"TENTS FOR HAITI Project"

Look out Quakertown McDonald's- We're On Our Way!!

2010-07-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

One of the things Mennonites are well known for is their cooking. I come from a long line of wonderful cooks and bakers- but this is one time I'm going to ask all my Mennonite friends to stop cooking and to go out for dinner.

Why, you ask? Well, I just got word today that the owner of the Quakertown McDonald's has chosen the Tents for Haiti Project to be their charity of the month in August!! (Can you tell I'm a little excited?!)

What this means is that for every Value Meal purchased from August 1- 31, they will donate 25-cents to the Tents for Haiti Project. This money will go directly towards our goal of building 50 houses in Cotes de Fer.

Please take a break from the hot kitchen and while you're getting something to eat, you'll have the satisfaction of knowing that you were part of giving a Haitian family a new start in life!

See you at the Mickey D's in Qtown!! :)

We are here, we are HERE, WE ARE HERE!!

2010-07-19T17:48:00.001-07:00

Yes, I realize it has been almost 2 months since our last post and a few days over 6 months since the earthquake and you may have thought the Tents for Haiti Project quietly faded into the background...Well, you couldn't be more wrong!!

After our Hope for Haiti Marketplace and Spade & Trade for Haiti events, we did take a couple days to just breathe, but then, we got back to work!
Jim Frankenfield, who is a truck driver traveling down through Virginia, was given over 800 cases of bottled water as a donation from some Home Depots on his route. We have decided that since it's so expensive to ship, given the weight of the water, we'd try to "sell" it and use the money to buy supplies. That turned into folks having us at their yard sales (which is a great way to get donations!) and Jim took a whole lot out to a Transport for Christ rally in Lebanon. We are still looking for creative ways to change this water into cash for our Haitian friends....we are very grateful to the Souderton-Telford Main Streets for donating a space to us at the Indian Valley Farmer's Market. We've had some scheduling conflicts, but hope to get there this Saturday, July 24!

We were also extremely blessed by the generosity of the folks at Clemens Septic, who had a promotion during April and May that they would donate $10 for every septic tank pump out. They sent us a check for $2,000! Who'd have thought getting your septic tank pumped out would help a Haitian family at the same time! That just goes to show that no matter what your business, you can find a way to help!

Last Wednesday, July 14, we loaded up our third and final trailer full of relief supplies! Once again, we sent down tents, blankets, tarps, "Hope in a Bucket" and other items that were donated. I say "final trailer of relief supplies" because at this point, with all the generosity of this community, we have gotten to the point where every family in Cotes de Fer that required a tent has one, there are enough blankets and relief kits to go around and the people down there can breathe a sigh of relief...

So, you ask, are we done? NO WAY!!! We have committed, along with the folks at Water for Life, to rebuild 50 homes in Cotes de Fer. We will be giving you more details as we get them, but we have a blueprint for a 2-room house that will be built using Haitian labor, and these homes will be at a cost of $4,000.00 each.

To kick-off our refocusing from relief to rebuilding, we hosted a benefit concert at Souderton Mennonite Church on June 30, which featured the King's Strings. This is a very talented family, formerly from this area, now of Mechanicsburg, PA, consisting of a dad, John, a mom, Cindy, and 6 kids (Andrew, Jesse, Mariana, Isaac, Eden and HopeAnn). They play stringed instruments and piano and their offerings range from classical to folk, Broadway to worship, fiddle and beyond. During the course of the evening, we showed our Tents for Haiti video and took a freewill offering, where we were given almost $8,000.00- enough for 2 homes!! It was a wonderful evening of laughter, tears and answered prayers!

As we continue our various fund-raising efforts, we ask you to join with us in prayer. Firstly, that together we can reach our goal of seeing our Haitian friends in homes that are safe and sturdy and secondly, please pray how you can be involved. Would you be able to donate the cost of one home, or more? Would your business be interested in helping us build a house? We are looking for partners to help us by giving a few dollars or a few thousand. Every penny is one penny closer to helping a family get back to normal.

We in this community, are so blessed- we have SO much. Can we sacrifice a little so someone can have something?

If you'd like to contribute, checks in any amount can be made payable to Souderton Mennonite Church with "Haiti Relief" in the memo line. Mail them to the church at

105 W. Chestnut St. Souderton PA 18964.

To follow us, we've made a link to our Facebook page that you can access even if you don't have Facebook. Just go to http://www.tentsforhaitiproject.com/ and if you have any questions, please email us at tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com

Thank you and God bless!

"Hope for Haiti Marketplace" and "Spade & Trade" a Huge Success at SMC!

2010-05-13T15:50:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, May 7, we held the last of our scheduled fundraisers. This one, held at the West Street Community Center at Souderton Mennonite Church, we called "Hope for Haiti Marketplace" and to it, we added "Spade & Trade for Haiti".

The first part, the Marketplace, consisted of about 18 vendors from various shop at home parties, such as Longaberger, Tastefully Simple, Lia Sophia, Close To My Heart, Uppercase Living, Mia Bella Candles, Premier Jewelry, Mary Kay, Creative Memories, Arbonne, Tupperware, Avon, Silpada and others. A very special part of the evening was the pampering section...we had Lisa Burke, a fantastic massage therapist from Quakertown, giving massages, and our own Janeen Cardona was doing eyebrow waxing and paraffin dips for the hands, with the help of Carlee Moyer. We also had a table where our favorite 13-year old photographer, Mattea Ruth, was selling her beautiful notecards and prints. Last, but definitely not least, we had a table (OK, it was really 2 tables) overflowing with baked goods, donated by the fabulous bakers and confectioners that are in our church.

The other part of the evening took place in the parking lot just outside the Marketplace. "Spade & Trade" was the brainchild of Dawn Moore, who thought it would be a great idea for folks to bring their excess perennials, saplings, tubers, etc. and "trade" them for new plants. The idea was that one could get whatever new plants they'd like to try and just leave a donation, in any amount, to benefit Tents for Haiti.

We had a great turnout- it was great to see so many friends and meet so many new ones. From the minute we opened, people kept coming through the doors. We sold raffle tickets for items donated by our very generous vendors, which resulted in some very happy people at the end of the evening.

Till it was all said and done, we had raised almost $1400.00 with $553. coming from the "Spade & Trade" (and that was only 1/2 the plants sold), $375. from about 1/2 of the baked goods being sold and the rest coming from the Marketplace!

