HAITI: A Report From Sweet Sleep’s President and Founder, Jen Gash

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake forever changed Haiti and the lives of those who call it home. It also changed the work that Sweet Sleep does there.

Sweet Sleep’s work in Haiti began simply yet in response to an emergency. In 2008, Haiti suffered from one hurricane after another. As a result of hurricanes and driving rains, a mountain on the coastal town of Jacmel essentially slide into the earth below---burying an orphanage that sat in its shadow. The call for help went out. Sweet Sleep responded by giving beds to a dozen little ones that Christmas.


Scarcely more than a year later, the unimaginable happened. The lives of, and ministry to, the people of Haiti changed forever. Immediately, Sweet Sleep mobilized itself and---with the help of friends and partners like you---our swift emergency response provided 5,400 pounds of food; 2,111 Bibles; 5,574 articles of children’s clothing and shoes; over 7,400 medical items; 12,236 baby wipes, 16,268 diapers and 6,034 bedding units.



Today marks the first of many hard anniversaries yet to come. It also marks a milestone where we can look back and see the impact Sweet Sleep is making in the lives of the country’s youngest survivor’s.

Sweet Sleep has been diligently working to show God’s concern for the orphaned children in Haiti. Dozens of people joined Sweet Sleep’s teams last year. Countless numbers of you have prayed for Haiti. Through our monthly prayer updates and in churches across the United States, Canada, the UK and Australia children and youth have been led through our “Build-a-Bed” and “INSOMNIA” events, which we’ve customized for Haiti.





In post-quake Haiti, Haitians struggle to find jobs in order to provide for their families. Sweet Sleep has two Haitian staff and employs a handful of other Haitians who manufacture our beds. Empowering people in the communities where we work is one of our core values. In Haiti, it’s not just a value; it’s a necessity.


Within the first two months of the earthquake, Sweet Sleep provided 6,034 beds. As children have resettled into newly rebuilt orphanages, Sweet Sleep has provided an additional 1,585 beds, bringing the total number of beds we’ve provided to orphans since the earthquake to 7,619.




We welcome you to join us as we continue providing beds to the thousands of orphaned and abandoned children in Haiti. Our work will be marked by many milestones yet to come. Be a part of it. Join us on a trip to share love, hope and comfort to Haiti’s orphans. For trip dates, click here. To provide comfort, health and love by giving an orphan a place to sleep, click here.

Thank you for your continued support of our work in Haiti. Together, we're rebuilding children's lives in Haiti.

Sweetly,

Jen Gash
President and Founder

P.S. As we remember Haiti today, I invite you to join me in a time of prayer this afternoon. Our friends and partners at the Christian Alliance for Orphans have put together a one-hour virtual prayer gathering beginning at 3 pm CST (4 pm EST). Anyone can attend – so tell your friends. We hope you’ll join us from the comfort of your own chair as we help guide you through different areas of prayer for Haiti. Registration is required, and you can do so here. You’ll be given a simple user code to sign into the online prayer time where you’ll find resources for this time of prayer which we’ve prepared. If you're not around a computer or phone, please be sure to take a moment to lift up our friends in Haiti in prayer today.