Would you consider making a donation to help us continue our work to improve the lives of the people of Haiti? You can do this now using the link below. Or better yet, would you consider joining us for our Fifth Annual Chicago Area Gala on October 16th, 2010? For more information about this event, click here.

The massive January 12th earthquake in Haiti devastated much of Port-au-Prince and destroyed homes throughout this impoverished country, including the forgotten rural villages of the Grand'Anse River Valley, home to tens of thousands of people.

New Life for Haiti was formed in 2005 to touch the lives of the people in this river valley south of the city of Jeremie. We are a respected part of the community whose primary work involves building schools and medical clinics, and enabling sponsorships of children so they can attend school and achieve a better hope for a good future. When four hurricanes destroyed the crops of the farmers in our work area in 2008, New Life for Haiti responded by lending beans to affected farmers so they could replant this source of food for their families. Our office in the US is staffed entirely by experienced volunteers, which means that nearly all of each dollar donated ends up in Haiti, funding these valuable programs.

The very next morning after the quake, New Life for Haiti staff members had surveyed enough damaged homes in Marfranc alone that it was determined we needed to do something to help. By noon, we had made the decision to buy cement and distribute it to those in the surrounding communities who needed it to rebuild their homes. In the months since the quake, we have helped rebuild 108 homes (with another 20 in the works), put five local masons to work, and shown area residents that we're here, living and working with them, not just for the benefit of a single church, but for the entire community. And the community has noticed.

“The community is very thankful of the help that they are receiving”, reports Joline Moore, our staff member living in Marfranc.

Our earthquake relief efforts include another larger round of our Beans for Life program to help 67 families feed themselves as well as the many refugees descending on the river valley. And of course throughout all of this, construction has continued on the second floor of the second school building in Marfranc.

Would you consider making a donation to help us continue our work to improve the lives of the people of Haiti? You can do this now using the link below. Thank you for your generous support.

To make a tax-deductible donation to New Life for Haiti using a major credit card, debit card, or PayPal, click here.