The outpouring of love, support and prayers from our
community and beyond has been tremendous.
Thank you all so very much. Much
has been done in the last four weeks.
There is much more to do.
Together, we will make a difference.
In South Pasadena:
Donations continue to pour in to Holy Family’s
“Haiti Relief Fund”. As of February 9th,
the fund stood at $388,802.77. You can
donate on line by clicking on the
Donate button on the left hand side of the page. 100% of the donations will be given to Hands
Together.
We are collecting items for the sea container
under advisement from Fr. Tom and Doug about what they need most. Please watch for the “Wish List” on the
website and in the bulletin.
If you are involved with an organization,
business or school that would like to know more, please let us know. We are
speaking to various churches and groups who invite us, as we need to continue
spreading the word about the work of Hands Together.
Several media groups have interviewed us. Most
notably, KNBC News, Channel 4, CCN, and KPCC.
We hope that they will assist us in educating people about the progress
and continued needs of Mission Haiti by inviting us to offer a “follow-up.”
Fundraising is taking place –“Bean Buckets,” Bake
Sales, “Hats for Haiti,” St. Francis students’ film and awareness in religion
classes, Santa Clara University student body activities, Face Book pages, and
more.
Prayer services are being offered.
In Haiti:
Fr. Tom, Doug Campbell and their men are working
to provide food, water, shelter, and work in what has been identified as a
three-month emergency rescue effort.
Ten leadership teams for ten outreach zones have been formed (eight
in Cite Soleil and two in the Delmas area near their base). A leadership
Captain – someone from the neighborhood with proven leadership ability – heads
up each team and controls the outreach activities. They have established bases
for outreach at the campus locations and organized local residents, parents of
school children and students to clean up the area and build makeshift walls
around the base. They coordinate
distribution of water, food, and hygiene kits from these bases.
Four to five truckloads of fresh water are delivered daily to
the outreach zones of Cite Soleil and Delmas.
On February 2 the U.S. military began a two-week campaign to
distribute 42 tons of food a day in Cite Soleil. They are collaborating with HT and are using
three of the Cite Soleil schools for this outreach.
Family care packages donated by BND (a Haitian NGO dedicated to
nutrition and development) containing 25 kilos of rice, bean, sardines and oil are
being distributed. On January 29, 500 of
these packages were delivered and this will continue twice a week. BND is also working
to provide hygiene kits and childcare kits.
Hands Together staff members are removing debris from their
residence with a backhoe loader and dump truck in order to prepare the land for
a new residence and headquarters.
OnJanuary30theU.S.ArmyCorpofEngineersinspectedallof theschool campusesandwillsubmitareportoutliningwhatneedstobedonein
terms of repair, demolition and rebuilding.
Medical clinics in two zones per day conducted using medicines
donated by the U.S. Military.
Tents and medical supplies are being collected and organizing
their distribution to homeless families is in progress.
Fr. Tom provides Mass for the U.S. Military working in Cite
Soleil and daily Mass for the Missionary of Charity sisters.
And, “Each morning, after
a cup of coffee, Fr. Tom plunges into a day of helping desperate people.”
Since it’s founding by the Capuchin
Franciscan Friars, part of the mission of St. Francis High School in La Canada,
California has been “committed to enriching the mind and heart, strengthening respect
through service and humility, and envisioning men of hope and peace.”This mission was witnessed in the response of
the students and faculty after the earthquake in Haiti.According to Angela Guadalupe, who teaches
Morality and Social Justice at the school, the boys collected money in their
religion classes for three weeks.This
school wide collection totaled over $3,000.00 to be given to “Hands Together.”On Ash Wednesday with the encouragement of
the school president, Fr. Tony Marti, the Student Body Liturgy collected
another $700.00.
The boys did not only donate money,
however.The crew of the KNIT, the school’s daily news television broadcast, produced a “heart wrenching piece
about Haiti to launch the school wide collection,” according to Ms. Guadalupe.
Thereafter, each day in her classes, the day began with a brief current event
and then a prayer for Haiti.
Ms. Guadalupe is also the SFHS Cheer
Squad Moderator. The cheerleaders comprised of girls from three local all
girls high schools, also pitched in and donated $100.00.
Through all of these efforts, young
people learn about the suffering of others and about the responsibility of
assisting the poor.Mission Haiti and
Hands Together are proud of these students and grateful for the guidance of
their faculty.
Thursday, April 8th,
2010, 12:01 p.m.
Brownies in Action:
Shortly
after the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, Holy Family’s third grade
Brownie troop sprung in action in order to help! They sold “Hot Cocoa for Haiti,” in a local
neighborhood.The Brownies not only
offered yummy goodies to passersby but most assuredly also planted thoughts in
the minds of many.Each and every one of
us can do something to help the people of Haiti.We are grateful for the creativity and
generosity of these special Brownies!Bravo
Jennifer Lee, Genevieve Harnsberger and Patrice Harnsberger!And thanks to Mom Jennifer as well.
Tuesday, April 6th,
2010, 2:31 p.m.
Generators enroute to Haiti:
Three generators donated by Blake Quinn of Quinn Power
Systems are on their way to Haiti. Without the power of generators, basic
operations of Hands Together are stalled. Blake Quinn recognized the need
and acted quickly. His representative Bob Allen, the Vice President and
General Manager of Quinn Power Systems, worked to get the generators in good
working condition before releasing them to us. Hans Kloepfer, the manager
of Power Rental, prepared the generators for shipment. Allen Lund
supplied the truck that picked up the generators and delivered them to Monarch
Shipping in Florida. All shipping documents were prepared by Bud
Coppersmith, Coppersmith Global Logistics. The generators will
land in Gonaives through the port of St. Marc rather than Port au Prince, which
was badly damaged in the earthquake. Shortly thereafter the
generators will be delivered to the Hands Together headquarters. Hands
Together will then be able to operate more effectively in their tremendous
efforts to help the poor. We are grateful to all of these men for their
generosity and expertise but especially we owe a round of applause to Blake
Quinn. Thank you.
The Mission Haiti Committee
Sunday, February 28th,
2010, 4:51 p.m.
