Dear Friends,

Today I could not reach Lavarice, our program liaison in Port-au-Prince. It is so difficult to get through to Haiti by phone. I was able to find out from Haitian friends who live in the U.S. and were able to get through to members of the St. Clare’s community, that the cooks are planning to resume the food program tomorrow. They are preparing to serve as many people as possible, far more than the 1500 children and adults they served last Tuesday just before the earthquake struck. Using supplies that have been trucked in from the Dominican Republic, plate after plate of rice and beans will be passed out. The plates will be washed and filled again. I imagine there will be an endless flow of people all day.

I learned that Manmi Det and Nennenn, the original food program cooks, are taking care of about 60 people, mostly elderly, in the yard outside their home. They’re sharing food salvaged from their homes and rationing water from a water tank. Everyone in the neighborhood continues to live outside. For those of you who have read my book, On That Day, Everybody Ate, you’ll remember Manmi Det and Nennenn as the women I lived with, who welcomed me into their home as a daughter, and who taught me so much about faith, generosity, and serving from the heart. I know they are providing comfort and support to all the people living with them and am sure that Manmi Det is leading everyone in song and prayer.

When I read the media reports emphasizing lawlessness, riots, looting, and other scenes that depict Haitians as violent, it infuriates me. I know this is grossly exaggerated. There has been no violence in the Tiplas Kazo neighborhood, the home of the St. Clare’s community. In addition, reports I see every day via email from people on the ground working with other nonprofits continually emphasize the cooperation, patience, and community spirit among the Haitian people.

“…things are totally peaceful…just people helping each other. drove past the main central park in Port-au-Prince where at least 50K people must be sleeping and it was almost silent. people cooking, talking, some singing and crying. people are kind, calm, generous to us and others. even with hundreds lying on the ground, open fractures, massive injuries of all kinds…”

With the epic scale of this tragedy, and the fact that most people have still not received any food or water from the Port-au-Prince airport relief effort, this description exemplifies the extraordinary strength, dignity, and heart of the Haitian people.

I look forward to keeping you posted on our relief efforts in the days to come. Thank you for all of your support over the last week and for making it possible to get the food program at St. Clare’s back up and running.

With love and hope,

Margaret