2013 Year in Review!

2013 was another amazing year for Loving Haiti!

 

                                            Thank YOU for your generous hearts, support and encouragement.

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As you may remember, Loving Haiti is focused on Relief, Rehabilitation and Development. 2013 was a year in which we were able to move from primarily Relief (directly providing aid) into Rehabilitation (partnering and working with the local Haitians).  We hope 2014 will be a year with more long-term development projects and relationships.  Here are some brief highlights from last year:

  1. BOARD OF DIRECTORS:  With the filing of the 501c3, we created a Board of Directors which meets, discusses and makes decisions on behalf of Loving Haiti.  The Board for 2013-2014 is Abby Bain, Denny Bain, Mark Bell, Carol Madison and Kevin Deese.  The insight and support that come from the varied perspectives/experiences of each member is invaluable, and we look forward to our continued work together.
  2. ROOF PROJECT:  The sheet metal roof on the building where any visitors coming to the home stay was well over 30 years old and leaking in multiple spots.  Through partnering with a church in Virginia, we were able to replace the old roof with a concrete roof that should last for another 30 years without leaking. This job alone provided work to over 20 local Haitians over a 6 week period.
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  3. VISITORS: Carl and Sigi came from Israel and spent over four months with the children.  Carl and Sigi’s presence richly impacted the children, the Pastor, and the facilities as a whole.  The children miss them greatly.  Denny was able to make a visit while Carl and Sigi were there and celebrated Easter with them.  Abby and Betsy Bain, along with Mark and Jill Bell, visited in June.  Their trip was centered around hanging with the kids and included a huge celebration in which children from three different orphanages gathered together. Haiti Day 6-2013 084
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  5. ORPHANAGE MAINTANENCE PROJECT:  While Carl and Sigi were in Pignon, they took charge of fundraising for a makeover of the children’s home. For the first time ever, the children have running water, flushing toilets and showers within the orphanage! Additionally, we now have funding for the children’s home to be wired electrically with lights in every room. We also have funding for new bed frames and mattresses, which we are waiting to purchase until we have enough waterproof covers for the new mattresses.  The last part of the project will be to repaint the entire home, giving it a clean, fresh look.

    Modlin trying out the downstairs sink

    Modlin trying out the downstairs sink

  6. THE PATIO: Through a generous donation, a clean, flat patio was built directly outside the children’s home.  The land outside the children’s home was rocky, uneven and had no place to even put a chair, let alone play. This new patio provides a place for the children to gather, play, rest and be together.Untitled.png20
  7. MONTHLY SUPPORT: We were able to send a consistent amount of money monthly to Francois to support the children, thanks to Loving Haiti’s faithful monthly donors. We are currently almost half-way to the total amount of money we need from monthly donors to fully support the children at the orphanage. Total amount needed: $4000.  This money not only feeds and clothes the children, it also provides them with access to medical care and school, while supporting ten local Haitian families by hiring Haitians to care for the children, wash clothes, cook, guard, etc.
  1. EASTER EGG HUNT/BIRTHDAY PARTY:  When Denny visited over Easter, many families in Fort Collins sent him with Easter eggs and baskets.  The children had their first egg hunt and they had a blast! In addition to the Easter egg hunt,  Abby, Jill and Betsy through all the kids a birthday party complete with cake, soda and a movie(when they visited in June).  Haiti day 4-2013 043
  2. 501c3: All paperwork has been submitted and our status is pending, just awaiting the final approval!
  3. MICRO FINANCING: Money was loaned to a local businessman in Pignon to buy land in order to expand his business. The money from this loan is being repaid, and once it’s fully repaid, that money will go to another person in the community who could use a loan to further their business and increase their financial independence.
  4. NEW KIDS: 8 new kids joined the Children’s Home!
  5. WEDDING: The oldest girl in the Children’s Home got married!DSCN0414

 

We look back at 2013 with grateful hearts and we look forward to 2014 with expectant hearts!

 

Thank You

We are overwhelmed at the generosity of friends, family, and strangers toward the beautiful people of Pignon whom Loving Haiti supports. Many of these children have dreamed of access to water within their home, taking a shower without buckets, using a private restroom, having a place to play, etc. What a blessing to see those dreams come true in this last year!

Now our dream for 2014 is to have sufficient monthly funds for all the children at Loving Haiti. Would you continue to dream alongside us, to share Loving Haiti with others, and to ask yourself if you can help make this dream become a reality?!

Let’s begin 2014 with thanksgiving, the same way one of our favorite hymns begins, “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.”

And let’s ask ourselves how we might “…take care of orphans and widows in their distress.”

We genuinely thank you for all your support and interest in Loving Haiti.

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Sincerely,

Denny & Abby Bain

 

 

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