Orphan-Care Homes
Help Us Build the New Orphan-Care Homes! If you feel led to give a gift - whether large or small - it will have an incredible impact as we work to improve the lives of these children. On the "Give Today" page, just select "Orphan Homes" in the gift information section or write the specified project in the comment section. Your gift will be used toward the construction of the new orphan homes.
Thank you for all the prayer, the love, and the support you have given to us. I appreciate you more than you know. Without friends like you, there would be no Danita's Children.
The Need
Immediately following the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti, Danita’s Children took in additional homeless and orphaned children, significantly increasing the number of orphans in our care. These children are temporarily being housed in our church building until new homes can be built to accommodate them.
In addition, post‐earthquake, we had two of the homes we were renting in our village professionally inspected for safety. Upon inspection we were told they were not seismically safe. Those homes were evacuated and the children and staff relocated to the church and/or our boy’s home on our compound. Our current orphan‐care homes are at more than maximum capacity as a result and we have fully occupied the church as a dormitory.
We have purchased a piece of property adjacent to our current compound, upon which we plan to build a cluster of new orphan-care homes. (See site map below.)
Our Vision for New Orphan-care Homes
We are not an adoption facility. In other words, we plan on raising our children and guiding them into adulthood. It is our hope that these homes will provide more of a family‐type of setting, and less of an institutional setting, allowing our children to experience a ‘family’ atmosphere. Each home will house 10‐15 children with house parents living with them.
Additionally at least one home for our special needs children would be built to accommodate their medical needs, with a live‐in nurse and necessary equipment.
We are seeking donations and funding to provide for the construction, furnishing/supplying, and ongoing support for these homes. If you would like to get involved with this important project, contact us.
The Plan in a Snapshot
• Four structures, with two homes in each structure, totaling eight new orphan-care homes.
• Each new orphan‐care home will house 12‐15 children and their houseparent(s)
• Multi‐family unit dwellings allows maximum use of property and minimizes construction expenses, while still maintaining a family type of dwelling.
• Approximately 1500 – 2000 square feet
• The Rooms:
1. Master living area for house‐parents with separate sitting area and bathroom
2. Two or three bedrooms with sets of bunk‐beds in each room for children
3. Shared bathrooms and dressing areas
4. Living area, kitchen, laundry
• House‐parents and support staff will provide care for the children and the homes.
Ongoing Support Model
It is our hope and our prayer, that each home will find a sponsor or group of sponsors that will bring support to that home and ‘family’ of children. The sponsors would work together to provide for the needs of the family ongoing:
• Spiritually – through prayer, discipleship and spiritual encouragement to each family member
• Physically – through provision of specific needs as they arise in the home or with the family members
• Emotionally – through encouragement, correspondence, visits to the home and family in Haiti.
• Academically – through assisting the children in that home in meeting their educational and career needs and goals.
Staffing Plans
Danita’s Children has a strong 11-year track record as a stable, fully‐functioning, professionally‐staffed mission for orphan rescue and care. We currently employ 80 Haitians and Dominicans, and have on our field staff team several long‐term permanent American and Canadian missionaries as well as a number of short‐ to intermediate‐term missionaries. Our field staff functions in a variety of roles: house parents, teachers, pastors, medical personnel, cooks, facilities maintenance, administrative, security and more.
Our new orphan‐care homes staffing initiative includes the transition of current, and some potentially new staff to take on the roles of house parents.
Goals for Completion and Funding Initiative
The goal for completion of the homes is late 2011 into early 2012. We know this is an ambitious goal, but the need is immediate and urgent.
The funding initiative will include opportunities for donors and supporters to get involved at many levels.
• Complete construction and financial provision for each home
• Partial or combined financial provision for construction, supplies, equipment and furnishings
• Financial provision for individual aspects of each home (for example: appliances, supplies, furniture, generator, etc.)
Buildings 9-12 reflect the proposed building sites for the new orphan homes.
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Why YOU are the Hope for Haiti
As you can imagine, a project like this requires significant funding and support. Danita's Children cannot complete the NEW Children's Homes without increased support.
Please prayerfully consider how you might give to make it possible to
save more children. Here's some ways you might want to consider:
If you are a construction expert, your help is needed. We are in need of
qualified construction experts, plumbers, electricians, medical
equipment installers, cooks and long-term missionaries to work in our homes and at our compound .
We believe that these new homes are a part of
God's
plan for Haiti. So we are confident He will provide through supporters
like you. Won't you please ask Him how you might be able to
participate in this important effort? Other creative ways you might be
able to participate might be by donating equipment and supplies, or perhaps frequent-flyer miles to help professionals and staff with travel. 
Please tell everyone you know about the important work of Danita's
Children and the New Children's Homes project. We cannot complete these homes without increasing our supporter base. Contact our stateside
offices for your Tell5 cards to help you spread the word. Tell
your friends and family to log on today and encourage them to make a
donation today.
If you'd like to help with the completion of the new Children's Homes, specify "Children's Homes" under notes section of the donation page.
Additional Background Information about Danita’s Children
Danita’s Children is a debt‐free organization. Hope for Haiti Children’s Center, Inc., doing business as Danita's Children, Inc., is a non‐profit 501(c)(3) organization committed to rescue, love and care for orphans and impoverished children. All donations solicited on behalf of this organization shall be used to further this mission and follow the policies and procedures as outlined in our Fundraising Policies.
All programs and projects are designed, built and completed as the funds are raised. We believe that we are charged by God with the responsibility to be good stewards of our supporters’ donations, to the highest good, and we take that very seriously. We have received a Charity Navigator four-star rating and put 87 cents of each dollar donated, directly to the rescue, love and care of children in Haiti. We are in the top 8% of charities rated by Charity Navigator because we have maintained a four‐star rating for four consecutive years.
Completed Programs and Projects
To date, Danita’s Children has planned, built and implemented the following programs and projects through donor support, paid in full upon completion:
• 2001 In July, Danita purchased the house she was renting for the orphanage.
• 2001 Land was purchased for Hope for Haiti Children’s Center.
• 2002 The feeding program was established.
• 2003 The church building was constructed.
• 2004 In October, 26 orphans arrived from Gonaives as a result of the floods, requiring additional housing
• 2005 Construction of the boys’ dormitory and cafeteria was completed in December.
• 2007 Construction of a 3‐story school building completed.
• 2007 In February, our new playground was installed
• 2008 Purchased additional property for Hospital of Hope
• 2009 Construction for the Medical Clinic begins
• 2010 Additional orphaned/abandoned children join the Danita’s Children family post‐earthquake
• 2010 The dental clinic is completed
If you or your organization would like to fund a home or portion of a home,
if you’d like more information, or would like to get involved in this important project,
please contact U.S. Director Sheree Bowie for more information.
usoffice@danitaschildren.org
