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News about our Sister Parish in Haiti, and earthquake recovery efforts from Catholic Relief Services (subject to frequent change)

From: Carleen E. Cook
Sent: Friday, March 05, 2010 4:04 PM
Subject: Latest Haiti Update

With all parishes having reported, this is the final, before the absolute final, financial update for the Haiti Response in the Diocese, as well as an update of what Catholic Relief Services is focusing on at this point.

Parishes	$416,081.35
Schools	$7,229.92
Diocesan CRS Office	$33,952.00
Total	$457,263.27

CRS has reported that total donations have reached $90 million thus far.

As soon as I receive a report for donations sent directly to CRS in Baltimore from Maine, I will provide that figure also.

The diocese certainly contributed its fair share to the effort!

With distribution of food still ongoing, the major challenge now is transitional shelters which CRS is providing with kits that will hopefully sustain the rainy season and hurricanes that will undoubtedly follow.  Permanent shelters, space for such, etc. will be a future major challenge in working with the Haitian government.

CRS is also offering cash for work so that Haitians can help clean up the rubble, clear roads, etc.; and, with money earned, purchase food, etc from the local legitimate markets and support those Haitian vendors as well.

Providing decent healthcare is still a major concern, and of course the safety and security of the children, especially those orphaned by the earthquake.

*CRS and its local Caritas partners in Chile are also assisting in that country after the recent earthquake,

 with monies (excluding those designated for Haiti) already earmarked for earthquake relief throughout the year in many different areas.

Thank you again for all the support of CRS.

 

February 5, 2010 Update from the Diocesan CRS Office:

As of February 3^rd…

Parish Collections                                    $390,609.61
Direct Donations to CRS Diocesan Office      33,590.96
(from individuals, priests, sisters, brothers and schools)

 Total Donations                           $424,200.57     

The Catholic Community of Maine will bring an incredible amount of assistance and relief to the people of Haiti through Catholic Relief Services. Since parishes, schools, and individual donations are still coming in, this will not be the final figure.

Presently, in addition to what has been reported earlier about how the monies are being used, as the rainy season looms and there is danger of an outbreak of waterborne diseases, CRS and Caritas Haiti are stepping up efforts in the areas of hygiene and sanitation by constructing latrines and wash stations for the camps they are overseeing and for the other CRS sites throughout Haiti.

They are also installing large water storage bladders throughout Port au Prince.  More tents are being purchased  for those displaced.

CRS is still distributing approximately 62 metric tons of food per day! They are also still assisting medical personnel and make shift hospitals.

Thank you so much for making all this possible!

 

February 4, 2010 Update:

Christ the King Parish Engaged in Relief

Pere Gabriel Julmice, pastor of Christ the King Church in Morne Rouge, is back online and reports that all in Morne Rouge survived the earthquake, but the parish is severely challenged to assist 55 Catholics from the parish who had lost everything in the quake and have returned to Morne Rouge. (Many thousands have abandoned the ruins of Port au Prince for the countryside or other towns and cities.)

The parish has also taken in three children, three adolescents, and a nine-year old orphaned by the quake who will need care, clothing, and to be placed in school, which likely means tuition.

Checks to assist this relief effort may be made to the SH/SD Haiti Project. Put "Christ the King relief" on the memo line. Merci!

Late report from Pere Gabriel:

Pere Clarck de la Cruz, pastor of Notre Dame du Mont Carmel, Saut d’Eau, who visited here in 2002 or 2003, is alive!He had been reported missing the day after the quake and we had gotten no news since. Pere Gabriel adds, "I hope he stays alive," which could mean that he is seriously injured or that Pere Gabriel is joking. We have asked for clarification. Please join in prayers of thanksgiving.

Pere Gabriel also reports the parish commitment to add a 5th grade in September and a 6th next year and a desire to build two more classrooms at a cost of $ 8000. We have voiced concern about building second story classrooms atop the two they now have, saving the cost of a floor, if a grouind-level extension would be safer. Raising funds is an added challenge for us.

We will have $2110 to assist quake refugees and seven orphans now in Morne Rouge en route to Cap Haitien tomorrow via a Konbit Sante doctor. We do not yet know the magnitude of their needs. Checks should be made to SH/SD Haiti Fund, memo "earthquake relief"

At Sacred Heart / St. Dominic, we have several ways to help the people of Haiti: Haitian crafts are for sale in the Parish Hall after the 9:30 a.m. Mass; Fair Trade Coffee is still available for sale to benefit the Haiti Project; and Sr. Angela and her quilters can still use neckties, especially cotton ones, though all types are welcome. For more information about any of these efforts, please contact Ursula Slavick, 773-6562, or members of the Social Justice & Peace Commission.

Updates about our Haiti Project can be found at www.shsdp.org/haiti. Our mission for Haiti is ongoing. Thank you for your generosity.

 

February 2, 2010 Update:

Please share the “good news”!

Milestone reached from parish collections and donations remitted to the Missions/CRS Office at Chancery as of Tuesday, Feb. 2^nd

^$402,454.02

Once again, on behalf of the people of Haiti and Catholic Relief Services, please accept a heartfelt “thank you”!