Sunday morning, our pastor made an announcement to any men who had "forgotten" about Mother's Day, saying they could make good by purchasing baked items or plants to take home...and we ended up selling the remaining baked good for a totals of $282.80 and most of the plants for another $56.00...bringing us close to $1700.00 overall!!

So, we humbly say "Thank you" to each and every person who baked or made candy (Charlene, you know who you are!), who brought plants, who was a vendor, who bought raffle tickets, who shopped, who prayed, etc., etc. We owe you all a debt of gratitude for financially supporting our project and allowing us to continue to help the people of Haiti.

We have created a mission statement for the Tents for Haiti Project and this is it:

The motto of the Tents for Haiti Project has been "One person alone cannot rebuild a village, but together as a community, we can." Our goal, in the wake of the earthquake of January 12, 2010, has been to inspire our local community to make a difference in the living conditions of the people of Cotes de Fer and the Aquin Valley of Haiti through the acquisition, processing and delivery of donations from our community, both financial and material. We seek to help restore dignity and show the love of Jesus to our brothers and sisters in Haiti."

Sunday morning, after a wonderful sermon on compassion, a video was shown for the first time anywhere...We'd now like to share it with you, our community and our friends, this video that was done by a local videographer, Dave Peters, to document what our Project is all about. Please follow our link to see the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RTSE6Akwis

We have not finished our Project, in fact, we don't have a time-line. We are just listening to what God is prompting us to do as we hear from our contacts in Haiti as to what their needs are going forward. We are thankful to have been called to this ministry and we are thankful for the role each of you have played, and are playing, in helping us to meet the needs of those who are not able to provide for themselves yet.

Please continue to keep your hearts open to the people of Haiti and if you feel so lead, contribute what you can. Thank you and may God bless you as you have blessed others!

So What Have We Been Up To?

2010-04-28T07:22:00.000-07:00

It's been a little while since I've updated here, but so much has happened!

Last Thursday, April 22, we set up our table, hung our sign and began passing out informational flyers at the WalMart in Quakertown. As I've said before, the folks at the WM up there have been more than helpful as we have come in multiple times to get 4 & 5 cart loads of towels, band-aids, toothbrushes, soap, etc. So when we began to think about where to hold some fundraisers, that was the perfect place to start.

It was a rather chilly morning, but we put on our smiles and started to greet customers by saying "Good morning, we're with the Tents for Haiti Project and we are doing a fundraiser today to raise money to send down our 2nd trailer load of aid." There were mixed reactions from excitement, to quizzical looks, to total disinterest, but overall, people were very receptive to at least listening to what our project was all about. Some folks gave money, some shopped for things we put into relief kits and at the end of the 13 hours, we went home, again feeling very blessed and thankful to live in such a generous, giving community.

At that fundraiser, we received $659.09 and lots of hygiene supplies! Thanks to everyone who came out and gave something for our project- thanks even go to the people that asked the hard questions, then allowed us to answer their concerns. We appreciate each and every one of you!

Then on Friday, we got a call that our 2nd trailer was ready to be loaded. Now, we didn't have a whole trailer to load, as we had pallets of things that hadn't fit on our first trailer that were now on this trailer. We got about 7 other people and, after cleaning out our storage unit in Telford, took everything over to the loading dock and began unloading the cube truck into the trailer. We sent more tents, blankets, sheets, sleeping bags, medical supplies, walkers, crutches, a wheelchair, a crib, empty buckets and 160 more "Hope in a Bucket" kits! It was a great feeling of accomplishment to know that these items would again be delivered to people who so desperately need what we are sending.

Our sincerest thanks go to Gus Kerver, a truck-driving friend of Jim Frankenfield's, who gave time away from his family to drive this trailer down to the port in Florida, arriving this morning, where God willing, this trailer will set sail this afternoon for Port au Prince!!

Then, on Sunday afternoon, after a morning of cold rain, we held our second fundraiser at the Rita's in Harleysville. Upon arriving, we set up a canopy to cover/protect our raffle prizes, we set up a computer that showed a "movie" of our Project from it's beginning through the delivery of the first trailer to Cotes de Fer, and we waited for people to show up...

We didn't have to wait long! Friends from church started trickling in and despite the weather, we had a pretty good turnout. It was a great afternoon of water ice & custard, lots of laughing, renewing of friendships and raising money to help our friends in Haiti. All tolled, we raised over $550.00 that afternoon. Another success!

That brings us to our third fundraiser, which will be held tomorrow night, Thursday, 4/29, from 5-9 p.m. at the Quakertown Red Robin. For anyone who comes into the restaurant with a TFH coupon and buys food and/or beverages (alcohol is excluded), Red Robin will donate 10% of that amount back to the Tents for Haiti Project. That is a win/win proposition- you buy dinner for your family at a place that has awesome food and they give us 10% of whatever you spend!! How do you get a coupon, you ask? Go to this link: http://www.identitypa.com/robin_flyer.pdf

We hope to see you there!

Our last planned fundraiser is a doozy! On Friday night, May 7 we will be holding the "Hope for Haiti Marketplace" in conjunction with "Spade & Trade for Haiti". The "Marketplace" will be held in the West Street Community Center at Souderton Mennonite Church, 105 W. Chestnut St., and there you will find all your favorite Home Party companies. There will be 19 vendors including Pampered Chef, Avon, Silpada, Tupperware, Close To My Heart, Mia Bella Candles, Mary Kay, Uppercase Living, Lia Sophia, Arbonne and more. You can also purchase beautiful notecards by our own 13-yr. old photographer, Mattea Ruth! There will be raffle prizes donated by each of the vendors and also, a bake sale where you can purchase some really wonderful treats!

At the same time all this is going on, we are going to be holding "Spade & Trade for Haiti" out in the lower parking lot. For this event, people who have extra perennials, tubers, etc. will be donating their excess and then anyone who is interested in having new plants for their garden may choose whatever they want and all we ask is a donation in any amount- maybe what you would have to pay for the things you chose in a garden center. If you have plants to donate or questions about this event, please email richdawn.moore@gmail.com. If you just want new plants, don't feel you need to bring plants-anyone can "trade"!

We are anticipating a great night of fun so tell your friends and come on out! We'll be looking for you!!

