Highlights

Octoberber 08

Phil Snyder - Editor

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SOS Haiti: Disaster Everywhere SOS

This is the worst storm disaster I’ve ever seen in Haiti!

I was in Haiti when Tropical Storm/Hurricane Hanna hovered over us for 30 hours dumping a steady heavy rain. It started late afternoon on Monday, September 1. By 8:30 p.m. there were rivers on both sides of my house. By 10 p.m. my house was an island and the downstairs was beginning to flood.

We were holding one of our bi-annual teacher seminars at Grande Gode. There were 30 or 40 rural teachers sleeping in the classrooms that night. The high winds blew the heavy rains unabated through the open windows. Everyone who stayed there was soaked to the bone by morning.

Kalico Hotel was flooded out. The Montrouis river flooded, damaging and destroying homes as far back in as LaKoline where 39 homes were reported affected and 2 people were killed. Fonde Baptiste area: 612 homes damaged or destroyed, 4 lives lost. St Marc and the Artibonite: 425 homes damaged or destroyed, 23 lives lost. Cabaret: 62 homes damaged or destroyed, 60+ lives lost. The list goes on and on. These are first reports and are probably minimal!

We have to respond! We must do everything we can to help these people recover from these storms.


Please take this report to your church, the human resource department where you work, local civic groups, newspapers and friends. Send this e-news link to people you know. Together we can implement a plan to save lives and secure hope for recovery. Links to news stories and pictures will be posted online as well.

http://disasterrelief.glowmi.org/index.html

Here is what a couple newspaper articles had to say in brief:

Haiti's food crisis deepens after floods

By JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Writer Fri Sep 19, 3:54 PM ET

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Four tropical storms have wiped out most of Haiti's food crops and damaged irrigation systems and pumping stations, raising the specter of acute hunger for millions in the impoverished country.

"The system of agriculture has been destroyed," Agriculture Minister Joanas Gue told The Associated Press. Aid agencies and diplomats also say Haiti desperately needs help to avert mass hunger.

Coping with hunger, disease

Schools that were supposed to open in early September are still filled with refugees fighting over scraps of food aid. Much of Gonaives, the nation's fourth largest city, remains flooded and without electricity. Malaria and other diseases are beginning to spread.

"The scope of this is frankly unimaginable in many countries," said U.S. Ambassador Janet Sanderson. "A lot of the progress of the last couple of years has been swept away by these waters."

Dire warnings

Food prices in some hard-hit cities have been pushed to even greater heights. After Ike, which brushed by Haiti on Sept. 7, the cost of U.S.-imported rice had doubled in Gonaives to $5.38 for a large can. For millions of Haitians already facing malnutrition, a daily bowl of rice has become too expensive.


Haiti overwhelmed by disaster

HAITI'S Government and the UN mission to the impoverished Caribbean nation are overwhelmed by the scale of the disaster left by four recent storms, the UN's special envoy to Haiti said overnight.

Hedi Annabi called on the international donor community to take extraordinary measures to help the poorest country in the Americas, which was hammered in the space of a month by tropical storms Fay and Hanna and hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

Together they killed more than 600 people.


We Have To Have A Plan

In the aftermath of these four storms, Haitians everywhere are forced to recover their losses on their own. There is no government programs, no FEMA, no insurance, little or no personal savings. The timing of these storms could not have been worse; Haiti was just entering its harvest season. Gardens are traditionally their primary “investment,” and the fall harvest is most important because the farmers use the money to put their children back in school. It has been reported that these storms “have wiped out most of Haiti's food crops and damaged irrigation systems and pumping stations.” "The system of agriculture has been destroyed," Agriculture Minister Joanas Gue told The Associated Press. Aid agencies and diplomats also say Haiti desperately needs help to avert mass hunger.

How GLOW is Responding

GLOW responded immediately following these storms. We put $8,000.00 into disaster relief through our 4 Haitian directors. They sought out the most critical needs at that time and provided assistance in the forms of food and water to many who were suffering. Those funds have been exhausted.

We currently have close to $27,000.00 which has been received in the past 10 days designated to “disaster relief.” On Monday, September 22, GLOW will use this money to initiate work programs in Haiti which will create an estimated 1,500 temporary jobs in 6 areas of our “ministry footprint*. “ These projects will be focused in the deeper rural areas which have been hardest hit and will include rebuilding roads and irrigation which have been washed out.