Prayer
I
received an email from Elaine Ricci who taught fifth grade at Holy
Family for many years but is now teaching at St. Elizabeth School in
Altadena. Many of us have said that there must be something more that
we can do for the people of Haiti. Elaine and her students have
decided that there is something more. There is prayer. "A simple
prayer, a heartfelt prayer, a prayer for someone you don't know and who
will never know you. No matter what your faith is or what type of
prayer you pray, simply pray. It will be a powerful prayer."
The fifth graders are asking people to join them in
pledging one million minutes of prayer for the people of Haiti. Prayer
is powerful and immediate. The students believe that all types of
prayer or meditation from all faiths will be necessary to help the
people of Haiti and those helping them face the challenges ahead. They
are asking for people to pledge as many or as few minutes as they feel
they are able to devote.
If you would like to join in the effort, you may do so on Facebook at "A Million Minutes of Prayer," or email your pledge to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
Prayer by prayer, little by little, we will make a difference!
Mary Mather Nally
Wednesday, February 24th,
2010, 3:35 p.m.
In a letter from Fr. Tom, he shares the following:
In the first week following the quake, we
concentrated on finding out the number of casualties and assessing the damage.
We understand now that we lost five teachers and six students.
The army supplied us with a civil engineer who
looked at all of our buildings.We are waiting for the report.We began
rebuilding temporary walls around the buildings because all of the walls have
been destroyed and the buildings could be dangerous.The cost of doing this was
about $24,000 US. Now at least the buildings are secure.
We next organized zones, including the areas near
our house, as well as another slum outside of Cite Soleil.We appointed a
captain for each of the zones.We have 12 captains.Each day at 9 am we have a
meeting with them which leads to the distribution of food and supplies.
Everyday our water tank truck delivers five tanks of water in five of those
zones.This has been a great help to the people.We have been delivering food
as well.This is often dangerous because of the rioting.The US military have
helped us with this.
Our clinic is operating everyday.We are
treating many, many people.
It has been tough not being able to access money
that is being sent in because all the banks have been closed.Doug has brought
in with him, each time that he has visited, the cash that we need.We hope this
week that some banks will open.
Pray for us, as we pray for you.
With love, Fr. Tom
Thursday, February 11th,
2010, 2:35 p.m.
Lord, I
want to say “Thank you,” because this morning I woke up and knew where my
children were.Because this
morning my home was still standing, because this morning I am not crying
because my husband, my child, my brother or sister needs to be pulled out from
underneath a pile of concrete, because this morning I was able to drink a glass
of water, because this morning I was able to turn on the light, because this
morning I was able to take a shower, because this morning I was not planning a
funeral, but most of all I thank you this morning because I still have
life and a voice to cry out for the people of Haiti.
Lord I
cry out to you, the one that makes the impossible, possible, the one that turns
darkness in to light, I cry out that you give those mothers strength,
that you give them peace that surpasses all understanding, that you
open the streets so that help can come, that you provide doctors, nurses, food,
water, and all that the people of Haiti need in a blink of an eye.For all those that have lost family
members, give them peace, give them hope, give them courage to continue to go
on!Protect the children and
shield them with your power. I
pray all this in the name of Jesus.May we continue to be a community of
prayer for the people in Haiti.
(Author
unknown.Sent via email from Fr.
Charles Gagan, St. Ignatius Catholic Church in San Francisco)
Tuesday, February 4th,
2010, 2:45 p.m.
Haiti -- First Person -- from National Catholic Reporter
Editor’s note: Fr. Tom Hagan, 68, a member of the Oblates of St.
Francis de Sales, is founder of a nonprofit organization, “Hands
Together” (handstogether.org), which
began its work in 1985 when Hagan, then a chaplain at colleges in
southeastern Pennsylvania, started taking students on visits to Haiti.
Out of those visits grew a network of supporters and a respected relief
organization. Hagan moved to Port-au-Prince in 1997 where he oversaw a
program he had begun in Cité Soleil, that city’s largest and most
desperate slum. The program is widely recognized as one of the most
effective educational and health organizations in that area.
Tom Roberts,NCR’s editor at large, contacted Hagan by
e-mail and asked him about his experience during the quake and his
assessment of the future of Haiti and the church in that country. His
response arrived by e-mail Jan. 24. With minor editing, the e-mail
follows.
Dear Tom:
Sorry my first response did not get through! My setup here is a
laptop on the ground next to a very loud electric gas generator and
with what seems to be a thousand young all wanting to use the computer.
I will try again.
This past week has been terrifying. I have lived through all the
violence in Cité Soleil over the past years: being shot at and having
guns held to my head, seeing people close to me down here shot, but
none can compare to the horror of the earthquake. Doug Campbell, who
has been with me for over 20 years and serves as the executive director
of Hands Together, had just arrived. We were to meet with the
archbishop the next morning about the situation in Cité Soleil.
Doug and I were sitting down talking when the quake began. I tried
to get under a table that was only a few feet away but the floor was
moving in the opposite direction. I felt totally disoriented and
fortunately one of the young Haitians ran back into the house and
grabbed me and Doug. There was almost total darkness and I could hear
screaming but also singing, which seemed weird to me, but I was told
that the people were praying.
I looked up at the rubble that was our house for volunteers,
seminarians and street kids. I was bleeding from the head and there was
a terrific pain in my back. Doug ran back into the rubble to try and
begin to pull people out, but then we heard cries that the gas was
leaking and that there would be an explosion. One of the street kids,
Makenson, who was shot and is now blind and whom I found two years ago
literally in the street, was crying out to me beneath all the rocks and
debris but we could not get to him. [Makenson was eventually rescued.]
It was then that two ex-gang members from Cité Soleil ran up to me
and carried me to Mother Teresa’s nuns. When I entered their compound
they were already treating the wounded and they bandaged me up and I
hobbled back to my place.
Throughout the night we held vigil, and slowly we were able to get
everyone out except two of the 21 seminarians who were living with me
in the house. I remember vividly that night seeing people who were
burned badly by the electric wires that had fallen everywhere. The next
night we were all huddled outside when we would experience a very large
aftershock.
It was very frightening. On the same night at about midnight we
began to hear screaming and people were screaming that there was a
tidal wave coming. We all started running, and for the next hour I,
along with thousands of people, were moving to higher ground. We did
not know what to believe.
