You’re probably expecting a report about my recent trip to provide beds for orphans in northern Uganda this Christmas. However, right now, as you know, there is an immediate need in Haiti because of the 7.0 earthquake -- the most powerful to hit Haiti in 200 years. The quake virtually destroyed the capital city of Port-au-Prince, where more than two million people live. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere and is also the most densely populated and least developed, with 80% of residents living in poverty.
For more than a year, Sweet Sleep has been working to establish partnerships on the ground in Haiti to develop our ministry there. We began providing beds to local orphanages late last year. In November, our operations manager and I traveled to Haiti where we met with several ministry partners and dozens of orphanages in the areas directly impacted by yesterday’s earthquake. Of course Sweet Sleep will continue our commitment to provide for the bed and bedding needs of these orphans.
This morning, we received a message from a friend at one of the orphanages:
"It’s crazy. We can hear 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)
Many of you have already contacted Sweet Sleep to ask if you can help with a monetary donation. We are grateful for such a desire to help. While Sweet Sleep is not an emergency response ministry, meaning we are not involved in the current search and rescue work, we encourage everyone to be in prayer at this hour for the rescue attempts being made now and over the next several days.
At this very moment, we’ve been asked by our partners at the Global Orphan Project to help provide beds and bedding to the thousands of children who were orphaned through this disaster. We’ll only be able to respond with whatever designated gifts come into our ministry for Haiti. Monetary gifts can be made to Sweet Sleep and designated “Haiti” in the memo line or special comments box if donations are made online.
Send your emergency aid donations to:
Sweet Sleep
P.O. Box 40486
Nashville, TN 37204-9998
T: 615.730.7671
Designate memo: "Haiti"
Online: www.sweetsleep.org/donate
Special comments box: Haiti
Once the search and rescue phase of the recovery is complete, Sweet Sleep continue to work with our ministry partners and various orphanages to provide beds for children who were in need long before the earthquake struck… as well as the many more who will find themselves orphaned from this catastrophe. Sweet Sleep expects to be responding to this need for months and years to come.
Again, thanks for your desire to help and for your prayers during this urgent situation. We will continue to update people on this as much as possible. If you have a question about your donation, please don’t hesitate to email or call.
Thanks so much,
Jen
615-730-7671
jennifer@sweetsleep.org
P.S. Look for my report from Uganda in the next few weeks, along with more updates about our work in Haiti.
Photo courtesy of timeinc.net.
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