Christmas in April?

2010-04-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

Since our first trailer load has been delivered and distributed throughout Cotes de Fer and the surrounding area, we have been working on filling our second trailer. We've gotten some great donations again- a friend from the community donated a wheelchair, some walkers and a lot of medical supplies from a relative who passed away- what a great way to honor that person's memory, than to help others! We also received six pallets of wheelchairs, walkers and crutches through the generosity of St. Luke's Hospital in Quakertown!

We anticipate the arrival in our storage facility of about 300+ tents that have been donated through the requests of two local Christian radio stations, WBYN and the WordFM. This is exciting to us to see our community working together to meet the needs of the Haitians as they face the reality of rainy season, combined with having lost their homes to the earthquake.

This week, I experienced what I can only call "Christmas in April"...I had been at church all morning, working on putting relief kits (also lovingly known as "Hope in a Bucket") together. I had to stop because I had run out of Band-Aids. I went to meet Janeen in the park for lunch, then took a car load of supplies over to our storage unit. I then returned to church for my second load of tents and blankets. When I walked into the room we are using to store the "stuff" till we can take it to storage, I could hardly believe my eyes!

There, on the floor, were tons (or so it seemed to me) of buckets full of supplies- and LOTS of Band-Aids!! I was like a little kid as I ripped open bags to find toothbrushes, soap, combs, nail clippers and more.

Where had all this come from, you ask? Well, thanks go to Anita Souder and her students at Quakertown Christian School, who had been collecting these items and took the time to deliver them to the church on Friday.

Again, I am reminded how generous you all are when you are told of a need, whether that need is here at home, or in an island nation far removed from this area. We, at the Tents for Haiti Project, want you to know how much that generosity is appreciated and how thankful we are to live in a place that takes care of its neighbors, no matter where they are located!

We are shifting our focus from collecting items to collecting money to be able to ship these donated items to our friends in Haiti. We are also anticipating the need to possibly purchase some buildng materials in the near future.

If you are interested in donating money to this effort, please email us at tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com or go to our Facebook page "Tents for Haiti Project Donation Page", where you will find a Paypal button so you can donate with just a click! Thanks for all you have done and all you continue to do!

May you be blessed as you have blessed others!

Whew! What a Week!

2010-04-12T08:50:00.000-07:00

Our team is home and very tired, but also very energized by what they saw and experienced last week, when they went to Cotes de Fer, Haiti to distribute the aid that you, our wonderful community, helped us to gather.

Our 53' foot trailer was unloaded into 3 "smaller" trucks and then driven the 4 hours into Cotes de Fer. As you can imagine, the scene was somewhat chaotic as people lined up to receive their items, but it was an organized chaos. The people were so happy to know that they had not been forgotten and that Jim had kept his word to bring relief supplies back to them.

We had been given about 300 Creole Bibles to take down and to the team's "surprise", although, that may not be the right word, many of the people would have cheerfully given up their tent if they would have had to choose between getting a tent or getting a Bible. (For our next trailer load, we definitely need to get more Creole Bibles!)

It was a very emotional time for our team, to see first-hand the conditions these wonderful people were existing in, and to find out that, even in the midst of all this, they hadn't lost hope.

I'm going to put some pictures in this entry, but to see more, please go to our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/photo_search.php?oid=297039035517&view=user#!/group.php?gid=297039035517

We welcome your comments and questions! Feel free to become a fan on Facebook or to email us at tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com

Giving and Receiving Blessings

2010-04-09T06:00:00.000-07:00

This has been an exciting week for the TENTS FOR HAITI Project! We have had a group of 6 persons down in Haiti for the purpose of handing out the supplies our community has so generously donated.

On Monday, when they arrived in Port au Prince, they were fully expecting the trailer to be released from customs within the hour of their arrival. As sometimes happens, things did not go according to plan and the release was delayed...indefinitely, as far as our team was concerned.

They made their way to Passe Bois D'Ormes, where Water For Life is located, and where they would be staying during their week in Haiti.

On Tuesday afternoon/evening, they got word that the trailer had not only been released from customs, but it was already in Veribu, which was about 4 hours outside of Cotes de Fer. When I spoke to Janeen, she told me they were very surprised by this news....they had no idea it had been released from customs, let alone driven so close to where they were! (of course that makes me wonder who drove it out there...with the way things have been going, it may have been God Himself!)

Now the concern was how to get the aid & supplies from the 53' foot trailer to Cotes de Fer, since the roads would never support a vehicle of this size. Janeen asked her husband, Rick, to ask for prayers from home that a smaller truck would be located.

In the entry previous to this one, you can read how God answered this prayer...the same night! So plans were made to meet back early the next morning to begin unloading the trailer into the smaller truck for the 4-hour trip to Cotes de Fer.

(A small side note: the team was in Cotes de Fer Tuesday evening, where they presented a banjo, a gift from one of the original service team members, to Ti Ton Ton, "Little Uncle", - the man whose leg had been severely broken, who our team tried to help in the days after the earthquake. Our team was afraid they'd "left him there to die"...but God intervened and today, he is happy, healthy and bringing music back to the village!)

Wednesday morning, Janeen called me, full of excitement to say that they had a "crew" of about 10 Haitian volunteers who were helping to unload the trailer and she said everyone was so upbeat and cheerful during this whole time. She asked that we pray for continued good weather, as any rain at all would make the dirt road completely unpassable. She also said that they'd be done unloading/loading in about 2 hours and would be on their way back to Cotes de Fer.

We got word last night that the group had been able to hand out about one-half of the aid/supplies. They divided things into 3 smaller trucks- tents, relief kits, misc. other supplies including Creole Bibles. The people reacted with gratitude and joy for what was being given to them. They were all very thankful and humbled to know that there were Americans who cared enough for them to see that they received all this help.

One woman, after receiving her Bible, held it over her head and danced for joy- as if it was the first Bible she ever held. That was very emotionally moving for the members of our team, after all, that's really why we are all doing this- to let these wonderful people know that as much as we love them, God loves them even more and He wants to have a personal relationship with them!

So, as I spoke to Rick this morning, the plan for today was to continue handing out the remaining aid/supplies until this evening when the team will return to Passe Bois D'Orme for a church service there. Afterwards, they will begin packing and getting ready for their trip home tomorrow. Please continue to pray for safe travels for the team and thank you for your prayers and support to this point.