I am ashamed to say that I am still frightened, but now I am also
experiencing a feeling of being overwhelmed. When I go through Cité
Soleil now I see the eight schools that we built (schools that were
totally free and the only free schools like that in the country with
more than 9,000 kids). I walk past what was once our clinic that took
care of 20,000 -- again the only totally free clinic in the area. I see
what once were the houses that we built for 150 people and the elderly
projects for over 800. I look at the large kitchen area where people
prepared hot meals each day for over 10,000 -- and all of it is gone.
There is also the problem of the destroyed prison, from which over
4,500 men were freed. They all escaped, and there is a side of me that
is happy that they did. Many of them should never have been there. I
would visit the prison every week and there were as many as 600 in one
holding cell and many of them had never even been in front of a judge.
Unfortunately, some are psychopaths, and all of them are now back in Cité Soleil.
I just came from offering four Masses. Each time I would finish,
another crowd would come up and ask for Mass. This is a real comfort to
me and more than ever I realize that I, we, can’t survive if we do not
simply put everything into God’s hands. I’ve got to work hard to
practice this.
Tom, you ask about the church. Well, the people here lost a very
holy man [Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot] and a very good bishop,
especially one who was supportive of me in Cité Soleil. He was a good
friend, and I will miss him greatly. But the church will survive.
It is during a time like this that I find myself very proud of my
church. Everywhere you go, you will see the church reaching out now and
helping the people. The Missionaries of Charity (Mother Teresa’s nuns)
are just amazing. The people here have a great faith. When I go to Cité
Soleil now, as I do every day, I see few tears. The people have an
amazing resiliency. Maybe it is because they have few material
possessions and apparently their happiness does not depend upon
possessions. The sight of a sunset means more to them that their
possessions. What makes me most proud of my church is that the message
we give the people is that they have enormous worth in the eyes of God
and that they are infinitely loved and that this terrible disaster is
in no way a punishment from God.
I recently said this in a sermon and the people all stood up and
began clapping and cheering. I had to ask the altar server why they
were clapping (I thought that I had said some thing wrong because my
Creole is not good) and he said, “Father, no one ever tells them that
they have worth.”
The Catholic church will survive, and I am sure of it.
But the longer I am here, the less I know. I really could not speak
with much authority about what will happen with the government or even
what would be the best way to help the people. I also struggle a great
deal even being here. I feel strongly that we can do a great deal of
harm with the best intentions when we begin to be the benefactor.
Even with all this aid coming in, we must go slowly, and every step
of the way we must include the Haitians in the decision-making.
During these very difficult days, I find myself really loving these
people. These are the same people who endured the slave ships, a
horrible system of slavery, and who would be the ones who would
eventually defeat Napoleon. They would continue to suffer greatly but
they have a strength that is remarkable. I am humbled by them and
privileged to be with them.
Pray for me. Take care!
Tom Hagan, OSFS
Monday, February 1st,
2010, 12:15 p.m.
Hi All,
Attached below is a link to Crown City News' story on
Holy Family's work with Hands Together and the people of Haiti. Karl,
you're a natural on T.V. Click on the link below and it's the second
story of the 1/25/10 news clip.
HANDS TOGETHER JANUARY 27, 2010 EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY PLAN
Dear Friends of Hands Together,
I just returned from a short “post-earthquake” work trip to assess the loss and damage to Hands Together. I was accompanied by Magnus McFarlane-Barrow, the CEO of Mary’s Meals, a Scottish charity providing funding for our school feeding and now pledging relief and rebuilding support our recovery. Simply put, we face a long and difficult recovery, and we need your continued prayers and support.
Our hearts are broken for the Haitian people and we are reeling from the destruction of our projects. The damage is so overwhelming that it is hard to get any traction, and of course we are still working through the trauma of the last two weeks. The truth is that we are unsure of what will happen in Cite Soleil and Port-au-Prince and how it will affect our work there. Through prayer we realize that the best we can do now is to embrace a spirit of “humility of action.” This means that we must be honest about who we are and what we can do, and know clearly what we cannot do. We are very limited in our ability to deliver large scale, immediate relief or emergency medical services. We cannot host volunteers or teams. We have no large depot or security force from which to launch huge food distributions. But we can, through our relationship with community leaders in Cite Soleil, organize and empower local leaders to begin rebuilding and channel assistance in small, surgical doses. Through this “humility of action” we drop any ego and we do not care whether or not we receive credit for the work. We seek only to use what we have in a realistic, thoughtful and effective way to help those in most need.
Right now the people of Haiti need hope. Even though our headquarters was destroyed, Fr. Tom chose to stay in Port-au-Prince and demonstrate our solidarity by sleeping on the ground with the people. We have created a base of operations at our storage depot, setting up tents and a makeshift office. We include in this report a number of photos from a January 23-25 visit to Port-au-Prince so you may get a sense of the scale of this disaster.
The recovery plan explained below focuses on outreach to the Hands Together “Port-au-Prince Universe” – essentially all those associated with our Becky DeWine school population that number more than 25,000 people. Because we need to focus on recovery, we are suspending all volunteer and parish delegations for a three-month period.
We will continue to keep you updated as best we can. Thank you for the many offers of help. We honestly do not know what the long term future holds for us, but for now, the best way to help is to pray for us.
Should you wish to give a gift, below is the link for a credit card gift, or you can mail a check to Hands Together, P.O. Box 80985, Springfield, MA 01138.
Hands Together Donations
The earthquake destroyed or damaged every facet of life in Port-au-Prince, wiping out everything we built over the past 15 years. In many ways, we are starting over.
Sincerely,
Doug and Fr. Tom
HANDS TOGETHER EARTHQUAKE RECOVERY PLAN
PHASE 1- STABILIZATION, HOPE, BASIC NEEDS
Our damage and loss assessment is ongoing and with each new day we are learn of the dead, injured, and homeless among the Hands Together students, staff and family. Many families have left Port-au-Prince to stay with relatives in the provinces and others migrated to nearby tent cities. Already, we’ve learned that several students and staff perished. Our Phase 1 (1-3 months) recovery activities include:
Remove the debris from our destroyed headquarters on Delmas 31, locate the two Oblate seminarians who died underneath the rubble, and bury them behind our house.
Salvage anything usable including food, furniture, office equipment and files and establish a safe base for storage and operations.
Establish communications (phone and internet), repair vehicles, secure diesel fuel, and stockpile drinking water at our base.