Normally** we do these projects in crews of 50 which include 4 or 5 women who cook a meal for the workers each work day. These crews average 3 days a week and will earn approximately $7.00 US for the week. This is minimum wage for Haiti. We have had road crews on work projects under these circumstances (though not disaster related) and found them to be extremely motivated. I believe this is an excellent way to help them help themselves:

Eat

Buy what they need to fix their homes

Recoup losses of gardens and livestock

Get their kids into school

Recover with dignity

This will cost approximately $9,000.00 per week at 1,500 workers. At that rate we will be able to operate this program for 3 weeks with what we currently have available in our budget.

The Effect Of These Storms Will Be With Us For Months To Come!

I believe we have to take action now to avert impending crisis in the upcoming months.

Target Fundraising Goal: $300,000.00

$125,000.00 Purchase, ship, store and distribute 3 containers of food, approximately 2.5 million meals over the next 4 months, in our service neighborhood* where food insecurity is most critical. WE have the possibility of assistance with delivery from the U.S. Navy.

$50,000.00 Purchase a second heavy duty vehicle to deliver food and materials. We can then split our service area* into North/South and work effectively on either side of the buckled bridge in Montrouis.

$25,000.00 Provide seed and livestock recovery options delivered to critical areas in our service area*.

$40,000.00 Purchase and deliver building materials, mostly cement and roofing metal as needed in our service area*.

$60,000.00 Extend the work crews accordingly throughout the remainder of this year in order to assist the economy through the recovery period.


Designate your check or money order to DR (Disaster Relief). You may also

contribute online at

http://glowmi.org


Donate Now

GLOW service area highlighted in red >>>>

Three Cheers for Our GLOW-LYMPICS! Champions


Gold medals are for athletes who run their race well. Eternal crowns are for those whose lives are hidden in Christ. Our supporters deserve both for the lovingkindness they have shown to our Haitian Family as they planned , prepared, and carried out their own respective GLOW-LYMPICS! Events.

I’m going to start with a guy who deserves to hear a chorus of “Jolly Good Fellow” because of the hard work and excellent planning he did to organize the 1st Annual GLOW Classic Golf Scramble. Our thanks to Brian Booth of Des Plaines, IL for reaching out to west Michigan to prepare, and to the 35 people who registered to participate in the event. We experienced heavy rains for about three days, so unfortunately, the scramble was cancelled. Next year, I hope we’ll have another opportunity to reschedule this fine time of fellowship and fundraising. I echo Brian’s disappointment: I was mostly looking forward to spending time with others who love Haiti as much as we do!


Heather spent a sunshiny afternoon at a local art fair selling her custom made beaded jewelry. We appreciated being able to share needs and mud cookie recipes with our visitors.

Our “Drive In” Movie Nights have been a lot of fun! Families got a little damp sitting on the grass, but cuddling under the blankets with our kiddies kept us nice and cozy. We munched popcorn, sipped hot cocoa, and tried to keep the kids from eating too much candy.

We have been blessed by the true generosity shown by God’s people in support of these events! My hopes have been proven right, that people really do care and they DO want to help, sometimes they just don’t know how!


Coming Up Next: Food, Music & Sold!


Faith Weaver of West Chester, PA will benefit GLOW through a special day at Dream Dinners on September 29. She’ll share photos and information about our programs in her store!

Jennifer Diel continues to run her eBay Auction Open Hands Open Hearts. Anyone wishing to donate an item may contact her directly. Jen’s # 616 738 7513 or parisdiel@chartermi.org . This is an ongoing event till through October.

Several families are planning to do Garage Sales coming up soon, too.

Don’t forget! Amber Snyder is excited to hear from you as you BRAINSTORM to create your own GLOW-LYMPICS! Event. She’d like to do some fun things for the kids who visit Pumpkinfest, Zeeland, MI; first weekend in October. Call if you’d like to help us! 616.283.9616


GLOW Benefit Concert –October11, 2008, 7PM


Please join us for this special evening of great music by three fine musicians; Micah Voter, Dave Purnell and Kimmy Snyder. This event will be held at Lokers Auditorium inside Cityside Middle School on East Main Street in Zeeland, Michigan. Proceeds will benefit children in our schools and families who have lost so much in the recent storms.


A very special thank you to Ian Vanderhill for his willing heart and fine artwork on the GLOW-LYMPICS! and Bold Challenge brochures. He answered an ad on Craigslist and has blessed us ever since!