Once the group is back and is able to gather their thoughts, we will be sharing more with you about their trip. This account has been mostly second-hand, and for that I apologize, but this is the best information we have until they get home and can tell us in their own words and show us pictures. Be sure to check back for the "first-hand" accounts!

Also, keep an eye out for news that we are going to be loading our second trailer of aid. It will be happening very soon!! Thanks and God bless!!

All We Need To Do Is Keep Moving Forward...

2010-04-07T05:41:00.000-07:00

Our team arrived safely in Port au Prince, Haiti on Monday, just before noon, and were anxiously awaiting word that our first trailer load of aid had been released from customs, but it seems "The Timing" wasn't quite right...the release didn't come until Tuesday. No big deal- sometimes that's just the way things go in Haiti!

The trailer WAS released on Tuesday, and was able to be taken the 12 hour trip by dirt road to just outside the village of Cotes de Fer. They had to leave it where it was due to the fact that the roads into Cotes de Fer were unpassable for a vehicle of this size.

The next big question for the team was "Where can we get a truck to be able to start to unload the trailer and get this aid in to the people?" As of 7:00 p.m. last night, there were no answers...with a tongue-in-cheek attitude, I posted to our Facebook page last night "ummm.....I hope they told God. He probably has one waiting right around the corner. He's been doing stuff like that! :P"

This morning, I woke to find a response to that posting from Jim Frankenfield, which says, "Yep. Actually prayed for a truck before we left the great people of Cotes de Fer tonite, and during the hour and a half trip back to Passe Bois D'Ormes [where Water For Life is located and where the team is staying], we found a guy along the side of the road who has a truck.....unbelievable...we will meet him early tomorrow morning and try to get some of the stuff across the 4 hour dirt road. This will be a long day."

I'm surprised but I'm so not...it seems that every time we think we are running into a roadblock with this project, God has already been there and figured it out for us...all we need to do is keep moving forward!

So, today, I ask for your prayers for our team as they begin the long and tedious process of unloading the trailer into the truck and driving that long, dusty 4 hours...but then also for the joyful time when they will be hand-delivering the supplies and aid you have helped to provide for tthe people Cotes de Fer.

I'm sure our team is experiencing incredible highs and lows on this adventure and would ask you to keep our friends in Cotes de Fer, and all of Haiti, in your prayers.

The Day Has Finally Arrived!

2010-04-05T04:43:00.000-07:00

Today is the day we've been waiting and praying for...the day our trailer comes out of customs and begins it's trek from Port au Prince to Cotes de Fer, Haiti!

As we have come to find out here in the TENTS FOR HAITI Project, God's timing is perfect. Even as I type this, a group of 6 people from our team are on their way to Haiti, to be in Cotes de Fer when those trailer doors are opened.

For the full story, let me once again quote Jim Frankenfield's Facebook entry- he says it so well...

"Ever since the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, there has been a group of friends and family that have been diligently working to fill the first semi trailer full of tents, food and relief items. Through a series of miracles and God's intervention, this became a reality and our trailer full of Blessings left for Florida, awaiting a ship to take it to Haiti. Due to unforeseen problems at the Florida docks and with the ship, the trailer's journey was delayed.

A group of five of us from here in Pennsylvania and a dear friend in Branson, MO were anxiously trying to come up with a date and time the trailer would be availible in Haiti so we could [book] our flights to coordinate with the release and unloading of the trailer. Nothing seemed to jive, the flights were either too expensive or the wrong time, and the trailer landing date was unknown.

Here is the part of divine intervention. We booked our flight on Delta out of JFK to arrive in Port Au Prince this Monday (April 5) at 11:55 am, not knowing when the trailer would arrive. The ship with our trailer landed in Port Au Prince at 9:00AM Thurs. morning. I just received a phone call tonight (Friday, April 2), from Haiti, telling me that our trailer will be released from Haiti Customs at 11:00 Monday morning, 55 minutes before we land! I consider this a gift from God, and I am grateful that He alone could arrange all of this to fall within 55 minutes-our arrival [in Haiti] and the release of the trailer from Customs.

Please continue to think of us in your prayers as we travel to Haiti to offer our relief and help to our dear friends. Thank You!"

So, there you have it- the story of how God has gone before us every step of the way with this first trailer. We know He will continue to lead us as we fill our second and third trailers and we are grateful for all you, our wonderful neighbors, have donated and done to help us help our Haitian brothers and sisters.

As word and pictures come back from Haiti this week, be sure to check back in. We will post any and all information as we receive it. Please keep this group in your prayers and also the people of Haiti. Thanks again for all your love and support, both for us and for them!

First Trailer En Route to Haiti!

2010-03-28T10:07:00.000-07:00

Word has come that our first trailer has set sail and is on it's way!!

From Jim Frankenfield's Facebook status earlier this afternoon..."The ship actually left Port Everglades, Florida at 2:30 this morning en route to Port Au Prince, Haiti, for arrival March 30, 2010. On April 5, 2010, there are 5 of us going to Haiti to unload this trailer and feed, house, give relief buckets and Bibles for 3,500 people, am I anxious !!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

This is exciting news for us here at TENTS FOR HAITI Project, but we also need to stay focused on what we need to be doing to get the 2nd trailer on it's way! Please help us keep the momentum going forward and also, please pray that the customs process for our first load is expedited and that our team members would have safe travels next week!

I got a really great phone call on Friday from John Yoast, the morning host of another local Christian radio station, WBYN 107.5 FM, and he told me they are giving us 220 tents and he is sending me checks that were sent to the station, which he is signing over to the TFH Project!! Thanks to WBYN and their GM, Doug Meyer- we appreciate your help & support!!

We are so thankful to God and to the great listeners of the station for donating their tents and monies to this cause! God is moving and we are finding doors opening that are helping us in our efforts to send much needed aid to our Haitian friends.

Is there something your business could be doing to help the TENTS FOR HAITI Project? We are open to any suggestions you may have for helping us raise monies to keep financing this project...maybe you could promote a day that your employees could bring their lunches and donate what they would have spent at a restaurant, or maybe you could "charge" a donation for coffee that might normally be free, or maybe you have a service type business that could donate a portion of your proceeds for a certain amount of time.