Secure storage at a local depot for food, donated goods, and supplies.
Deliver water daily to the people at all school campus locations.
On January 22nd we created “leadership teams”– led by captains and utilizing the staff and workers from our schools and the surrounding communities. These teams oversee outreach activities such as water and food distribution, clean up and rebuilding and community work, at each 8 zones in Cite Soleil and Delmas.
Build temporary walls around our campuses and conduct food and supply distributions.
Partner with Mary’s Meals from Scotland to provide food, shelter, and emergency cash grants to families in greatest need.
Assess the physical condition of our eight Becky DeWine school campus buildings and create a demolition and rebuilding plan.
Provide small grants for home repair or rebuilding.
Wednesay, January 27th,
2010, 11:18 a.m.
We are extremely grateful to our sister parish, Dolores Mission. They
took a second collection at their Masses the week of the earthquake and
donated a tremendous amount to Mission Haiti. Their generosity and
concern is deeply appreciated.
The Mission Haiti Committee
Sunday, January 24th,
2010, 8:55 a.m.
Parishioners,
Thank you for all that you are doing for Mission Haiti/Hands
Together. It is frustrating not hearing
first-hand what is happening each moment with the people we know, the exact
status of our schools and clinic. Most
of the news that I am finding is coming from articles found in papers or
magazines in which Hands Together or Fr. Tom is mentioned. I know that at this time they are too busy
trying to save lives and doing what is really unimaginable to me. I do not want to force them to pause and
respond to an email or cell phone call to answer questions and ask for a moment
by moment update. We do not have a CNN
team. We must wait.
I do know however that without a doubt we have a dedicated priest, Fr.
Tom, and an unflappable administrator, Doug, and an awesome right hand man,
Nelson. I know that they are undoubtedly
working 24 hours a day. I am trying to
be patient and remember that Doug said that they “are going back” and that they
“will begin rebuilding as soon as possible.”
As news of the earthquake begins to fade from our televisions and
newspapers, the situation in Haiti
remains critical. Every bucket of water,
every bag of beans may make the difference between life and death. Know that all of the money that has been
collected so far has been sent to Hands Together. If they are choosing to spend it on immediate
needs or are saving it to re-build remains to be seen.
So many are asking what they can do to help. I think everyone should do what they
can. Speak to people about your
relationship with Hands Together. Spread
the word among family members, co-workers, neighbors, fellow students. Every little bit of effort will help. This will be a very long process so if you
are in it for the long haul, pace yourself, be inspired and keep on
working. Hands Together and the people
of Haiti
need us all.
Mary
Tuesday, January 19th,
2010, 2:12 p.m.
Hello All:
I just wanted to update you all on how much we have received in
donations for the Haiti Relief Fund. As of Tuesday, January 19th, the
Fund stands at approximately $215,000. This includes $74,000 which was
donated during the special collection at each of the Masses this past
weekend. I am overwhelmed by the generosity of our parishioners and
many others in the community who have heard about the Fund and the work
that Hands Together does.
Thank you for everything you have done to make this tremendous response
possible.
Best,
Cambria Smith
Parish Life Director
Tuesday, January 19th,
2010, 9:51 a.m.
Fr. Tom is back in Haiti. Doug will be returning on Thursday.
Mary
Tuesday, January 19th,
2010, 9:22 a.m.
A small blessing, Julia, Fr. Tom's dog is alive!
Monday, January 18th,
2010, 3:51 p.m.
More
video/stores on Doug Campbell and Father
Tom.
After escaping quake in Haiti,
2 Americans set on returning
Saturday,
January 16, 2010 2:58 AM
By Joe Hallett
THE COLUMBUS
DISPATCH
The
Rev.
Tom Hagan founded Hands Together, which educates thousands of children
in the
Cite Soleil area of Port-au-Prince.
The
Rev. Tom Hagan and Doug Campbell were just about to leave the office
and walk
next door to the Hands Together house in Port-Au-Prince
on Tuesday when the earth shook.
"It
was so violent that we just got picked up and slammed to the floor,"
Campbell said.
"I
was trying to get out, crawling on my hands and knees, and Father Tom
pushed me
under a table and said, 'Stay under, stay under the table.' The thing
held up.
He saved my life."
The
office building partially collapsed around them. The adjacent house was
a pile
of rubble. Hagan and Campbell helped rescue a blind boy whom Hagan had
taken
off the streets a couple of years ago, but two young men studying to be
priests
were buried under the house and lost.
"Their
bodies are still there, so I want to get back and see if I can be there
when
they start digging them out," Hagan said yesterday.
Hagan
and Campbell, who have strong connections to
Ohio,
recounted the horror of the earthquake in brief
phone conversations from the airport in
Miami,
Fla., after catching a flight from the
Dominican Republic.
Exhausted and
bruised but grateful to be alive, they were en route to
Springfield,
Mass.,
where Hands Together is headquartered.
Hagan
is
the founder and Campbell the executive director of Hands Together, a
Catholic
charity that feeds and educates 7,200 children in eight
Becky
DeWineSchools
in Cite Soleil, a slum of 400,000 in Port-Au-Prince.
The schools were started by former U.S. Sen. Mike DeWine and his wife,
Fran,
and named for their daughter, who was killed in a 1993 automobile
accident at
age 22.
The
charitable organization's mission has been generously supported by
Ohioans, due
in large part to the fundraising efforts of the DeWines, who live in
Cedarville.
Although
Hagan and Campbell could get to only one of the schools, workers told
them most
were still standing, but badly damaged. The earthquake occurred about 5
p.m., an
hour after the children had gone home.
"Thank
God we didn't have any kids in the schools," said Hagan, who is worried
about what happened to them once home. "We had staff in (the schools)
and
we don't know where they are or if they got out."
Near
the
Hands Together complex, the Sisters of Charity Orphanage, operated by
the
Mother Teresa order of nuns, withstood the quake. The orphanage, where
Hagan
says Mass every morning, cares for as many as 180 babies at a time,
along with
older children, who arrive malnourished, many with AIDS, tuberculosis
and other
ailments.
Hagan
and
Campbell tip-toed their way safely to the orphanage through downed
electrical
wires; another man who preceded them was electrocuted. They were
stunned to see
the children and nuns lying on the ground in a courtyard.
"Nobody
got hurt -- all the children are OK and all the sisters are OK,"
Campbell said.
