Earlier this year, HFF received a call from our friends at Steel City Mission Group in Pittsburgh who had a desire to help us in our work in Haiti.
Marie Winter, Esther Kanfoush, and the rest of the SCMG team visited us recently to provide medical services to hundreds of children in our communities and many families in our programs. Additionally, their team of medical professionals provided our staff in Haiti with supplies and training so that we can improve and continue the medical support services we’ve been providing for years.
What a fantastic effort from all involved, which just goes to show how much of an impact we can make together.
Whether you can travel to Haiti to provide medical services or donate $10 from the comfort of your own home in the US, your effort does not go unnoticed and it really makes a difference in the lives of the families we serve. Marie Winter explains how in the interview below.
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Vivian Lee Croft: What did you do with HFF in Haiti?
Marie Winter: We put together medical bags for families filled with over-the-counter medications and toiletries for children and adults [so that HFF can provide a family with quick care, as needed]. We also brought medications to administer.
VLC: You’ve followed HFF for years. What surprised you about the work?
MW: What HFF is trying to do [keeping families together] is amazing. Haitians have a very strong sense of family. We served about 800 families while we were there, and they all have a very strong sense of family. I was amazed by how many kids we served. HFF’s work is really amazing.
VLC: Is there a story that particularly affected you or your team?
MW: I saw a young women, 30 maybe, with two little kids, and she had heart failure. It’s stuff like that that strikes you – these are common things to get care for in the Unites Stated but there, they can’t get it. And kids are in crowded spaces and living in poor conditions so many of them have skin problems. They are easy to treat. That’s another thing about Jamie [and HFF]. She said, ‘Tell me what this is and how to treat it, and I can take care of 20 more kids after you leave.’ We were all really impressed by that.
VLC: The hundreds of children and adults in our programs were very grateful. HFF still has a lot of work to do though, because families approach us every day and we have to turn many away due to lack of funding to serve them. Are you interested in coming back?
MW: We’re already talking about coming back next year.
Ylionise: we helped her get life-saving heart surgery in the US shortly after we met her several years ago.
We cannot say it enough. 2013 was a year of movement.
The global movement of keeping families together is growing, and you have been a part of that movement with us for a long time.
We recently held our end of the year gathering for the families in our programs—we actually had to have 2 parties to accommodate the families from all 7 communities we serve—and were inspired by their growth this year. So inspired in fact, that we have to share with you some of the highlights of our work in 2013.
2013 highlights:101: children in our 3 programs
99: percent of families we’ve helped remain together through our programs
76: percent of kids who were going to live in an orphanage but are living with immediate family
60: children in school
50: families in our 3 programs
23: percent of kids who were going to live in an orphanage but are living with extended family
7: communities in Haiti
Unlimited: ways you can help us continue our work
We’ve touched hundreds of people in Haiti and continue to provide even more with valuable resources, education, training, and support that helps them find stability and self-sufficiency. What better gift to give than that of human dignity.
Please consider a year-end, tax-deductible donation of $10 or more, which will go directly toward programming to help more families find their own movement in 2014.
Give Bernardo (above) and Seth (below) a reason to enjoy next year’s party!
From our families in Haiti to yours:
Thank you for helping us continue to work with families in need, in crisis, and those experiencing trauma to help them move toward a more stable life, together. Every family that we’ve been able to help remain together is thankful to you for your help.
Sincerely,
Jamie and Ali