Any or all of these ideas would be a way to generate funds that are helping to keep people alive- I am not exaggerating about this. During rainy season, especially this year with circumstances being what they are, disease runs rampant. People will die if they are not provided with clean water and medical supplies, both of which our project is able to give them.

Even though we are suffering with a bad economy, we Americans are so blessed. We have more money slip through our fingers in a month than many Haitians will see in a year, or two! What small sacrifice can you make so that a life can be saved? Personally, I stopped getting my nails done so I could donate that money to this project, and believe me when I say this is no small sacrifice for me! Could you make coffee at home and donate whatever you would normally spend on coffee at Wawa for a week? Or could you make dinner at home and donate what you would have spent at dinner at a restaurant for a month, or just a week?

Everybody can do something, in a big way or a small way, and as we are fond of saying "Every motion forward, whether a jump, a step or a crawl, is a move in the right direction."

Please consider a donation to the TENTS FOR HAITI Project- we promise that 100% of the money donated to us will go to Haiti and the Haitian people to help them on the long road to recovery.

Thanks so much for whatever you can do!

Revision of Drop-Off Schedule at Souderton Mennonite Church

2010-03-24T10:08:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you all know that we are revising the drop-off schedule for the West Street Community Center at Souderton Mennonite Church.

There will be NO donations accepted there during the entire week before Easter (March 29-April 2). After that, we will only be open at the WSCC for donations on Saturdays from 9-11 a.m. Those dates are April 10, 17 and 24.

If you, or someone you know, needs to drop off items at a time other than that, please feel free to bring your things to the church office during normal business hours (the entrance is under the carport on W. Chestnut St.). You may also drop off items at any of the other drop-off locations listed in a previous blog entry.

Please help us spread the word of this scheduling change, as we do still want to receive your items as we continue to work to fill our second trailer! Thanks!!

...and a Baby Step Backward...

2010-03-18T08:21:00.000-07:00

This morning, I got word that, in fact, our trailer was NOT on the ship that sailed for Haiti yesterday. While our paperwork was in perfect order, there was a glitch somewhere else that delayed the release of our trailer from the port until next Wednesday, March 24. We don't know why this happened, and to be honest, we are a bit disappointed, but we do know that God is in control of the timing of this whole project and we trust Him to get this aid to the people of Cotes de Fer exactly when they need it.

In that vein, we are going to let God worry about that issue and we will continue doing what we have been doing- collecting tents, tarps, blankets, sheets and hygiene items to load into our second trailer.

We have partnered with the WordFM 88.9, our local Christian radio station, to work together at this process. If you go to their website at www.wordfm.org, you will see all the drop-off locations where donations are being accepted. We'd ask you to patronize these businesses as a way of saying "thank you" to them for working with us and also, when you do, drop something off to send down to Haiti!

When you are at the WordFM's website, you can also listen to the podcast we recorded a couple of weeks ago. Look for "Moms Helping Haiti" and then let us know what you think! We'd love to hear from you, either by posting a comment here or emailing us at tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com

Please keep praying for the people of Haiti and for this project, that we can be the hands & feet of Jesus! Thanks!

Another Step Forward on This Journey...

2010-03-16T11:48:00.000-07:00

Today, another "hurdle" was crossed...our 53' trailer, loaded with tents, food, relief kits and more, made it to the port in Florida on time and breezed through all the checkpoints. The bill of lading was perfect, the documentation all correct, and everything went as smoothly as could be expected!!

So, our 79,500 lbs. of love sets sail for Haiti tomorrow!! (Expected arrival in Port au Prince is March 22 or 23.)

We also extend a HUGE thank you to Glen & Sylvia Derstine, for driving the tractor trailer down to Florida and having it there on time! God continues to bless this project, even in the small things, as we found out that Glen will be able to backhaul a load from Georgia and won't have to return all the way with an empty truck!!

As we anticipate the arrival in Haiti of this first load of supplies, we are so happy to be able to look back on this quest to help the people of Cotes de Fer, but we also must look forward. Our role in this project is far from over and as we look ahead down the road, we again become excited to start all over. We become energized as we discuss the fund-raisers we are planning and as we list the groups, both civic and church, who have come along side us to make "Hope in a Bucket" relief kits.

People stop us wherever we go, and thank us for our efforts in this cause, but if we're to be truthful, most of the thanks goes to you, our community, for catching our vision and helping us run with it. We have become so much more mindful of the generosity of spirit in the people with whom we live and work. Thank you for all you have done and all you continue to do to help us aid our brothers and sisters in Haiti.

A Trailer Loaded With Love

2010-03-14T10:20:00.000-07:00

Wow- what a day we had yesterday. We loaded (and re-loaded) our donated 53' trailer with relief supplies bound for Cotes de Fer, Haiti!

We started out the day with about 30 people all working together- the women made a few more relief kits, then folded and counted blankets, sheets, sleeping bags, sweatshirts, etc., while the men unloaded what had been stored on the trailer, in order to pack it better for the trip

We formed a bucket brigade to load the 435 "Hope in a Bucket" relief kits and then 451 tents, along with food, medical supplies, blankets, etc. and got that trailer all loaded up. It was very emotional to see all that stuff in there! Everyone felt good about things and most of the folks went home, happy that they were part of this adventure.

Then, the trailer was taken to be weighed and we found out we were 1500 lbs. overweight... So, while the excruciating decision was being made what to take off, a few of us pulled out our cell phones and made frantic calls to "re-rally" the troops. We ended up with about 30 people again, but many new faces and new backs!

Once again, items were off-loaded, things removed and then everything else re-loaded. When the last item had been replaced, we all took hands and had a prayer of dedication for the trailer and the items in it, and the trailers doors were closed. This time, the scales showed we were in the acceptable range! Tears flowed, hugs were exchanged, then another trailer was moved into place to hold the items that hadn't fit on this time....but no worries, they will be following very, very soon!

We had a wonderful day of working, singing and praying together and we know that God is going before this trailer to "make the rough places smooth and the crooked places straight"!

This trailer, as of this morning, is on its way to the port in Florida where it will be loaded onto a ship bound for Port au Prince in the middle of this week.

Mission accomplished, "Game Over"? Not by a long shot! We have access to three more trailers and we plan to fill them as well. Relief kits are still being made by local area church groups, donations are still promised from school clubs, businesses are still saving buckets and we are still excited about sending more aid into this devastated country.