He
had
arrived just hours before the quake. Like virtually everyone in
Port-Au-Prince,
Hagan,
68, and Campbell, 45, slept outside, wary of going into buildings amid
the
aftershocks.
"Everywhere
you go, there are bodies," Hagan said. "The other night about
midnight, people started screaming that (a tsunami) was coming in and
that
turned into a nightmare as people were rushing to get to higher ground."
Hagan
and
Campbell made an arduous trip to the Dominican Republican and, once at
the
border, "We found ourselves breaking down," Campbellsaid.
"I
lost my prescriptions and if there is ever a time I need my high blood
pressure
medicine, it's now," Hagan said. "I'm going to get some clothes and
then I'm going to try to head back through the
Dominican Republic
on Monday."
Once
in
Springfield, Campbell
said, he would begin planning for the future. "Obviously, we'll do what
we
have to do to get those schools going again. As far as help, already
people are
beginning to pour in financial assistance. We're going to need all we
can get."
The poor line
up for cooking oil and rice
in this 2004 photo shot at the
Becky
DeWine
Center
and School in Cite Soleil, a Port-au-Prince
slum of 400,000. Cite Soleil is arguably the poorest place on Earth.
Sitting at his computer with
phone at hand, former U.S.
Sen. Mike DeWine waited this morning in his Cedarville home for news
from
Haiti
,
hoping
for the best, but knowing too well that bad news more often stalks the
island
nation.
"It's the worst of all places
for an earthquake to
hit," said DeWine, who with his wife, Fran, has devoted money, sweat
and
tears to
Haiti
over the years.
"The buildings are poorly
constructed in the first
place and they have no government structure, no rescue structure. It
has to be
nothing but chaos down there and nobody to do anything other than the
international community trying to get in. I knew when I got the first
word that
it would be devastating and most people would not understand the extent
of the
tragedy."
DeWine had received at least
one piece of good news: His
friends, the Rev. Tom Hagan and Doug Campbell, who founded and operate
the
charity Hands Together, were alive and well. Campbell
's
wife, Julia, had called from their
Springfield,
Mass.
,
home to report that she
had heard from her husband.
Fatefully, Doug Campbell had
flown to
Port-Au-Prince
to visit Hagan Tuesday,
arriving hours before the earthquake occurred.
"It looks like Father Tom's
house is gone,"
DeWine said.
There was no definitive word,
however, about the fate of
an orphanage next to Hagan's house operated by the Sisters of Charity.
The
orphanage largely was filled with babies stricken with AIDS and other
children
whose parents suffered from the disease, which has wracked the country.
DeWine said he also did not
know what has happened to the
eight Becky DeWine Schools operated by Hands Together. At least 7,000
Haitian
children in two shifts a day attend the schools in Cite Soleil, a
Port-au-Prince
slum of
400,000 one of the poorest places on earth.
Mike and Fran DeWine became
attached to Haiti
in 1996 when he was a U.S.
senator and they visited the Caribbean
country for the first time. Since then, they
have made more than 15 trips.
With each trip, they delved
further into Haitian society.
On an early visit, they toured the Sisters of Charity orphanage, moved
by the
children dying in front of them, their lives sapped by AIDS and
diarrhea.
On another trip, the DeWines
came across Hagan, a Catholic
priest who had left a comfortable life as chaplain at
Princeton
University
to devote himself to Haitian children. In a nation with no public
school
system, the DeWines and Hagan started their own system of schools and
named
them after the DeWines' daughter, Becky, who at 22 was killed in an
automobile
accident in 1993.
With Hagan negotiating with
gangs that ruled Cite Soleil
to permit the schools, they flourished and, through donations to Hands
Together, provided classes, uniforms and lunches to thousands of
children.
Monday, January 18th,
2010, 3:50 p.m.
FYI
… we came across this on the internet this afternoon about Doug
Campbell
which includes a video with Father Tom in the background. Sad. Glad
that both Doug and Father Tom survived the earthquake and we continue
to pray
for their good health and for God’s precious children in
Haiti.
I had the pleasure of hearing from Jose twice today and I told her
that I would be happy to forward news from her to you to keep her
emails to a minimum since service is very sketchy. She is doing well
and has new inspiration from her "California family"-she called us her
vitamin!. I offered her a airfare and lodging to California since so
many of you offered to support that effort, but like her loving Gabby,
she feels the need to stay and help those in need. She says to keep
her in your prayers tomorrow because of something she aspires to do
(didn't tell me what) and that she will get back to me asap. Needless
to say, she continues to mentor and humble me as her darling husband
did...always seeing things positively, even in those most drastic of
times.
Lovingly submitted,
Anamaria
Sunday, January 17th,
2010, 11:55 p.m.
this should be posted:
At last, we are grateful for words directly from Doug Campbell:
January 17,2010
Dear Friends of Hands Together,
Fr. Tom and I just want to thank you for your support, prayers and
concern and let you know that we are uninjured and thank God to be
alive. To everyone who called, emailed, and contacted our folks in the
U.S. we thank you from the bottom of our hearts and we love you.
Now we are gathering supplies and resources and putting together a
response plan. We will return to Haiti to begin what we know will be a
long and painful recovery. Below is a brief summary of what happened
and our planned response to the January 12 earthquake.
What Happened
The earthquake struck at around 5 pm Tuesday afternoon while Fr. Tom
and I were finishing a meeting in our office on Delmas 31. The force of
the quake violently knocked us to the floor and we crawled under a
sturdy metal office table near the front window. Cement and glass fell
all around us and I saw our staff people, Nelson and Robert, sprinted
out of the building which saved their lives.
As the tremors subsided Nelson returned to help me and Tom out of the
building. After the tremors stopped, we stood in the road looking at
our residence which had collapsed into a pile of cement rubble. We were
surrounded by many of our staff and the Oblate volunteers who lived in
the house; many of them were bleeding and shaking and crying.
A headcount revealed that 4 of our 21 Oblate volunteers who lived in
the house were trapped under the rubble. During the night we dug
constantly and rescued 2 of our volunteers: one suffered a broken
arm and the other was unconscious and near death. Every 30 minutes or
so, aftershocks shook the ground and sent us running into the street in
fear. We brought the rescued to Mother Teresa's nuns for treatment.
