Four months have passed since Hurricane Matthew devastated Haiti, creating a humanitarian crisis in the impoverished nation. The Category 4 storm whipped the country with winds of up to 145 mph, bringing heavy rainfall, deadly tides and resulting flooding. More than 500 people were killed and up to 90% of homes in some areas were destroyed.

The aftermath was equally devastating. Crops and livestock were decimated, limiting food resources, while contamination of the water supply fueled an outbreak of cholera. Roads and bridges were impassable in the hardest hit areas, hindering aid access to thousands. The damage was particularly bad west of Petit Goave, the location of HPUMC’s Siloe Clinic, which has brought much needed routine medical care to Haitians for four decades.

How we’re helping

After the storm, HPUMC’s congregation rallied to send immediate help, collecting donations and sending water filters and medications to help combat the spread of cholera. Supplies were delivered to Port au Prince and then distributed through the Methodist Church of Haiti, using a truck purchased with donations from HPUMC’s relief fund.

To date, our congregation has raised a total of $187,000 to aid relief efforts in Haiti. That money, in addition to providing water filters and medications, will go to rebuild crops and replace livestock lost during the hurricane.

Meanwhile, the church continues to send medical teams to the Siloe Clinic in Petit Goave. The most recent trip, which left on the last week of January, treated nearly 1,200 patients and completed more than 50 surgeries.

Going beyond

As HPUMC enters its second century of ministry, it is doubling down on its commitment to the people of Haiti. Plans to expand the Siloe Clinic were announced in January as part of HPUMC’s new Beyond Campaign, which pledges $3.5 million to three global outreach partners.

“We want to invite more of our congregation to learn first hand why this partnership is so important,” says Lisa Stewart, Director of Outreach at HPUMC.

“The people of Haiti have suffered immeasurably under years of slavery, dictatorship, natural disasters and poverty,” adds Caroline Hazlett, co-chair to HPUMC’s Haiti Outreach Committee. “Yet faith and hope is palpable in the eyes and spirits of those we work with and serve there.”

Haitians still desperately need your help.

The devastation was so severe that it will take a long time for the country to rebuild, for food supplies and clean water to become steadily available, for farmers to replant and harvest, and for families to recover.

It is not too late to donate to HPUMC’s disaster relief fund, or to support the work of the Haiti Clinic in Petit Goave. You can also sign up to go on a mission trip to personally experience the impact of our work in Haiti. Trips planned for later this year are still in need of pharmacists, nurses, doctors and other health professionals as well as non-medical volunteers.

If you or someone you know is interested, we invite you to join the legacy!