We invite you, our community friends, to join our effort. It is very costly to send these items so if you want to donate to our project, you can send money by going to our Facebook page "TENTS FOR HAITI Project Donation Page" and clicking on the "Donate" button, or you can go right to Paypal and send money to tentsforhaiti@ hotmail.com. You can also mail a check made payable in any amount to Souderton Mennonite Church, with "Haiti Relief Fund" on the memo line. Mail it to SMC 105 W. Chestnut St. Souderton PA 18964.

You are also welcome to drop items off at various locations around the area: Indian Valley Public Library, Yours, Mine & Ours Consignment Shop in Telford, Tylersport Post Office, Green Lane Post Office, Double Dipper Deli in Vernfield, Franconia Square Cafe and Market, and of course, Souderton Mennonite Church.

(Email tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com for hours).

Thank you again for your generosity and words of encouragement as we continue to help our brothers and sisters in Haiti!

Two Month Anniversary...

2010-03-12T12:43:00.000-08:00

Today marks the two-month anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti- January 12, 2010.

I can still vividly remember getting the phone call that informed me that there had been a "bad" earthquake...I also remember the fear that gripped me, knowing that my daughter, son-in-law and 25 other very good friends were on that island. We had no idea if they were safe, let alone alive. I got home as quickly as I could, but getting there is a blur. For the next few days, I was glued to CNN and Facebook, as I tried to convey information to other friends so they could pray with and for us. During this time, I was afraid, yet strangely calm, knowing that the group that had gone to Haiti, went there to help others and whatever the outcome of this tragedy for our family & friends, God knew all about it even before it happened. I had to put my children and friends into His hands.

As I thought about what the situation might be for our team, I found some peace in knowing that in the group was a doctor, a nurse, an Army Reservist, plus many others that had been to Haiti before and had made some connections there. This is the first time there has been medical professionals along on a service trip- that in itself is amazing.

When we received word that every person in our group was alive and unharmed, we were so thankful that God had spared them. But then the worry set in anew....now our group was "trapped" in a foreign country with barely passable roads into the capitol city, which now lay in ruins. Prayers began in earnest for a way to get them home. That was what was happening here on our end.

Things were very different for our group in Haiti. Yes, they had experienced the earthquake and the aftershocks, but at first didn't really know what was happening. When they could make sense of it, they simply continued to do what they had gone to do in the first place- help others.

They were able to take rice, vegetable oil and canned meat (some of which was processed here at Christopher Dock High School, through the Mennonite Central Committee's "Canner") to the people of Cotes de Fer, who had lost most of the buildings in their village.

The doctor and nurse were able to treat some of those injured during the quake and many of the women on the team just did what came naturally to them, caring for the women and children of the town.

Later in the week, Dr. Freed and Tom Nace, who is in the Army Reserves, were able to accompnay the doctor and nurses from Labaleine, as they took medical supplies into Port au Prince. The medical professionals were able to attend to some very serious injuries while in Port and Tom was able to go to the Embassy and speak to someone in the military about the needs in Cotes de Fer and Jacmel. This contact with the military gave important information, which then led to the military landing on the south shore of the island and getting much needed aid to the people of Cotes de Fer.

Yes, our group was concerned about how and when they would be able to get home, but they didn't just sit around waiting and wondering. They went to serve the people of Haiti and ended up being exactly where they were supposed to be when they were supposed to be there. The connections made in Cotes de Fer were not by chance- we believe it was a divine appointment and lives were changed, both in Haiti and here at home.

The team did make it home, each forever changed by the events of two months ago. Many of their family members are also changed- we all again realize the importance of reaching out, putting ourselves out there and living lives that give to others. That is what we've been doing with the TENTS FOR HAITI Project- giving our time, our money, our hearts. We each have found that just the time we think we're helping someone else out, WE are the ones who are getting blessed.

Our first trailer is going to be packed and closed tomorrow. We will all have a sense of "mission complete" when that tractor pulls away from the dock and heads to Florida, but we are not done. We already have things ready to load into the second trailer and we are excited to see what more we can do with your cooperation, to help rebuild the lives of the people of Cotes de Fer and beyond.

God bless us all!

I want to help, but what can I do?

2010-03-05T17:09:00.001-08:00

We are looking ahead to March 13, the proposed date to finish loading the first trailer and getting it started on its journey to Cotes de Fer. So this week, we are in our big push to complete 400 health kits.

Each kit will contain the following items:

4 large bars bath soap (leave in wrapping)

1 plastic bottle shampoo (13-24 oz., place in resealable bag)

1 squeeze tube toothpaste (min. 6 oz., leave in box)

4 adult-size toothbrushes (leave in packaging)

4 new bath towels (27" x 52", medium weight, med/dark colors)

2 wide tooth combs/picks (6-8 inches)

1 fingernail clipper

1 box adhesive bandages (min. 40, asst. sizes)

1 pkg. sanitary pads (18-24 thin, small pkg.)

(Right now, we are in desperate need of towels, combs and nail clippers to continue filling kits we have already started!)

Our goal is to give one of these health kits to each family unit along with a tent.

Drop off point for hygiene items are as follows:

Indian Valley Public Library, Telford

Yours, Mine & Ours Consignment Shop, Telford

Tylersport Post Office, Tylersport

Green Lane Post Office, Green Lane

Double Dipper Deli, Vernfield

Franconia Square Cafe & Market, Franconia

Souderton Mennonite Church's West Street Community Center, Souderton

We are also collecting:

Tents: 4 person or larger, in new or good condition, with all parts

Tarps: 8' x 10' or larger, to protect the tents from the elements

Blankets: new or used in good condition & clean, fleece are fine

Sheets: any size, new or used in good condition & clean

Sleeping Bags: clean, used condition

These larger items are only being accepted at the West Street Community Center of

Souderton Mennonite Church, which is located at

105 W. Chestnut St.

Souderton PA 18964

Hours are:

Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7-9 p.m.

Saturdays from 9-11 a.m.

We look forward to meeting many of you as you bring your items to help in this effort. If you'd like to be sure your items get along on this first trailer, we need to have them here before March 13!

Oh yeah! I almost forgot the other thing we need......MONEY!! You can donate financially to our project in a couple different ways, some of which are as easy as sitting at your computer and clicking a button.

If you are on Facebook, go to http://www.facebook.com/pages/TENTS-FOR-HAITI-Project-Donation-Page/358595298265?ref=ts, where you will find a "Donate" button on the left hand side of the page. If you don't have Facebook, you can still go to www.Paypal.com and "send money" to tentsforhaiti@ hotmail.com.

The other way to donate financially is to send us a check in any amount, made out to Souderton Mennonite Church, with "Haiti Relief Fund" or "Tents for Haiti" in the memo line.

All monetary donations are tax deductible and you will receive a letter of receipt from the church.

If you have any questions that haven't been answered here, please contact us at tentsforhaiti@hotmail.com

Thanks and God bless!

So just how is our community connected to the village of Cotes de Fer?

2010-03-01T11:44:00.001-08:00

In our "About Me" section, I made reference to the hurricane that struck Haiti on October 2, 1963, "Hurricane Flora", and the connection to a local block company. That company was Landis Block, of Souderton, and this is the story of how it all fits together.

In early October, 1963, Arlin Hunsberger, who lived part-time in Haiti, but was previously from this local area, was contacted by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), headquartered in Akron, Pennsylvania. He was asked to travel to Port au Prince and check on conditions in the wake of Hurricane Flora, and see if there was any way that Mennonite Disaster Service (MDS) could offer some assistance to the victims.

Following is an excerpt of an email written by Hunsberger's wife, Naomi (nee Derstine), recounting that time.

"Arlin went to Port [au Prince] and contacted the US Military [who were] helping to work on hurricane problems. When he told them he had men who wanted to come to Haiti to help the hurricane victims, they told him they would help him to see what could be done. He flew with them in a US helicopter over the devasted area. They decided to help a village that was completely destroyed. The village was called Cotes de Fer.

MDS sent 15 men down and they took a ship to the village. They had supplies to build houses, cement, wood, food, cots, and blankets- all the things needed to build the village back to what it had been.

They knew they needed to make cement blocks to build the houses. Marvin Landis, from Landis Cement Block in Souderton, designed and built a hand- operated block machine. The men cleaned up the debris, put up tents and got to work. After they left, they left the two machines they had made there and people started to build machines just like Marvin had designed."

Marvin Landis, then plant manager at Landis Block, had designed and built a machine that formed 3 blocks at a time. This machine has been replicated by the Haitians and can still be seen in use all over the area to this day. Marvin was a member of Souderton Mennonite Church and upon his return from Haiti, was able to share his experiences with his friends there.

Forty-seven years later, a team of 27 people, most of whom attended the same church, were on a missions trip to Haiti, working with the Water for Life and Tree of Life ministries when, on January 12, the 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit the island of Haiti. To be more specific, half of the group was in Cotes de Fer the morning of the quake, trying to drill a well near the elementary school. The drill hit sea water and it was determined that there was no clean water to be had, so the well was abandoned. A few hours later, that elementary school sat in ruins.

I recently had the opportunity to speak to Marvin Landis' grandson, Doug Landis, who is still carrying on the family tradition of working at Landis Block. He told me that although he was only six years old at the time of the hurricane, he was proud of his grandfather's involvement in rebuilding Cotes de Fer. He also said that over the years of knowing Jim Frankenfield, the leader of the service team that was in Haiti during this year's earthquake, he finds it ironic or "kind of weird" that Jim and the group would have been in the same village that his grandfather worked so hard to help, at the very time the village would need such help again.

So, here in 2010, once again, the village of Cotes de Fer is in need of being rebuilt. Just as before, people from this community are stepping forward to do what they can to help our "sister" village get back on its feet. Cotes de Fer may seem to be a world away, but through the years, our communities have become connected by heart.

2010-02-28T06:40:00.000-08:00

I'm home from church this morning, sitting with my little girl, who has a fever...so today I'm very thankful for children's Tylenol - I know it will help to bring down her fever, make her feel better, and give me some peace of mind.
This really has me thinking about the moms of Cotes de Fer...how must they feel when their children are sick and they have no medicine to give them, no blankets to wrap them in, nothing to do but hope & pray they recover?
That is another thing that is spurring on the TENTS FOR HAITI Project. All of us on the committee are parents, most of us moms, and we want for the moms of Cotes de Fer what we have- the ability to take care of our kids the way we need to.
These children are the future of Haiti and how we respond to the earthquake will set the precedence for how that country is, going forward. We, here in our community, can make a real difference in the lives of the people of Cotes de Fer, who, just by their nature, will "pay it forward" when they are able.
This is not a community of beggars or folks waiting for hand-outs- they are a hard-working, strong, proud people who have had their lives turned upside down through no doing of their own. All they need is a hand up, and as soon as they are back on their feet, they will begin to help others and create change in their area of influence, which will spread outward.
Won't you lend them the hand they so desperately need right now? Rainy season is upon them and with that comes the threat of sickness...we need to keep gathering much needed hygiene items and whatever medical supplies we can get: betadine, acetominophen, hydrogen peroxide, triple anti-biotic ointment, etc., along with blankets & sheets and tarps.
When you are deciding if you can help, look at your child(ren) and then put yourself into the shoes of the people of Cotes de Fer. Wouldn't you pray for someone to see your need and do something about it? I know I would!