(We can report with gratitude that the Missionary Sisters of Charity
suffered no real damage and they are all OK).
A quick walk through our Delmas neighborhood to the Sisters compound
revealed to us the enormous destruction. Every 3rd building was
destroyed and people filled the streets and open grounds--crying and
shaking and traumatized.
None of our phones worked and we tried constantly to call the United
States. At 11 pm we received a call from Kaitlin and Julie Campbell
and this brief connection with the United States brought us great
comfort.
Our post-earthquake community numbering 2 dozen people, including Fr.
Tom, Doug Campbell, Nelson, Robert, Fr. Gerard, Oblate volunteers,
workers from Cite Soleil and a few other friends, spent the night
outside on the road. Nobody really slept.
Wednesday, January 13
We tried to rescue the two trapped Oblates but without heavy equipment
our efforts were useless against the 3 collapsed floors of concrete.
CNN news gleaned from a hand held TV revealed that all of
Port-au-Prince was devastated by the quake and tens of thousands of
people perished. We collected bottled water and rice from the debris
and moved our base to our depot and parker area next door.
During the day our staff doctor, Fanfan, treated our injured and sick and we gave out a meal of rice and beans with water.
We toured our Becky DeWine high school campus and can report that all
the buildings are still standing, the kitchen appears functional and as
far as we can tell, no personnell or staff suffered injury. We do not
have any current information at on the condition of our other
campusesand we need to make a complete assessment on the health of our
6700 students and 300 staff people.
After visiting the U.S. embassy to register and send emails to family
and friends we drove through the city of Port-au-Prince. Words fail to
communicate the horror of this drive. We passed hundreds of collapsed
concrete buildings: schools, hotels, markets, houses, government
buildings, churches, and many dwellings...all destroyed. People
swarmed the rubble trying to pull out people. We saw dead bodies all
over the streets and falling out of buildings.
Nelson drove up Delmas and pulled into a side street, stopped the truck
and pointed to a pile of cement rubble. He said, "There is my 3 year
old daughter and her mother. They are dead."
At midnight Tom and I awoke to a frantic mob of people screaming that a
tidal wave was coming. We jumped up and raced into our jeep and drove
up Delmas, thinking that at any moment we would be drowned. Thousands
of homeless people filled the streets. An hour later we realized that
the tsunami alarm was a rumor -- but for us it was very real and
absolutely terrifying.
Thursday, January 14
After Tom said Mass for the sisters we packed our jeep and drove to the
Dominican Republic. We arrived too late for the last U.S. bound flight
so we spent the night in Santa Domingo and flew to Miami on Friday,
January 15.
Recovery Plan
We face a long and difficult recovery, and we need more than anything
your continued prayers and whatever you can share to help us reopen our
schools and projects. Our hearts are broken for the people, but we
believe God spared us for a reason and we need to be part of the "springtime" that is on its way. Please pray for us.
We will suspend all volunteer and parish delegations for a three month
period as focus all our energy on recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Here is our immediate, short range plan:
Make a thorough inventory of the Hands Together Becky DeWine school
and Port-au-Prince University and determine the number dead, injured,
and homeless, as well as determine the available human resources. From
this population of 25,000 we can organize response teams.
Salvage anything from our wreckage and establish safe base
for storage and operations. We will need equipment, vehicles, gas,
electricity, water, medical supplies, etc.
Inventory the physical condition of our eight Becky DeWine school
campus buildings and use them as outreach centers to organize feeding,
clothing, and hygiene outreach programs.
Mary's Meals from Scotland will partner with us to provide
food, shelter, and emergency cash grants to families in greatest need.
The Hands Together backhoe loader and dump trucks will clear debris and
help with rebuilding efforts.
This is the first phase only. Our goal is to inject some normalcy back
into the lives of our 6,700 students as quickly as possible, even if
the classes and feeding take place under tents.
We will keep you updated as best we can.
Doug Campbell, Executive Director
Hands Together, Inc.
Sunday, January 17th,
2010, 8:55 a.m.
Here is an article about Cite Soleil after the earthquake.
Master film maker and president of The San Damiano Foundation,
Gerard Thomas Straub recently went to Haiti. He met Fr. Tom and walked
the slums with him. He was deeply disturbed by what he saw in Haiti.
He filmed for days and then returned to Los Angeles. His intention was
to return to Haiti this week in order to continue filming and then to
create a film about compassion and our duty to aid the poor. Gerry was
desperate to return to Haiti even after the earthquake but he was
finally convinced that he must return at a later date.
An 8-minute clip put together from this trip was just posted on You Tube. The main focus is Cite Soleil.
I wanted to let you know that Karl and I spoke to Linda in the Hands
Together office this morning. Fr. Tom and Doug are now in the
Dominican Republic and will be flying back to the US this afternoon.
Fr. Tom was injured in the earthquake and needs to get medical
attention. Conditions are impossible in Haiti right now until some
sort of order is reestablished and even the most basic relief efforts
are struggling. The focus for Hands Together is to begin the recovery
and rebuilding efforts as soon as it is feasible for Fr. Tom and Doug
to get back to Port Au Prince.
Holy Family Church has established an easy way to make a
donation on the first page of the Church website. Our
church website is an excellent place to get up to date info about
Haiti.
Hands Together staff mambers have spoken with Fr. Tom and Doug on
a cell phone. They are getting a flight out of the Dominican Republic
back to the United States. Garnilus and Micha Joseph are with
them. Doug reported that the schools were damaged, but were not
demolished, the volunteer house is completely gone, the Oblate
Seminarians are alright (of Fr. Moore) and Hands Together chief Haitian
staff members are alright. There were two seminarians living in the
Delmas house that were killed. Chief of staff Nelson's daughter has
been killed.
Please continue to pray for everyone.
Thursday, January 14th,
2010, 2:37 p.m.
We
have just received word that Fr. Tom and Doug are leaving the country
through the Dominican Republic. Pray for their safe return.
Mary Mather Nally
Thursday, January 14th,
2010, 12:40 p.m.
Please tune in tonight to the Ch. 4 News at 6:00 p.m. for a powerful story about Mission Haiti and Holy Family School.
Wednesday, January 13th,
2010, 7:21 p.m.
For those of you who know and love Jose, be assured that she lives. I just received the following:
alive
scared
all such a horror
so many friends dead
and all flat
will write later
love
Another moment to thank God.