Carleen Cook
CRS Diocesan Director

 

 

Date:      January 26, 2010
To:         All

From:     Mrs. Carleen Cook, Diocesan Director

  Catholic Relief Services

 

As we have always known, and appreciated, the people of the Diocese of Portland are incredibly generous!

 

As of  the end of the business day on Monday, January 25^th, the total receipts for CRS Haiti Earthquake Relief were:

 

Parishes (Second Collections)                                $256,712.88

Missions Office (Individual Donations for CRS)         $  22,824.96

                                                                           $279,537.84

 

I am sure that this total will increase substantially, as we have many who will be remitting checks imminently.

 

On behalf of the people of Haiti, Catholic Relief Services and Bishop Malone, I thank all involved who have prayed, have promoted, have organized and have given.

 

*I would like to offer a special thank you to all the children and young adults in our diocese who have responded with such kind hearts and souls!*

 

As Catholics we should be very proud of the work already done, and being done, in Haiti by CRS. This official humanitarian and relief organization of the Catholic Church, with a presence in more than 100 countries, is recognized throughout the world.  That it has been designated the lead agency for the largest refugee camp in Port au Prince at this time, as well as for the town of Leogane, along with its responsibilities and services in other areas of Haiti, is a clear indication of its effectiveness and efficiency as an emergency relief organization.  Of course, CRS will remain in Haiti after the initial relief efforts by many are ended.

 

As reported earlier, CRS is ranked among  the best Non Profits, has an A rating from the Institute of Philanthropy and meets all 20 of the Better Business Bureau Standards.

 

Catholic Relief Services is obviously dependent on the support of donors.  Thank you for your support of their services which are provided on your behalf.

January 15, 2010 - From Carleen Cook, Catholic Relief Services Diocesan Collection

First, I would like to thank you for all the prayers and support for the people of Haiti during this most difficult time.

Much has been sent out to various constituencies regarding the second collection.  I would only add that some of the monies will also be used for long term pastoral and Church reconstruction.

Parishioners may be concerned about how much of the collection will be sent to CRS.  Please assure them that 100% will be sent from the diocese to the National Office in Baltimore.

We have not yet received any further details relative to the possibility that more than one hundred priests have died in the earthquake, in addition to the death of the Archbishop of Port au Prince.  Some other religious and lay volunteers serving there, as well as Church leadership, may also be victims.

I will be interviewing with Channel 8 this weekend, and they will be asking about Sister Parishes, our schools, affiliated groups, and any personal interest stories from the diocese/parishes relative to Haiti.  If you have anything you would like to share, please let me know. If you have heard from any clergy, brothers, sisters or lay people serving there, I would be especially interested as well.

For those of you who may have hosted people from Hands Together or the Haitian Health Foundation through the MCP:

Doug Campbell was in Port au Prince, along with Fr. Tom Hagan, but they are both  all right and will be flying back from the Dominican Republic this weekend.  The extent of the damage to their facilities and projects, as well as the people served by them, has not yet been reported.  They ask that you check their web-site for updates.

The Lowney family was in Connecticut, but report minor damage to their clinic in Jeremie, and some of the villages are reporting damage as well.  Their major concern at this point is that many of the people are leaving Port au Prince and heading to the mountains, and they fear that they won’t be able to handle all the additional strain on their services and resources.  Many of those in Jeremie have family, relatives and friends in the capital about whom they have heard nothing, so the stress level is very high.  They too will be updating their website on a regular basis.

Fr. Marc Boisvert and Fr. Joe Corriveau, Oblates from Lewiston serving in Haiti, are in Les Cayes and reportedly felt tremors from the earthquake but are fine.

January 13, 2010: Cape Haitian, where our sister parish is located, was not affected by the earthquake. That's where Père Gabriel is located. No one has heard from Sr. Angela. She may have been in Port au Prince. Bill Slavick has provided the following information of ways that we can help with our contributions.

January 15, 2010: Bill Slavick sent the following word today from Jeanne Staples, "We have confirmation that Sr Angela and Nadege are both OK! In fact, they were together in Lilavois when the quake hit. All of their buildings withstood the shock. The sisters wouldn't let Nadege leave, even when her brother and cousin came by motor bike to make sure she was ok."

January 13, 2010: Earthquake recovery news from the Diocesan Missions Office

Dear Parish Staff/Parishioners,

 

As most of you are aware by now, there has been a devastating earthquake in Haiti.  News releases indicate severe devastation, but at this point, due to limited communications, the extent of the devastation and loss of life has not been fully determined.  The web site of Catholic Relief Services is unavailable at this point, undoubtedly because they are updating the status of the country as more information becomes available, and because they are planning a course of action.

 

I will update you with any information that may not be available to the general public, and advise you as to how CRS is responding specifically.

 

We have Maine missionaries and  lay people serving in Port au Prince, the area apparently hardest hit, as well as in other areas of Haiti. Many of you have met people serving in Haiti through the Missionary Cooperation Plan. As soon as I have any communication on their condition, I will share that with you.

 

I will also share with you how we might be able to help as soon as that is determined.

 

Please pray for the people of the already poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and pray for those who may have died, those who have survived but will need great assistance in the days ahead, and for the safety of those who will  be providing assistance.

 

Carleen Cook for CRS

Diocesan Missions Office