An Opportunity to be the Church: The Situation in Haiti
Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, suffered a horrific earthquake affecting upwards of 3,000,000 people on January 12. With 80% of the Haitian population living in poverty, the aftermath of an event like this can be as or even more devastating than the damage caused by the quake itself. Without access to food, clean drinking water and basic medical care, many experts believe the worst is yet to come for the Haitian people. It doesn’t have to be. Here is what you and I, as the hands and feet and heart of Jesus, can do to participate in God’s work of restoration and healing in Haiti. The PDA (Presbyterian Disaster Assistance) is the emergency and refugee program of the Presbyterian Church U.S.A. The core budget, including staff and administrative costs, is funded through the One Great Hour of Sharing and its program work is additionally funded through designated gifts. The PDA has encouraged congregations like ours to respond to the crisis in Haiti in the following ways:
GIVE. Help provide resources needed to assist with immediate and long-term recovery needs. If you would like to make a financial gift for the work in Haiti, you can send a check made out to FPC Allentown – in the memo line, mark Haiti-PDA – and we will send a lump sum in a few weeks or you can send a check directly to:
Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)
P.O. Box 643700
Pittsburgh, PA 15264-3700
Please include the special designated giving account DR000064 – Haiti if you are sending the check yourself.
ACT. Stay informed and share information on the need with others. Consider making Gift of the Heart hygiene kits. A shipment of hygiene kits is being prepared by Church World Service to send to Haiti. When widespread disasters occur, there is usually a need to replenish the supply to ensure a sufficient quantity. You can make hygiene kits and ship them to the Church World Service.
Hygiene Kit
1 — hand towel (approximately 16" x 28", no fingertip or bath towels)
1 — washcloth
1 — wide-tooth comb
1 — nail clipper (no metal files or emery boards)
1 — bar of soap (bath size in wrapper)
1 — toothbrush (in original packaging)
6 — Band-Aids® or other adhesive bandage strips
Please do not add toothpaste to the Hygiene Kit. Toothpaste which has an extended expiration date will be added to Hygiene Kit shipments just prior to shipment. Seal all items in a one-gallon plastic bag with a zipper closure.
Mail Hygiene kits to:
FerncliffDisasterAssistanceCenter
1720 Ferncliff Road
Little Rock, AR72223
(501) 821-3063 or (866) 732-6121
OR
ChurchWorldService
BrethrenServiceCenter Annex
601 Main Street
New Windsor, MD21776-0188
(410) 635-8794
PRAY. Please continue in prayer for all who have who lost friends and families, those who lost homes, and those seeking a sense of security after being affected by this tragic earthquake.
We pray for Haiti
Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As the eyes of the world turn to Haiti, let us join our hearts in prayer:
God of compassion
Please watch over the people of Haiti,
And weave out of these terrible happenings
wonders of goodness and grace.
Surround those who have been affected by tragedy
With a sense of your present love,
And hold them in faith.
Though they are lost in grief,
May they find you and be comforted;
Guide us as a church
To find ways of providing assistance
that heals wounds and provides hope
Help us to remember that when one of your children suffer
We all suffer
Through Jesus Christ who was dead, but lives
and rules this world with you. Amen.