Mary
Wednesday, January 13th,
2010, 8:07 a.m.
The only news so far is that Fr. Tom and Doug were both in Haiti and
together when the first earthquake struck. Tom was hit in the head but
he is OK. We know nothing else. I will let you know when I hear
anything. Please forward this email.
Blessings to you all on this somber day.
Mary
Wednesday, January 13th,
2010, 8:00 a.m.
January 13, 2010
Dear Parishioners,
As you know,
yesterday about 2 p.m. a
7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti
ten miles west of Port-au-Prince. The U.N. headquarters collapsed. The cathedral and all of the major churches
and seminaries were destroyed. Msgr
Joseph Serge Miot, the Archbishop of Haiti and hundreds of seminarians were
killed. Needless to say, we are deeply
concerned about the community of people whom we as Mission Haiti serve.
As of 7 a.m. today, we know that Doug
Campbell and Fr. Tom Hagan, of Hands Together, were with each other and that
they are both alive. Lines of
communication are very limited at this point.
We know nothing about the schools, clinic or the extent of the
damage. We expect that there will be
many, many casualties. It is truly a
tragedy of catastrophic proportions.
News reports describe Port-au-Prince
as largely destroyed. The condition of
the slums is unknown.
Below you will
find the latest updates on the situation in Cite Soleil. In addition, you may make donations to the Haiti
Relief Fund which Holy Family has established by clicking on the donate
button.
Or you may write
a check to HolyFamilyChurch
and designate “Haiti Relief Fund” in the memo section. 100% of the funds donated will be given
directly to Hands Together for Mission Haiti relief work. Many people are asking how they can help,
what material goods they can donate and if in fact we will be organizing people
to travel to Haiti
to assist in the relief efforts. We do
not have enough information to know what approaches are appropriate. At this point, please do not send food, clothing, or other material items, because
we have no way of sending them to Haiti. We do know that financial aid is desperately
needed and that this is our best immediate response. As the situation changes, please know that
you will be kept informed.
Hands Together
has had in place for a number of years an Emergency Intervention Plan and a
thoroughly trained disaster response team, most probably the best in Haiti. While we hope that the man power and
equipment to operate this system are intact, at this point we simply do not
know.
We ask you to
join us in fervent prayer. We will gather as a community on Friday
evening from 7:30 to 8:00 p.m. for a meditative prayer
service of solidarity. There will also
be a special liturgical focus on Haiti during all of the Sunday
Masses.
Thank you for your prayers, financial support, and for helping us spread the news
of this tragedy. The US Catholic Bishops
declared in 1986 that, “Everyone has special duties toward the poor, all who
have more than they need must come to the aid of the poor.” Holy Family Catholic Church as a
compassionate community, has always
answered this call. We ask you to
continue to do so.
God bless the people of Haiti.
Mary Mather
Nally Cambria
Smith
Mission Haiti
Chairperson Parish
Life Director
Mission Statement
Mission Haiti experiences the vitality and love of Jesus Christ by reaching out
beyond our community and sharing Christ's presence in the impoverished
communities of Haiti.
A Little Background
Fr. Tom Hagan will be with us next weekend for Haiti Sunday. We thought a little
background on why Fr. Tom is in Haiti would be interesting. When Fr. Tom was
chaplain at Princeton University and Layfayette College in New Jersey, he realized
that he was serving students from very affluent families. The life experiences of the
students were confined, for the most part, to upper middle class homes and
neighborhoods. While a number traveled with their families throughout USA or
Europe, few witnessed lifestyles different than their own. Fr. Tom wanted to broaden
their awareness and hopefully mature their outlook on life. Fr. Tom came up with
a plan. Gathering a group of students, all young men, he decided to take them to
the poorest country in the western hemisphere, Haiti, to learn how much of the
rest of the world lived. It was an unforgettable experience for these young Americans,
accustomed to a “soft” life. On the very first trip, Fr. Tom took them to a leper colony
near Gonaives, Haiti. The disfigurement. The open sores. The isolation. The students
were overwhelmed, and the experience seared into their memories for life. That was
twenty three years ago. For seven years Fr. Tom continued to take such groups of
students, both young men and women, to immerse themselves in what we called
then, The Third World. Cite Soleil was always a devastating, never to be forgotten
experience. Fr. Tom was restless. Visiting Haiti was important, and the visits were
having a profound effect on the students, but was he really helping the poor of Haiti?
He prayed. He asked God if Christ was calling him to something more.
Sixteen years ago, Fr. Tom moved from Princeton to Port-au-Prince, Haiti. He had
answered God’s call. He had decided to see if he could make a difference in that
poverty stricken country. It was the beginning of “Hands Together.”
Latest News:
Progress is Evident
in Haiti
In the past upon returning home
from a trip to Haiti
travelers have been able to speak from the pulpit for a few minutes to share
impressions about the trip. This time
however, we traveled later in the year and so our desire for “live time” is not
possible as it is auction season, our parish is really busy and announcements
from the pulpit are many! So, I will try
to spread the word via the bulletin and website because we really want people
to know that our recent visit to Haiti was very uplifting and
inspiring!
Upon getting on the plane to
return home, although feeling tired and looking forward to a shower with hot
water rather than cold, I was aware of a sense of great satisfaction that I
have not experienced before upon ending a trip to Haiti. I was very cognizant of the fact that Holy
Family and Hands Together are making progress.
We witnessed that the schools are full, they are impressively clean,
organized and the students are learning.
The curriculum in the high school is expanding. It currently includes literature, Creole, Spanish, French, English,
basic typing and computer skills, algebra and geometry. Trigonometry will be
added next year. Although technical
schools for young adults are still operating, the educational emphasis for the
young is much more modern. The
introduction of the internet into the schools is being considered. We visited feeding distribution
centers and found them to be busy with many, many people are being served. New sites in very poor and very rough areas
have been identified as needing assistance and negotiations with neighborhood
leaders are in progress. The water truck
made rounds throughout the slum and we saw the women who used to walk miles to
collect water being assisted. Tremendously
impressive is the agricultural center and the detailed plans and variety of
educational forums that have begun which will impact many Haitians as they
choose to return to the land to farm, manned with skills and the support to be
successful.
