Dear Haiti Friends,

Below my signature please see a letter from the Rev. Jean Philippe Alphonse, partner priest to many of our active partnerships, priest in charge at St. Pierre, Mirebalais, currently at Cange where he is coordinating local relief efforts for some of the thousands of refugees from the greater Mirebalais area who still cannot return home.  I know many of you have supported the effort — please see his request about the building of shelters to provide a roof for those still living along the trails and crowding into churches and schools, and consider assisting.  This is an effort coordinated by the clergy and people in Cange, Thomonde, and Hinche.  Note that these many months later he still says hundreds of families need places to sleep — Mirebalais alone was a city of 200,000 which is now empty.  Refugees have dispersed everywhere — the more fortunate ones to family members or friends in other parts of Haiti, but those hundreds to whom he refers have nowhere to find relief except the churches.  I have see photographs from friends of themselves and their families sleeping side by side, as many as will fit in the space, on the floors of school classrooms and churches.   Now that school is beginning again, these uncomfortable accommodations become even less suitable as they must clear the spaces for school days.

As you may have heard in the news, the U.N. has approved an increase in the assistance to fight the gangs in Port-au-Prince.  It’s still unclear when this will happen and what it would look like, and very unclear as to how soon results might be felt in outlying areas which have also suffered, such as the coast between Archaie and St Marc, the Artibonite Valley, Mirebalais and its surroundings, and Lascahobas. We pray for the best possible results in the soonest possible time frame.

Yours,

Serena

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, dear partners and faithful friends,

May the grace and peace of Jesus Christ be with you all.

We write to you with heavy hearts, yet sustained by hope, to share with you a painful reality that confronts us each day. In the regions of Saut-d’Eau, Trianon, Mirebalais, and Lascahobas, as you may know, hundreds of families have been forced to abandon their homes and lands. Today, they live in inhumane conditions: without shelter, exposed to the elements, sleeping on the ground, deprived of food, clean water, and medical care.

These men, women, elderly, and especially children are reduced to wandering—marked by hunger, fear, and humiliation. Many have already lost their lives, not by choice, but because of misery, despair, and discouragement. Every day, we encounter eyes filled with tears and anguish, and we cannot remain indifferent.

In the face of this human tragedy, and in response to the Gospel’s call—
“Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40)—
we want to provide a concrete and united response.

We are undertaking the project of building three shelters in Cange, Thomonde, and Hinche, each capable of hosting 80 to 100 refugees, with priority given to women and children. These shelters will not only provide a roof but also restore dignity and security. They will allow children to return to school and families to begin living again with a minimum of peace and stability.

The estimated cost of each shelter is $20,000 USD. This project is both a great challenge and a profound opportunity to bear witness together to Christ’s compassion and love.

We are addressing this letter collectively so that all our partners and supporters may be informed of this initiative in full transparency. We believe that united in faith and solidarity, we can transform suffering into hope.

Dear partners, we appeal to your hearts. Your prayers, your support, and your contribution—whatever the measure—will make a real and immediate difference in the lives of these abandoned families.

May the Lord, rich in mercy, bless your generosity and repay you a hundredfold for what you offer to save lives and restore hope to the least of His children.

With gratitude and fraternity,

Your brother in Christ,
Fr. Alphonse