Another day has passed and we still do not have any word from the St. Clare’s community.  Despite countless phone calls, we can’t get through and don’t know if the rectory building, where the food program and after-school program take place, has been damaged or not.

Thankfully, Lavarice, who became our program liaison when Fr. Gerry Jean-Juste passed away last May, is flying to Haiti tomorrow.  The Zakat Foundation, which gave a grant to the food program last year, is sending a cargo plane full of food, water, and medical supplies to Port-au-Prince and Lavarice will be on the plane.  As soon as he lands – we think this will be Thursday afternoon – he’ll make his way over to the rectory, which is a few miles from the airport, to see what has happened and try to make contact with the program coordinators, cooks, teachers, and other members of the food and education program team, as well as the students we support and the children who come to the food program each day.

We are praying for good news, but the reports of widespread devastation throughout Port-au-Prince make us extremely worried.  We will continue to keep you posted through our Facebook Page and this blog, and e-newsletters.

Thank you so much for your donations to our Earthquake Fund.  It’ll begin to be used tomorrow to help Lavarice get started with relief efforts in the St. Clare’s community as soon as he arrives.

To contribute to our Earthquake Relief Fund click here.

Several of you have asked about putting together fundraisers and spreading the word on our behalf through email, Facebook, and with your faith communities.  These efforts are so helpful and important to our work.  Every donation makes a difference.

Thank you again for your prayers and your support.  The caring and compassion expressed through all your emails over the past 24 hours is so inspiring and comforting during this difficult time.  The members of the St. Clare’s community that we have been in partnership with for ten years are like family.  Together, one step at a time, we will do all we can to reach out to them and all those who are suffering in the neighborhood.