Our church has been involved with ministries to the people of Haiti since 2009. It started when 2 church members participated in a service trip, in partnership with the small, non-profit, non-denominational church-based group, Servants for Haiti.
During that first trip, in addition to doing physical labor to lay a concrete roof on a school, we learned more about the needs of the Kingdom Kids orphanage and school. From there, several church members sponsored children, the entire church community collected supplies on numerous occasions to be brought to Haiti, we engaged in many fundraising activities, and we participated in 10 more mission trips to Haiti!
Over time, the focus of Servants for Haiti and our church’s ministry shifted to supporting Haitians to learn how to be more self-supporting, so they could keep their children rather than having to give them up to orphanages. Many church activities have helped raise funds to support business classes and micro loans for these people. We have also supported young Haitians to further their educations through vocational school and university.
We’ve also developed a relationship with another non profit organization, Love and Hope for All, and their orphanage, Care for Children of Haiti (or CCH). We have helped to support them by visiting the children at CCH and bringing donations of school and health supplies, toys and clothes, and by sending money raised through fundraisers to help pay the lease on the orphanage building.
Civil unrest and the pandemic in Haiti have made things much more challenging this year, but Deerfield Community Church remains committed to reaching out to our Haitian brothers and sisters as we follow the Biblical exhortation to “Serve the Lord/ contribute to the needs of the saints; and extend hospitality to strangers” (Romans 12:11,13).
Jacqui Dion is the primary contact person for the Haiti ministries, and can be reached at [email protected], or 603-391-2495.