FFCC Special Bulletin!
Tropical Storm Isaac's impact on Haiti
What a difference a week can make. FFCC's team #11 returned from Haiti one week ago. The team left behind children celebrating the fun of a soccer tournament that FFCC hosted. More families were drinking safe water from the water filters that we installed, the construction of Shepherd's House, a home for orphaned and abandoned children, had been moved a little further along. Now, a week later, Tropical Storm Isaac blows through with gale force winds, drops 20 inches of rain and again the Haitian people are fighting to survive. Aaron Nelson, the head of Shepherd's House, reports that mudslides are visible in the capital city of Port au Prince and in Gressier (where are teams stay). Electrical poles are down and high voltage wires are lying in the streets. There were over 400,000 people living in tents or make shift houses due to the earthquake. Many of these shelters are a total loss due to this storm. Thousands of people are left with no shelter. Farms and livestock have been lost and the heavy rains will create the problem of disease from contaminated water.
WHAT CAN OUR COMMUNITY DO TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE HOPE AND ENCOURAGEMENT TO THE HAITIAN PEOPLE?
FFCC has a shipping container of our Fight Against Hunger non-perishable meals that recently arrived in Haiti. Instead of the routine distribution of that food, the meals will now be distributed on an emergency relief basis. We have a Haitian team in place to do that.
The Minister of Health from Haiti emailed Phil Harris, director of FFCC, today requesting more water filters so as to protect as many people as possible from a potential cholera outbreak & other water bacteria borne disease. FFCC will return on Tuesday, Aug 28th with as many as we can provide.The cost of a filter is $75.
Shepherd's House has sustained $17,000 worth of damage. The tin roofing blew off the Guest House where our teams stay when we travel to Haiti. The tarp & poles that provide the fencing around the 5-acre property protecting the children and staff that live there was also destroyed. The foundation for the dormitory is buried.
There are necessary items for those in the tent cities who will have to start over, AGAIN.
- Thin blankets (if they are too thick, they will be difficult to pack)
- Flashlights
- Hygiene Items (soap, shampoo, tooth paste, tooth brushes, razors)
- Feminine Hygiene items
- School supplies
If you would like to help with any of these needs, you can designate your financial donation to 'Haiti storm relief' and 100% of your contribution will be used towards this effort. You can send your check made out to 'FFCC' with 'Haiti storm relief' written in the memo section to:
FFCC
12463 Rancho Bernardo Road, PMB #158
San Diego, CA 92128
You can donate through our website using PayPal. Go to www.ffccsd.org and click on the donate button at the bottom of the home page. Please note, 'Haiti storm relief' in the special note section so that we know how to designate your funds.
Lastly, if you would like to donate any of the items listed above, please drop them off at the Dream Dinners in Poway by Tuesday August 28th 10 a.m. so we can pack them for the team. Any items dropped off after that will be packed and sent with our November Haiti medical team.
The address for Dream Dinners is:
12218 Poway Road, #100
Poway, 92064
(Across the parking lot from Starbuck's)
Please continue to keep our Haitian friends in your thoughts and prayers and join us on September 8th at the Poway Wal-Mart between 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. as we package another 200,000 meals. This effort is truly life-saving for those that receive it. You can register for the event on our website- www.ffccsd.org.