Of course, God is a part of all
that Fr. Tom does. Students are taught
that Christ is present, all life including plants and animals are to be
respected, and the poorest of the poor are to be honored. The seminarians are teaching, baptisms are
celebrated, and the church is full on Sundays.
I was impressed, as were the
other travelers. Cite Soleil remains as
depressed, barren of vegetation, and absolutely as filthy as I have seen in the
past. Sadly, the people who live there
are as poverty stricken as ever.
However, change is evident in the lives of many who are being cared for
in some way by Fr. Tom and Hands Together.
I am not overwhelmed as I have felt in the past but instead I am enthused
and dedicated to continue doing what I can do to support this work. From the interest that we continue to
receive, I know many of you feel the same way.
About Mission Haiti
Since 2001, Holy Family Church has been building friendships and offering hope to people living in two of the most desperate slums in the western world. The slums of La Saline and Cité Soleil in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, are home to the Little Schools of Fr. Bohnen and the schools and other ministries of Fr. Hagan.
All parents have hopes and dreams for their children. Haitian parents are no exception. They too want promising futures for their children. However, due to overwhelming poverty and political instability, building dreams and hopes is a daunting task. Our community, blessed by the Haitians, is inspired to help.
In 2006, Holy Family expanded its efforts for the Haitian people by offering assistance to Fr. Tom Hagan, who lives and works in Haiti. His non-profit organization, Hands Together, builds and maintains schools, medical clinics, nutrition programs, adult education centers, houses for the elderly and hospice services.
Parishioners of Holy Family have traveled to Haiti to meet the people, tour the programs and assess how we might help. Haitian representatives have come to California and visited parishioners, educators and the students of both Holy Family and Dolores Mission. They taught us about their culture and shared the vision and ambitions for the future of their schools and other projects.
In addition to financial support, Holy Family has shipped multiple sea containers to Haiti filled with school supplies, janitorial goods, musical instruments, generators, a compressor, soccer balls and uniforms, pick-up trucks, hand-made toys and gifts from students, linens, medical supplies and dental equipment. These donations were given by generous parishioners, corporations, and businesses.
The success of these relationships would not have been possible without the many individuals who have donated their time, treasure and talent. It will remain so only with continued support. As Mother Theresa said, “Having food, a home, dignity, freedom, health and an education are all of God’s gifts. This is why we must help those who are less fortunate than ourselves."
About Fr. Tom Hagan and Hands Together
Twenty years ago, Fr. Tom Hagan, an American Priest and Oblate of St. Francis de Sales, visited the slums of Haiti with a group of college students. Overwhelmed by what he saw, he committed his life to the Haitian poor. He founded Hands Together and began building schools offering free education. Stunned by the tremendous malnourishment of the children, and its effect on their ability to concentrate, he added food programs. He now educates 5,000 children daily and feeds over 10,000 children a day.
Hands Together’s long-term development projects are aimed at improving the quality of life in rural areas through education, agriculture, reforestation to protect the fragile environment and collaborative community projects. Many programs are currently underway – 160 wells have been drilled, 5,000 trees have been planted and an agricultural education center focused on teaching farming techniques has been built.
How you can help A compassionate thank you to the people
of Holy Family for ongoing donations to the children of Haiti. Your financial support helps to nourish the 26,000 children who
live in the impoverished community of Cité Soleil. Thank you for making a difference in their lives.
We welcome your contributions
100% of your gift goes directly to assist the poor of Haiti.
Please send your tax deductible contribution to:
Mission Haiti
Holy Family Church
1527 Fremont Avenue
South Pasadena, CA 91030
Donations
Schools supplies are very important to the children in Haiti. Father Tom Hagan from Hands Together has said that although new supplies are fabulous, he would very much appreciate used supplies as well. Three quarters used pencils, erasers, pens, and rulers are valuable. Used composition books or spiral notebooks would be put to good use in Haiti. Students in the slums cut up the notebooks, rebind them and use them or sell them in the market place. One child’s discard can be another’s treasure. Please consider saving your used school supplies. Rip out used pages, clean up the notebooks as you can and drop them off at the Pastoral Center.
Computers, sewing machines, machinery and tools are just some of the many other items that would be beneficial to the people in Haiti.
Packers Needed
The sea containers sent to Haiti are packed by a group of loyal parishioners who answer the call to help when a plea is sent out that there are items to load. Most donations need to be sorted, placed into boxes, taped and labeled. Others, like linens, are put into plastic bags. Heavy items are loaded and then secured to the walls of the sea container to prevent movement and possible damage. Each gift is itemized.
All ages participate. Volunteers are students from grammar school through college, scouts, teachers, professionals, moms, dads and grandparents. When teenagers or young adults are available, their muscle and enthusiasm is hugely appreciated. Everyone is put to work. The miracles are generally performed by a few men: Bennett, Steve, Jim and Karl, the later of whom provides us with encouragement, advice and faith that our efforts are worth every drop of sweat! These men are the ones who make certain that every square inch is occupied, that the tremendous number of items is packed so that all angles fit and that no item is crushed. It is a cheery group. There is lots of conversation. There is no time commitment. Some come for an hour, others for three.
We invite anyone to help us. Our commitment to Mission Haiti continues to grow. We need as many people that we can get. If you are interested in helping for a day, if you need service hours for school, if you are simply interested in getting involved with a worthwhile project, please consider joining us on a Saturday morning. Please call to see which Saturdays we are working.
A Prayer for Haiti
Dear God,
Hidden somewhere in the mystery of life is the incredible
privilege which you have given us to belong to the Holy Family
community of faith, a community of life and love. And with that
privilege comes awesome responsibility: the realization that we
are all in Christ, neither slave nor free, rich nor poor.
We look beyond ourselves to the slums of Cite Soleil and La
Saline in Haiti. As long as our brothers and sisters live in that
misery, we live there too.
We pray in thanksgiving that our
community of faith has reached out in love, in respect, in aid to
our wounded brothers and sisters.
We beg you to help us keep alive in our community the pain
of Cite Soleil and La Saline. Make our dedication not a passing
whim, but a crusade to eradicate this suffering, so that indeed we
may become worthy of our Christ. We pray in the name of the
Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Contact
Mary Mather Nally
Mission Haiti Chair
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Karl Holtsnider
(626) 403-6139
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Dear Tom:
