Earthquake in Haiti

As you’ve likely heard, Haiti was hit by a 7.0 earthquake-- the most powerful to hit Haiti in a century -- shortly before 5 p.m. which was centered about 10 miles southwest of the capital city of Port-au-Prince. As of this hour, at least 17 aftershocks have occurred, with more than 7 of those over a 5.0. Haiti is one of the poorest, most densely populated and least developed countries in the western hemisphere. 80% of residents live in poverty.

All reports we’re hearing anticipate there will be significant loss of life and injury as a result of the earthquake, and further damage is expected as the mountains continue to slide off the mountainside due to the deforestation the country has experienced. There is an obvious state of chaos, on a regular daily basis, however now there is even more as children have been separated from families and the widespread devastation in and around Port-au-Prince is making search and rescue difficult.

Many have contacted Sweet Sleep to ask if they could help make a monetary donation. We are grateful for such a desire to help. We encourage everyone to be in prayer at this hour for the rescue attempts being made now and over the next several days. Sweet Sleep is not an emergency response ministry, meaning we are not involved in the current search and rescue work. We do however have ministry partners on the ground and orphanages we have worked with, have relationships with or have visited with--- which already had an extreme need for beds. Our ministry hopes to provide for those children with an emergency need. Sweet Sleep expects to be responding to this need for weeks and months to come. We’ll only be able to respond with whatever designated gifts for Haiti come in to our ministry. We will continue to update people on this as much as possible.

We are confident of our relationships with other organizations and ministries on the ground and of our ability to get the necessary funds to them to provide beds and bedding for this emergency need. Emergency monetary gifts can be made to Sweet Sleep and designated “Haiti” in the memo line or special comments box if donations are made online. The mailing address is below, as is the website for credit card donations (www.sweetsleep.org/donate) .

Below is a report tonight from one of our partners in Haiti that Sweet Sleep provided beds to last Christmas after their orphanage suffered rock and mud slides from the 2008 hurricanes:

"its crazy. we can here people wailing and crying. we know a lot of big buildings have fallen. we watched the mountain above the orphanage split. i have never experienced anything like this before. all of the nannies and kids are sitting out in the middle of our compound. a neighbor has already come over for medical help. i don't have words to express." -- Hands and Feet orphanage, Jacmel, Haiti ( south coast)

Again, thanks for your desire to help and for your prayers for this urgent situation. If you have a question about your donation, please don’t hesitate to email or call.

Mail to:
Sweet Sleep
P.O. Box 40486
Nashville, TN 37204-9998
T: 615.730.7671
Designate memo: "Haiti"

Email: jennifer@sweetsleep.org

Online: www.sweetsleep.org/donate
Special comments box: Haiti

Thanks so much,
Jen

photo by Frederick Dupoux/Getty Images