September 9, 2008

After 33 years of working with poverty-stricken communities across Haiti, the Christian Reformed World Relief Committee is facing serious setbacks in many target communities. Recent hurricanes have flooded crops, damaged homes, and threatened livelihoods. The agency is responding with food and clothing for those most in need.

"The soil was already saturated with rain from Fay and Gustav when Hannah hit," reported CRWRC Haiti country director Ad De Blaeij late last week. "So all of the rain rushed down the mountains and flooded the plains and valleys....While many southern towns flooded last week after Gustav made landfall near Jacmel, Hannah created flooding in the north....Nearly all areas of Haiti have been hit."

According to de Blaeij, all of CRWRC's Haitian partner agencies have reported damage in their project areas. Since many Haitians had little to start with before the hurricanes hit, they are now thrown into an even more dire crisis. Fortunately, CRWRC's well-established network of church and community leaders enable staff and partners to respond immediately in communities when disaster strikes.

International relief program manager Ken Little said yesterday that CRWRC's church partners in the affected areas are already in action. "One of our larger responses is in Gonaives, which was really devastated by the floods. There, we are working with Ebenezer Mission to care for six hundred people who sought refuge from the storms in the Mission's school and hospital yards."

In all, CRWRC is providing food and roofing supplies to approximately 3,000 hurricane survivors in Gonaives, Port-au-Prince (Fort Mercredi), Petit Goave, Jacmel, Cayes, Croix des Bouquettes, and Meyer.

Financial donations for CRWRC's "Hurricanes 2008" response can be made online at http://www.crwrc.org or by calling 616-241-1691. Checks designated "Hurricanes 2008" can be mailed to CRWRC, 2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI, 49560.

Members of the Press seeking contacts about CRWRC's hurricane response in Haiti, call Ken Little, CRWRC international relief program manager, at 1-800-730-3490.

For more information about CRWRC's work in Haiti or disaster response, community development and justice education programs,visit http://www.crwrc.org/, or call 1-800-55-CRWRC.

CRWRC is a Christian, nonprofit organization of the Christian Reformed Church in North America ministering in development, relief and justice education with people in need around the world. CRWRC is currently active in more than 30 countries and has a 45-year international reputation for "helping people help themselves."

Christian Reformed World Relief Committee