This time of year, we reflect on the love we have for each of the moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandparents, godparents, cousins, brothers, sisters, and loved ones we have had the pleasure of knowing and working with in Haiti for the last 11 years.
Our love for them, and for the country of Haiti, is what drives us every day.
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Why would a father abandon his malnourished child at a hospital, unable to pay for care and in hopes that someone who can help will find her?
Love.
Why would a mom skip a meal every day, ensuring that her little ones have enough to eat?
Love.
Why would a parent choose to allow their child to live with a distant family member in a far away city where they will have the opportunity to go to school?
Love.
Why would a teenage girl miss a week of school to care for her baby brother after losing their parents months before?
Love.
Why would a grandparent give up their life to raise their grandchild?
Love.
Why would a community come together to care for one another in whatever way possible, even in the hardest of times?
Love.
Often, these ways can be heartbreaking and seemingly unfair.
Parents must make tough decisions that none of us will ever have to face, and they do so out of love.
As our relationships with clinics and hospitals on the ground in Haiti grow, so does the number of families we are able to reach.
In fact, the need for basic medical care in Haiti is so great that we usually have a waiting list! Medical care is such a big part of how HFF is able to keep families together. I think we all know how important it is to keep healthy and this will be a big focus for us in 2014.
Check out what we’re doing.
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While it is true that children often come to HFF at a crisis point—severely malnourished, suffering from sickness or disease—we work hard to continue to provide basic support to keep each child healthy even after holding their hands through the crisis period.
One simple way we are able to help make a child’s life better?
Yes, vitamins! With a basic diet that often lacks a daily supply of all the recommended vitamins and nutrients, a daily vitamin supplement is key for a child in Haiti.
Our friend Dr. Dan Lattanzi is a local Pittsburgher who built a medical and maternity clinic in La Croix, Haiti and has worked in Haiti for more than 15 years. He recently helped to ensure that all children currently enrolled in our programs have vitamins for all of 2014!
Prenatal vitamins help to ensure a newborn baby is born as healthy as possible! They are a luxury that most Haitian women cannot afford.
We are thankful for partners like Dr. Lattanzi who are able to use their resources to support HFF and our families in Haiti.
With their support, we can better serve our families’ most basic needs, and provide them with items that will make a world of difference in their child’s development and growth.
For just $25, you can provide one child or one expectant mother with a month’s worth of vitamins, enabling us to do more.
Keeping children healthy is one of the foundations to keeping a family together and making them stronger.
We do this every day thanks to your generous donations.
Every dollar you give provides families with the opportunity to remain together, to grow strong, and to create a better Haiti. Your gift this year is growing a nation.
Thank you for being part of this global movement.
Please consider an end of the year tax-deductible donation at a level that is meaningful to you. It will give for years to come.
Wishing you a healthy and happy holiday season!
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