It's a hunger that so burns in the stomach that many are calling it "Clorox Hunger." It's a hunger that no one wants to ever experience. And yet many Haitians are experiencing it right now. You’ve probably read of the skyrocketing food prices in “third world” countries. Haiti, one of the world’s poorest countries, and the poorest in the western hemisphere, has been so stricken that some people are resorting to eating "dirt cookies" to assuage this terrible hunger. Not only have the prices of staples such as rice, beans, flour, and oil soared, but the cost of renting an ox for a day of planting has risen dramatically, transportation costs have increased, and prices have escalated sharply in almost every other area of life. Many Haitians who are already living precariously on the edge wonder how they will survive this crisis.
But God is at work in Haiti. One of the ways He is sustaining Haitians on the Central Plateau of Haiti is through the Haitian American Friendship Foundation (HAFF) and its mercy ministries. HAFF is a CPC-supported ministry in Haiti. Our church will send its third mission team there again this fall. Greg and Barb Van Schoyck, HAFF’s executive directors, visited us on Sunday, August 17 in the evening service and shared the latest from Haiti.
Through its mercy ministries HAFF provides medical and dental care, medicines, eyeglasses, and pre-natal care at extremely low, subsidized prices through its clinic. HAFF's ambulance service, provides at no charge, transportation for people in medical emergencies to the hospital in the nearby city of Pignon. A milk program provides daily milk and supplemental vitamins for malnourished children. HAFF's benevolence committee helps people in crisis by providing money, clothing, or donated foods.
HAFF also helps the community through the payroll dollars it provides, being the second biggest employer in the region. The payroll dollars for the 58 full and part-time Haitian staff help fuel the local economy. HAFF payroll dollars not only directly benefit those families, but ripple out to many others in the community by paying for food, clothing, and services, assisting their extended families, and giving to the local church. The rippling effect is dramatic as those payroll dollars impact the local economy.
You may be asking, "How can I help during this time of crisis? Lord, what can I do?” May I suggest this tangible response? In the next few weeks consider giving “spare” change (or bills) to the decorated “Clorox” bottles that you see around the church.
You may also want to take one of these bottles home for your family or to work or to a small group in which you’re involved. Those bottles can be picked up in my office.
Especially, in this case a little can go a long way! Monies given by September 30 will be matched by monies from CPC’s diaconal mercy fund and the total of those gifts will be matched by a generous HAFF donor to this effort. So . . . a quarter given could effectively produce $1.00 in relief monies. Your participation in this relatively “small” project could produce some significant help to less fortunate folk there in Haiti. Our mission team will bring back a report regarding this effort.
Pastor Mullinax