Haiti Blog : Archive

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Janie Van Dyke (Bethany's intercountry orphan advocate) was part of the group from Bethany who first visited God's Littlest Angels in Haiti back in July of 2006. When she returned, she was compelled to assist the orphanage, and began fundraising to purchase new steel tubular cribs for the orphanage. Currently, many of the cribs are wooden, which attract cockroaches, resulting in the roaches burrowing and breeding in the wood. Through Janie's efforts, she has raised enough to purchase 65 cribs. Her goal is to raise enough funds to purchase a total of 100 cribs. For more information on Janie's crib project, please contact Janie at jvandyke@bethany.org.

Posted by LaDawn G. Penner At 10:13:06 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Carnival in Haiti is the most celebrated event in Haiti. It is the special time of year when Haitians from all over Haiti, as well as those that have left Haiti and are now residing elsewhere, and other tourists, come together for one big party. It starts in late January and continues till February; however, the most celebrated part of Carnival starts the Sunday before Ash Wednesday and concludes the day of Mardi-Gras (Tuesday before Ash Wednesday). Most government offices and other businesses are closed these days. Carnival is marked by spectacular parades that feature floats (including floats from the most popular Haitian bands), pageants, masked balls, elaborate costumes, music and dancing on the streets.

Posted by LaDawn G. Penner At 01:30:14 PM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Are you looking for an opportunity to help families in need in Haiti? The community of Baie d'Orange was hit hard by last year's hurricanes. The Crèche Association in Haiti has been asked by the community leaders to assist the many families in need. God's Littlest Angels is part of the Crèche Association, and is trying to collect seeds to give to the families so that they can raise vegetables to help nourish and support their families. One of GLA's board members will be traveling to Haiti on March 18, and is willing to bring as many seeds as she can fit in her suitcases. Any that do not fit will be sent at a later date. GLA staff is planning on making another trip to the community of Baie d'Orange on March 20, and will be handing out the seeds at that time. If interested in donating seeds, the following types of seeds have been requested: Seeds for growing zone 11 - cabbage, lettuce, carrots, leeks, green beans, sweet peppers, onions, spinach, and any kind of melons. Seed packets can be sent to Jean Bell at the following address. Please ensure mail is received before March 15 in order to allow sufficient time for packing.  

God's Littlest Angels
c/o Jean Bell
2085 Crystal River Drive
Colorado Springs, CO  80915

For more information on the conditions in Baie d'Orange, please read the following article as found in the Miami Herald.

Life gets worse for Haiti's hungry children

Posted by LaDawn G. Penner At 09:01:17 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

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Dear Bethany Family,

We regret to inform you that there will not be a Multicultural Festival in 2009.  For the last couple decades, we’ve been blessed with the resources and volunteers to host this fabulous event for families across the country to unite in Grand Rapids, MI and celebrate their multicultural and adoptive families.  Unfortunately, that is no longer the case.  We hope that your local branch offices can maintain an annual picnic or gathering of some sort.

It has been wonderful to see families gather here in Grand Rapids, particularly our Haiti families.

Sincerely,

The Haiti Team
Bethany Christian Services-International
Grand Rapids, MI

Posted by LaDawn G. Penner At 10:00:52 AM Location | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)