin parish decides on how they will help provide assistance to the sister parish. 

St. Mary’s is twinned with Our Lady of the Presentation in Les Palmes, Haiti. Les Palmes is located about 60 miles southwest of Port Au Prince and has a population around 38,000 people.

Our commitment has been for teacher salaries since 1999 and sponsorship of students for secondary school since 2005. At present there are 65 students sponsored.  In November 2011 a vocational sewing center was set up in the school.  Now there is a computer lab and sewing center.  A grant was received from “Walking With Haitians” for sewing teacher. We hope to have carpentry for the boys in place during 2012 by collecting hand tools and shipping them in barrel to set up this project.