Haiti Response
Visit this link for updates on the sitution in Haiti: http://www.hopeforhaiti.com/news.php
If you have watched the news you are well aware of the devastation and destruction in Haiti. As a church we want to be wise and intentional in our response. The Missional Opportunities team met on Sunday and talked about what the best response is at this time. This email will give you a few things to prayerfully consider if you wish to engage in the relief efforts. Please read on…
Pray
The first thing you can do is pray for those affected by this tragedy. The needs won’t go away once the rubble is removed. The vastness of the death and destruction won’t be fully realized for some time. Pray that…
...God would glorify Himself and draw others to Himself through these events.
...The workers on the ground in Haiti would be safe and that God would protect them now and during the days ahead.
...FCSW would be sensitive to how the Holy Spirit leads in our response over time.
Donate
Right now the situation is so overwhelming that relief organizations need MONEY to get the equipment and specialized manpower that’s needed to help in this humanitarian effort. As a church we have existing partnerships with organizations that are already mobilized for these types of situations. Please visit one of these links if you wish to donate towards the relief effort.
World Vision
World Vision had prepositioned emergency supplies in place so that staff members were able to distribute within hours of the quake to survivors and hospitals in desperate need. World Vision now has more than 800 Haitian staff as well as a dozen international disaster response experts responding throughout affected areas.
World Vision also is rushing 18 metric tons of basic relief supplies to the quake zone. We are focusing on distributions for families, especially food, clean water, and emergency medical care. World Vision has worked in Haiti for 30 years but the country’s infrastructure has been devastated, and the magnitude of this catastrophe is enormous.
If you’ve already given a gift, thank you. We are deeply grateful for the generosity of our donors. This will certainly be a marathon. Our commitment to Haiti extends beyond our immediate response to this disaster. Please continue to run this race beside us.
Thanks to US government grants, your gift today will multiply 3x in impact to provide the people of Haiti with food, clean water and shelter as well as helping rebuild for the future.
Makarios International
Makarios is a faith-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to educational development in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and other impoverished areas of the world. We are committed to a child’s spiritual, physical, emotional, and intellectual growth, to provide hope for a better future. It’s based right here in Austin and already has people on the ground in Haiti providing assistance to those affected by the tragedy. 100% of all funds donated through Makarios go to the relief effort.
Go
If God has laid it on your heart to go and provide hands-on assistance to the relief effort that is an awesome thing! Right now the church doesn’t have a trip planned but the Missional Opportunities team is discussing the possibility of that later in the year. Organizations such as Medical Teams International have teams going now for those with specialized skills. Also the Austin Disaster Relief Network is in discussions about putting together teams from the Austin area. If you would like to be in the loop on how that is progressing please email Jeff Moore and he will make sure you get the information as it becomes available.
Providing Foster Care
A family at FCSW, Todd and Kyle Montalbo, made us aware of this opportunity through Hope for Haiti and Family Link. This is NOT for adoption (though they prefer people who are open to that possibility), but for foster care for children injured in the earthquake. Most of the kids are amputees while some children have bones that are just crushed and are still awaiting surgery. This is for short term foster care while their medical needs are being taken care of. If you are interested in finding out more information read this letter from Hope for Haiti or email (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) and he will put you in touch with the Montalbos who can share with you what they’ve done so far. If you feel like you’re ready to start the process please click on the link below and fill out the form.
Sponsoring_Haiti_Orphans_Interest_Form.pdf
Please remember that this tragedy is not going to be remedied overnight and that as time goes on new and different opportunities will emerge. If you come across something that you feel the church could engage in please send an email to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) so the Missional Opportunities team can consider it.