Haiti Committee, St. Michael the Archangel Roman Catholic Church, Auburn, Alabama, USA

St. Michael's Haiti Committee
The school/chapel building - BEFORE Bellanger, Haiti	St. Michael's Hopes and Accomplish- ments for OLMC	The school/chapel building - AFTER Bellanger, Haiti

Since the start of our twinning partnership, St. Michael's and OLMC have accomplished many important goals. However, much work remains to be done. Unfortunately, in a country such as Haiti, unanticipated crises arise far too frequently. Our plans and goals must change to meet the immediate needs of the parishioners of OLMC.

The Church and Rectory
When Pere Guy arrived at OLMC in 2001, he found a church and rectory in dire need of repairs. They also needed a source for reliable electricity. On an average Sunday, Pere Guy may only be able to collect about $2 US. With the help of St. Michael's parishioners, we have accomplished much in this area.

Our accomplishments so far:

A new computer with internet access.
Office supplies and equipment (paper, folders, paper cutter, batteries, fax machine, overhead projector, etc.)
Tools (shovels, wheelbarrows, etc.)
Generators for more reliable electricity.
Solar panels and batteries.
Electrical and plumbing repairs to the rectory.
A wall around the church grounds (to prevent confiscation of church-owned property.)
A new sound system and keyboard for the church.
$5,000 was contributed toward the purchase and delivery of a small truck (bought in conjunction with a German charity.)
New flooring in the church building.
Kitchen appliances

Our hopes for the future:

More solar panels and batteries are needed to make the church's power supply more reliable.
A multipurpose school/parish hall building on the church grounds is Pere Guy's and the Committee's major goal. This could also be used after school for adult education or possibly one day a computer lab.

Healthcare Needs
People in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish have very limited access to health care. For outpatient care, one clinic operates in Cabaret and a mobile clinic travels to Bellanger about once a week. Many people suffer from the effects of malnutrition and unsafe drinking water.

Our accomplishments so far:

We send over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol, cough medicine, anti-bacterial ointment, and vitamins in our yearly sea container shipment. We also send basic dental care supplies.
A dental mission from St. Michael's will be going to Cabaret in February 2010 to provide basic dental care and assess the needs of the OLMC parish for future trips.
Money for direct food aid is sent to Pere Guy quarterly.

Our hopes for the future:

Pere Guy has talked of opening a small clinic/dispensary to operate once a week from the back of the church.

Education
From the beginning of our twinning relationship, education has been identified as the top priority. We have studied ways to provide Catholic education to the poor.

Our accomplishments so far:

A new school/chapel building (St. Joseph's) in the outlying village of Bellanger was built to replace one that was falling down.
A kitchen and latrine were built at St. Joseph's and now the Haitian government supplies a hot meal for each child every school day.
We provide yearly teachers' salaries at St. Joseph School.
We provide scholarships for students at St. Joseph School.
School supplies are sent in our yearly sea container.

Our hopes for the future:

Improvements to St. Joseph's School in Bellanger. In Pere Guy's words, "Much aid is needed so that the Church can be a positive influence in [the young parishoners'] lives and to bring the love, peace and Word of God to them."

While money and material support are a part of our twinning relationship, they are not the sum total of the relationship. The gifts that we receive from our Haitian brothers and sisters are immeasurable.

For corrections/additions, please send message to: stmichaels@charter.net or Haiti Committee
Updated: September 10, 2009 lka