Ways to help the victims of the Haiti earthquake continue to become available…

Providence Continues Efforts to Raise Help for Haiti Earthquake Survivors

The relief efforts in Haiti are gaining momentum, with a monumental job ahead. The People of Providence have stepped forward with compassion and generosity in response to the overwhelming needs.

More than 1,000 individuals have provided direct contributions to date totaling almost $90,000 to Providence Health International to be provided to relief efforts. One hundred percent of these donations will be focused on three key areas:

• Providing shelter and food (Catholic Relief Services)
• Supporting medical teams providing emergency services (Medical Teams International)
• Supporting the shipment of medicines (Catholic Medical Mission Board).

Sister Colleen Settles, chief mission integration officer for the California Region, serves on the Providence team that is coordinating the relief efforts.

All 11 of the Sisters of Providence currently serving in Haiti have been reported as alive and well, we learned earlier this week. They continue to minister as best they can to the people of Haiti despite the loss of their homes. The Sisters of Providence have made a long term commitment to this mission including a gift of $50,000 and will be providing future support to rebuild for a sustainable future there.

Tax-deductible contributions can be made to Providence Health International by clicking this link<http://www2.providence.org/phs/phi/Pages/donate-online.aspx> or by typing the following address in your browser http://www2.providence.org/phs/phi/Pages/donate-online.aspx.

If you want to volunteer time through a  Providence-coordinated program please contact Mark Koenig, system director, Providence Health International, at mark.koenig@providence.org.

A multi-family garage sale is planned Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 25249 Atwood Blvd. in Newhall (cross street, Lyons Avenue). Atwood resident Lori Rivas is organizing the sale to raise funds for Quisqueya Christian School, which is serving many victims of the earthquake as shelter and a makeshift clinic.

“About ten years ago, I met Ruth Hersey through a Christian attachment parenting Internet support group,” Rivas said. “Ruth, her husband, Steve, and their two children, live in Port Au Prince, and have lived there as long as I have known them. Ruth and I have built our own friendship outside of the Internet support group, exchanging private emails, Christmas cards, and playing that Scrabble-type game on Facebook.”

Rivas said that both of the Herseys teach at the school (http://quisqueya.org/) in Port Au Prince; Ruth is the middle school English teacher while Steve is the director of the school. In the past, Rivas said she has wired them money and sent packages of goods, which are distributed directly into the community.

Ruth and the children were safely evacuated to Kentucky last Saturday, but Steve remains at the school. Monies raised at the garage sale will be sent to the school, which is now being converted into a clinic. In addition, Steve Hersey is hosting an extra 16 people in their family home.

“I will also be sending packages to Steve,” Rivas said. “I send to a private airstrip in Florida, then a private pilot flies packages directly to Haiti, and hand-delivers them. No (or very little) red tape. I have used this system many times over the years.”