One Person Alone Cannot Rebuild a Village, But As A Community Together, We Can.

Dear Members of the Community,

On January 9, 2010, a group of 27 people from our community traveled to Haiti to help with organizations called Water for Life and Tree of Life. Both of these organizations have been helping the people of Haiti for many years, drilling wells for fresh drinking water and providing medical services to small villages southwest of Port Au Prince. The individuals from our community who were there, as young as 14 years old, were able to offer first-hand assistance to the people of Cotes de Fer soon after the earthquake hit. The people of this village had fled to the top of a mountain, fearing a tsunami, and set up a makeshift village using only sheets, blankets and sticks. The team from our community was able to provide these people with food and some medical care. The people of the village of Cotes de Fer are still residing at the top of the mountain since none of the buildings in their village are left standing, or are structurally sound enough for them to return. Before the earthquake hit, the village of Cotes de Fer was much like our community with schools, houses, businesses and people helping one another. We would like to help them to begin rebuilding their community with the help from ours. Below is a list of items that we are collecting to ship down to Haiti to help these people.

• Tents - 4 person or larger, new or gently used, in good condition with all parts
• Tarps – 8’ x 10’ or larger (these will be used to put over the tents to provide protection)
• 5-Gallon Buckets – Must be clean, with or without lids, for the villagers to carry and store water
• Hygiene Items
o Large Bars Bath Soap (in wrapping)
o Plastic Bottles Shampoo (13-24oz, place in resealable bag)
o Squeeze Tubes Toothpaste (Minimum 6oz, leave in box)
o Adult-Size Toothbrushes (Leave in Packaging)
o New Bath Towels (Medium Weight, dark colors)
o Wide-Tooth combs (6-8 inches)
o Fingernail Clippers
o Boxes of Adhesive Bandages (Minimum 40, assorted sizes)
o Packages of Sanitary Pads (18-24 thin, maxi)
o Blankets/Flat Sheets (Any size, in new/like new condition – it gets very cold in the early morning hours)
• Money
o Checks in any amount made payable to Souderton Mennonite Church, with “Haiti Relief” as the memo
Mailed to: Souderton Mennonite Church, 105 W Chestnut St., Souderton PA 18964

Items can be dropped off at the West Street Community Center at Souderton Mennonite Church during the following times:

Saturdays: 9-11 am
Mondays: 7-9 pm
Tuesdays: 7-9 pm
Thursdays: 7-9 pm

We appreciate anything that you are willing to provide for this cause. Each and every item and dollar donated will go very far to help the people in the Haitian community of Cotes de Fer. For further information or to contact us become a fan of Tents for Haiti Project on Facebook or email us at tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com

Thank You,

“TENTS FOR HAITI Project” Committee Members