IMPORTANT MESSAGE

for all 2010 HopeWorks Volunteers

and Mission Teams to Haiti!

April 2010 - At this time we are unable to schedule new mission trips, and will be canceling scheduled teams due to the inability to provide safe housing for visitors and teams for the remainder of the 2010 year.

Upon close professional inspection of two of the homes we have been renting in Haiti, (the mission house for mission teams, and the little boys' home), we discovered that they are not seismically safe and sound.  Because we continue to experience aftershocks from the January earthquake, we made the decision to discontinue the use of the mission house and boys' home immediately.  The other homes we occupy we have built ourselves, and we know are safe.  But with 77 new family members since the earthquake, we have no extra room for guests.

We are truly sorry for any inconveniences, but are making the safety of our children and our guests a priority.  We hope to have new housing built by the end of 2010 to accommodate all of our children and guests.  We will be rescheduling mission teams and visitors for the 2011 calendar year.

For more information or for answers to your questions, please contact us.

 

Volunteer Program for Danita's Children

Whether on location in Haiti, in our
stateside office in Orlando, or in your city,
we welcome you to join us in rescuing, loving and caring for orphans.

 

Use your hands.  Use your voice.  You are the Hope for Haiti. Pr. 31:9

 

There are many ways to express the heavenly Father's love to orphans and children in Haiti.

On the field:

Orphanage
In Haiti, we provide a loving home to more than 130 orphans at Hope for Haiti Children's Center. The children attend our school during the day from September - June. The rest of the time, we nurture and care for them as our family. As any parent knows, growing children have many needs to be met. You can help by being available to assist with these needs, whether by mentoring, helping with household responsibilities, tutoring, teaching, or simply by providing a loving and safe environment.

We encourage one-on-one contact with the children. Smiles and hugs go a long way for any child. Our children all know that God loves them, but to have that demonstrated by other Christians is a tangible way to feel the love of God. Mentoring is also dear to our hearts, and there is always a special need for men to mentor our boys.

School
More than 500 children from our town of Ouanaminthe attend Hope for Haiti School. Though the language barrier prevents most Americans from teaching, there are still many ways you can make an impact on the school children. Through dramatic presentations, musical productions, scientific demonstrations, or many other creative outlets, the school children love to be taught through experience. Even evangelistic productions such as puppet shows or creative dramas can pass the language barrier and go straight to the heart of the children.

Feeding Program
Over 18,000 nutritious meals are served to students, teachers, and those in need every month at Hope for Haiti Children's Center. Each student receives one meal daily as they attend school. And, of course, we feed the children in our orphanage three nutritious meals a day. As you can imagine, providing for this need requires considerable work and funds. If you'd like to contribute or serve in this area, please let us know.

Church
As few Americans speak Creole, the language barrier again prevents considerable involvement in our church services. However, if your group has a presentation that our congregation might benefit from, please contact us. The Haitian Christians love to hear a greeting and encouragement from fellow believers, and we'd be glad to assist you with an interpreter. There are always projects that a team of workers can assist with.

Also, our evangelism efforts reach beyond the walls of the church. We encourage evangelistic outreaches that allows children who do not attend our school to be involved in the ministry of Danita's Children. At times we take our teams into villages, and put on presentations for the children who live there. If your group is able to assist us with this outreach, please let us know. Your talents could be a great blessing to many children. Of course, we will provide the interpreter!

Projects
In addition to major construction projects, there are typically several projects in the works at Hope for Haiti Children's Center. Donations of clothing, shoes, and bedding need to be sorted and organized. Walls need to be painted, and minor repairs done to furniture. Music lessons need to be taught, and groceries need to be purchased. The list goes on. If your team would like to meet a specific need, there are many to be met!

Children's Hospital of Hope
Medical care is an great need in Haiti. The new Children's Hospital of Hope at the Hope for Haiti Children's Center is a huge undertaking, but one that we believe is very necessary to help meet the medical needs in Ouanaminthe. The construction process has begun, and we are very excited about the progress! As we move forward, we will be looking for volunteers to assist us in the construction process, as well as to staff the clinic upon completion. We will need a steady flow of personnel—physicians, nurses, pharmacists and other helpers. Also, we will need to keep medical supplies and prescriptions in stock at all times. Please keep this need is prayer—both the construction and process, and your possible role in this ministry.

 

Interested in a Mission Trip to Haiti?

If you, your church or organization are interested in working in Haiti on a mission trip, please download the HopeWorks Packet and follow the instructions to get started. 

Download the HopeWorks Mission Team Members Packet & Application

Download an Excel Travel Cost Calculator   

 

In the States and abroad:

Our U.S. office is located in Orlando, Florida. We welcome stateside volunteers in our office to assist with everything from mailings and filing to coordination of our sponsorship programs and assisting with events. This year, our stateside volunteers have not only assisted with office work, but also have planned speaking engagements, organized fundraising efforts overseas, and created video and graphic marketing pieces that are used company-wide. If you are living anywhere in the US or aborad, you can be a volunteer for Danita's Children by using your talents, resources and creative ideas to benefit the children. There is no limit to what a committed volunteer can accomplish!

For ideas on how to volunteer as a "mouthpiece" for Danita's Children, visit our Tell 5 pages today.

For more information, or if you would like to join our team as a volunteer, email us at usoffice@danitaschildren.org.