Google+ WTN Haiti Partnership: February 2010

Nov 2013 - St. Vincent's Trip

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Haitian Diaspora Sees an Opening

We've received a link to an article from the Wall Street Journal on the Haitian Diaspora and the flow of Haitians, especially Haitian-Americans back into the impoverished nation.

Haiti Gifts for Children On Their Way!!

Dear Friends,
We wanted to give you an update on the project the J2A youth undertook these past weeks. Yesterday afternoon we officially sent-off 11 packages to St. Vincent's School for Handicapped Children.  They held 50 brightly colored bags, one for each child, containing stuffed animals, toys, toothbrushes, and miscellaneous books, balls, and toiletries. We were also able to send two boxes of items for the staff to distribute, including clothing, flashlights, batteries, and a large package with many classroom-sized toys and a scooter. Below is a picture of some of the youth who (along with donations from their and their parent's piggy banks)  made this possible, posing with the just-packed boxes.
They are, from left to right, Sarah Clingenpeel, Eric Lehr, Maya Jackson, Philip Arnold, and Chris Connor. Also pictured are the two of us.  Classmates not pictured, but who helped with the project, are Eli Nanny Holmes, Peter Linck, and Mya Stanley.
We want to send a few special thanks out. First to Dan & Debbie Link, and Renee Hirshfield, who funded the shipping costs almost in their entirety. Also to Tom Rogers who assisted in gathering the toiletries.  Mike Clark helped haul and transport the boxes to the shipping company. And Lou Clauss, Emmanuel Episcopal Church Member (Webster Groves) and owner of the PostNet on Watson Road for going above and beyond the call of duty, getting us boxes, packing material, customs forms, and shipping rates that kept us within our limited budget.  Stop by and see what a great place he's running (info below).
We also want to thank the parishioners who donated items, and those who gave us encouragement.  We can't wait to hear from St. Vincent's, and hope our work will not only bring us together as friends, but bring a little life and happiness into their world.
Blessings ~ Jason Wiggins & Heidi Clark
J2A Mentors

7253 Watson Rd.   St. Louis, MO 63119
www.postnet.com/mo114   
Phone:      314-395-8422
Lou Clauss, Owner
Sent in by Heidi Clark

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Pere Sadoni sends an update about children of St Vincent's School

2-17-2010 Update
We received a message from Fr. Sadoni Leon, Director the St. Vincent’s Center for Handicapped Children. He said the conditions of the forty children at the former seminary at Montrouis were good -- they had water, tents, food that he could buy, and a fresh sea breeze. He has a vehicle and can get to Port-au-Prince as necessary. He also said the children were "homesick" for their "home" in Port-au-Prince.

Some of you may be wondering about the other children. About half of them were picked up by their parents.  Some of the children have returned to Les Cayes where Dirk Martin, a former volunteer at St. Vincent’s lives. 

Bishop Duracin plans to re-build the Center. This will be a slow process since all the structures will have to be evaluated by engineers.

I would like to thank all our donors over this year and most recently after the earthquake. Many of our old friends have e-mailed their concerns and prayers.
I would like to thank especially the many children with their fund raising efforts. My heart is so lifted to see so many children reaching out to other children during this crisis...

I would like to give a special thanks to Wiltsie Anderson from Indiana School for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Indianapolis, Indiana. H e organized a fundraiser for the care of the children at St. Vincent’s Center. We are so proud of young men like him responding to the needs of others a world away.  

Suzanne Sayer’s Fifth Grade Girl School Troop 457 at Braeburn collected $260 from Coins for Haiti Project
Montessori School of Greater Hartford 6th level for baking and selling home-made dog treats as a fund raiser
Sienna Nelson, a youth member of the Western Tennessee Haiti Partnership, organized a drive-by-fundraiser and managed to raise $2400 for St. Vincent’s Center
Contordia Learning Center at St. Joseph’s School for the Blind collected personal items for the children 

Other businesses, organizations, schools and churches include:
Physicians for Peace, Norfolk, VA
Norwegian Association of the Blind and Partially Sighted People
MAC Town Inc., Miami, FL
Dallas-Haiti Project, Dallas, TX
The Rotary Club of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada
Albert Einstein College Medical Center, Bronx, NY
Catholic Office of the Deaf, Chicago IL
Aetna Giving Campaign
Pritchard’s Bottle Shop
Creative Family Solutions
Alcohol Drug Recovery Centers’ staff raised $1007 from a potluck lunch program
Perkins School for the Blind and staff
Perkins Brailler Company
Limitless Vision Consulting
Advanced Senior Support Home Health
EHGEMS parents and staff
Helping Hands for the Blind, Chatsworth, Ca 
Barrett Family
Paternoster Family
Ford Family
Lucy Read Family and Friends
Grace Hill Family and Friends
St. Thomas Episcopal Church, Hanover NH
St. Mark’s Chapel, Storrs, CT
St. John’s Episcopal Church, North Guilford, CT
St. John’s Episcopal Church, Niantic, CT
St. James’s Episcopal Church, West Hartford, CT
Trinity Episcopal Church, Wethersfield, CT
Northern Presbyterian Church, North Canton,
St. Alban’s Episcopal Church, Simsbury, CT
St. James Parish, Keene, NH
St. Peter’s-Trinity Episcopal Church, Thomaston, CT
St. James’ Episcopal Church, Glastonbury, CT
St. Savior’s Episcopal Church, Old Greenwich, CT
Trinity Lutheran Church, Vernon, CT
St. Thomas’ Episcopal Church, Hamilton, NY
Church of Christ Congregational,
Newington CT
Christ Church, Middle Haddam, CT
Church Home of Hartford, Bloomfield, CT

Two new groups whom have joined our work are:
St. Michael’s Parish Day School, Tucson, AZ
Royal St. George’s College, Canada
God Bless you all,
Hope Lennartz RN MSN
Founder of the Friends of St. Vincent’s Center                                                     
sent in by Hope Lennartz

Saturday, February 13, 2010

Kreyol lessons

We had our first Kreyol lessons today at my home, taught by a delightful man named Mr. Albert Jean Louis. Mr. Jean Louis is from Jacmel, Haiti. He told us that 80% of his hometown has been destroyed by the earthquake and that his family is living in their backyard. He is a language teacher at Ridgeway High School and has graciously offered to teach us his native language for free! He told us that our work in Haiti is important to help his people, and this is his contribution to our ministry.
We had 8 students who learned to say "Mwen pale tou piti Kreyol" or " I speak a little Creole". We are using the book Creole Made Easy by Wally Turnbull. We all enjoyed hearing Mr. Jean Louis speak to us and help us remember the few phrases we have learned already from our work at St. Vincent's. It was a relief to learn that Kreyol does not conjugate verbs or require subject verb agreement, and there is no gender difference in the pronouns. Plus it leaves out all those extra letters the French don't pronounce anyway!
Susan Nelson

Saturday, February 6, 2010

St Vincent's Fundraiser Feb 6, 2010

Starting at about 9 AM today, Sienna Nelson and Dumbledore's Army stood at the corner of Perkins Extended and Poplar Avenue in Memphis, and collected $1 dollar bills and loose change from folks stopped at the traffic lights. A balmy 37 degree temperature with light mist and biting wind was the background setting for this event. About 18 volunteers came to help, and donations included at least one $100 dollar bill and a rather large check. Folks at the bus stop next to Sears threw in several dollars. One man told me he did not have a phone so he had been unable to donate to the Haiti relief effort until now. He gave me 6 dollars while he was waiting on the bus.
The police questioned us on two different occasions, but seemed satisfied to leave us alone as long as we stayed off the street. I didn't point out to the officer that my daughter was walking up to cars and charming the drivers into making donations.
Our total came to $2356.41. Such is the power of one teenager.
Susan Nelson

Friday, February 5, 2010

Fundraiser for St. Vincent's February 6 in Memphis, Tennessee

My daughter, Sienna, has organized a fundraiser on Feb 6 at the corner of Poplar and Perkins extended, from 9 AM until 6 PM.  This will be a drive by fundraiser, to collect donations at the stop lights at this intersection.  We need volunteers to hold buckets, wave signs, and encourage donations.

We will have a registration desk in front of Sears at Laurel wood Shopping Center, starting at 9 AM. There is a walkway that extends from the front door of Sears all the way to Poplar Ave. We will be at the end of that walkway closest to Poplar. You can pull your car in the parking lot and park there.

A few of us will be there at 8 AM to set up, but we don’t need registration volunteers until about 9 AM and money counting volunteers about 10 AM until 6 PM.
Thank you for your help and my cell phone number is 825 7981; Sienna’s cell is 871 8087
Susan Nelson

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Jean Robert sends an email

hello
today i am very nice to have some news about you and your familly and the beautiful teem . I think you for your prayers . I receive it by the spirit of god. I m not stop to tell you thank your for your special regard you have my familly so i steel here to help you at st vicent school to help you at any time you come back in Haiti. we miss you for this moment at st Vicent school now. You heare many bad nwes about Haiti for this Jannuary 12,13,14 Junoury for the terrible accident we have in haiti.
We lost two stAFF AT THE SCHOOL ON IN THE KICHEN ONE TEACHER in all so we lost five kits over st vicent in foyer.l to the next bloc. to days ago the father Sadoni Leon bring the children to college st Pierre for one week and after to days he bring to the campus ouside fo the country this campus is for Episcopale church the have bib beach there and in hospital there. wen you come back again in Haiti you will stay at montrouis we us. we have several patients wait for you because there are very seek. I tinck, I will be there to help you. you will have a nice place to stay with your team.
N.B before you come back I like you stay I like you stay in good conct wiht tree special people father Sadoni Leon, father Jacques Deravil, mister WilSon Jean Louis louisjeanw@Yahoo.fr cell phone: 3747-1652. yes for the violin of my daugthers the size is full size 3/4 and 1/2
please say help hello to every boddy for me. I wisch to see them in April 2010
god bless you for all tank you so much
Jean Robert Josph
your friend
joseph.jeanrobert@gmail.com

update from Bill Squire regarding sending supplies to JoJo and St Vincent's

Below is an excerpt from an email sent by Bill Squire to Drew Woodruff, 

I thought you would like to know, I believe that I have successfully gotten $500 to JoJo. I received a call from a Dr. Fred Sorrells of Arlington, TX on Friday asking me of my recent trip and telling me he is trying to go to Haiti and St. Vincent’s. Later that evening around , he called back and said he had connected with a group taking wheelchairs into Haiti and that they had a plane leaving the next morning from Ft. Lauderdale (he was calling from the Dallas Airport where he was about to board a plane for Florida). I then called National Jet, who was organizing this flight and after several phone calls got permission to take my six boxes of clothes, toiletries, towels, games, flashlights, etc. to their hanger for the next day’s flight. Margaret and I left here about last night arriving at the hanger at this morning. After a few hours sleep in a lounge chair at the passenger terminal we met Fred and I gave him $500 to take to JoJo (that is what I could get out of an ATM en route to Ft. Lauderdale). We got our boxes on board and I have confirmation that Pere Sadoni met the plane (we had contacted him about it) and now has the boxes in hand. Fred is going with Sadoni to Montrouis so I am confident JoJo will have his money. I will hold the other $500 here until I go in a couple of weeks. I am so pleased that this all occurred – the kids need the stuff we sent – and they need it now, not in two or three weeks.
 God is good.
 Bill+