A Word from Jim Frankenfield

2010-02-26T08:44:00.000-08:00

Let me introduce myself, my name is Jim Frankenfield, and I live in Souderton, PA. On January 12, 2010, I had the privilege of being in Haiti, along with 26 of my very close friends. We were about 55 miles from the earthquakes epicenter and about 12 miles from the town of Cotes de Fer, Haiti. Within 48 hours of the quake, a group of us went to the town of Cotes de Fer, where we found the entire town to either be fallen completely to the ground or damaged to the point that the buildings will have to be knocked down. We then went to the mountains on the east and west sides of Cotes De Fer where we found the 3,500 residents living in makeshift shelters. The damage to this town and the friendly faces of 3,500 residents who fled to the mountain for safety has impacted all of us to a degree that I am sure will most probably change our lifestyles forever. I was the one who took the picture which has become the profile picture for this project. If you look real closely under the blanket there is a 3- or 4-week old baby sleeping under his or her "blue house". This baby, unknown to him or her, has been a inspiration to me since I snapped this picture on January 14, 2010.
Now, more than ever, we need your help. With the help and diligence of a multitude of people, this "TENTS FOR HAITI Project" has been undertaken. Because of their work and perseverance, the 1st trailer load of shelter and food is almost ready to ship. On the trailer will be over 400 tents, 8,000 pounds of rice, 50 gallons of vegetable oil, 40 cases of dried milk, 5 gallon buckets, towels and blankets along with other life-sustaining medical supplies and food. We are still in need of blankets, hygiene supplies and other personal articles.
All logistical arrangements have been made for the shippment of the trailer to Haiti and it's transport to Cote De Fer, Haiti along with the safe and fair distribution of the trailer contents when it arrives in Cotes De Fer. All of this is certainly not without a financial burden.
The approximate cost for the shipment alone of this trailer, from Souderton, Pennsylvania to Cotes de Fer, Haiti will fall near the $7,000.00 mark. This figure does not include the contents of the trailer, much of which was purchased with your donated dollars.
A second trailer will be filled with other items after this first trailer is emptied in Cote De Fer and the people of that community will have tents for shelter and the rice for food.
I humbly ask you for your continued support in this cause, for your continued humanatarian efforts to help someone, someone whom you may never even meet while on this earth. I ask you to help the same little baby in the picture, the same little baby whose image I see when I close my eyes every night since January 14, 2010, the day when I took this picture.
All of the folks working on the TENTS FOR HAITI Project are people much like yourself. No one is being paid or is receiving any financial reward or payment of any kind for their efforts and I sincerely thank each and everyone of them for their untiring work.
I kindly and humbly ask that you continue to support this effort as we all go forward in this quest of relief for our Haitian friends. God bless you all.

Lots of Community Support!

2010-02-26T05:00:00.001-08:00

When we first began this TENTS FOR HAITI Project, we knew we couldn't do it alone. We began going to community groups, media outlets and local businesses. The response has been both humbling and overwhelming! We currently have a list of 23 area businesses who have stepped up and either given us outright donations, or they have helped us by giving items at a reduced price, or they've allowed us to put collection boxes at their places of business!
We presently have 3 collection boxes out for you, as community members, to help with the hygiene items listed in the previous entry. The boxes are located at the Indian Valley Public Library, the Tylersport Post Office and Yours, Mine and Ours Consignment Shop in Telford. We thank these businesses for partnering with us and we ask that when you visit them, you would bring along an item for the collection box.
If you are a business owner and would like to have a collection box placed at your location, please contact us! We'd love to hear from you!
Little by little, step by step, we can help the people of Cotes de Fer start to rebuild their lives!

Birth of the TENTS FOR HAITI Project- Pt. 1

2010-02-25T15:48:00.000-08:00

The TENTS FOR HAITI Project was born out of the feeling of responsiblity Jim Frankenfield felt for the villagers of Cotes de Fer. You see, the morning of the earthquake, Jim and some from his group were in Cotes de Fer, preparing to drill a well near the town's elementary school. The hope was that this well could offer clean drinking water to the town. When they encountered sea water, they realized the well would not produce clean water, so they abandoned that well. A few hours later, the earthquake hit the island of Haiti.

Two days after the earthquake, at the nudging of their Haitian driver, Reynaud, the group returned to Cotes de Fer to see how the town had fared. The team found a town whose buildings had either been decimated, or were too structurally damaged to be inhabited. Most of the people had fled the town, but they did find one man, sitting on his porch, with a severely broken leg. The doctor that was with our group did what he could for this man- gave him some pain medication and some money so that someone could buy him some food, but beyond that, there was nothing more they could do. He needed to be at a hospital, but under the circumstances a ride to the nearest clinic would have killed him. So, very reluctantly, they left the man there, sure that the next time they passed by him, he would no longer be alive.

Leaving the town, the group headed up the mountain to find the remaining townspeople, who had fled to a higher elevation, due to the overwhelming fear of tsunami. The people had erected a make-shift tent village of blankets, sheets and sticks, where they huddled together in fear.

After seeing the living conditions of these people, the service team headed back to where they were staying, pooled their money and sent Jim off to buy whatever food he could find. He came back with 550 lbs. of rice,12 gallons of vegetable oil and some meat, canned by Mennonite Central Committee. Some of the team members set to work dividing the rice into smaller bags and pouring the vegetable oil into cleaned out soda bottles that someone had saved up. The women on the team got items together to make newborn kits for the babies that were up on the mountain. When all was completed, they headed back up the mountain to give the food and supplies to the leader of the village for distribution.

After leaving the folks up on the mountain top, they headed back to their camp but avoided the town, because they were afraid they would see the man with the broken leg had died, and none of them wanted to have to see that. They all went with very sad, very heavy hearts.

Days later, on the way to the airport, one of the team members was able to get word to the military about the town of Cotes de Fer and that they needed assistance as soon as possible...

The Saturday after the team had returned home, they gathered at Jim's house for a time of reflection and debriefing. Our pastor, Gerry Clemmer, was there and brought word that someone had sent him an email he wanted to share. When Jim opened the link in that email, he couldn't believe his eyes. There was a picture of the man from Cotes de Fer who had had the broken leg and who the team thought they had left there to die. He was propped up against a wall, with a clean white tee shirt on and a cast on his leg. Wow- what a gift from God for our group to see that the Marines had, in fact, landed on the south side of the island and brought aid to the people of Cotes de Fer and also that they were able to treat those injured, including the man that weighed so heavily on the hearts of those who had tried to treat him! Of all the 27 or so patients that were treated in the makeshift hospital, what are the odds that the one patient photographed would be "their man"?

God IS good- all the time!

Much like our community...

2010-02-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

The village of Cotes de Fer was much like our community right up until the minute of the devastating earthquake. The town had schools, churches and small businesses up and running just like in our community. Every time my dad, Jim Frankenfield, traveled through this community, he thought of the similarity to our Souderton/Telford community. At present, these strong beautiful people are living under make-shift sheet tents and it is starting to rain. I can't even imagine. We, at the TENTS FOR HAITI Project, are in immediate need of blankets, towels and hygiene products to send down to our friends in Cotes de Fer. Each of us has something we can give, this community needs our help, and we would love you to help us help them in any way you can.

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

2010-02-25T09:22:00.000-08:00

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