Where we serve
Holding Hands with Haiti is involved with a national Catholic “parish twinning program” where St Stephen’s Parish in East Grand Rapids, Michigan is paired with St Francis of Assisi Parish in Cerca La Source, Haiti. Cerca La Source is a rural village high in Haiti’s Central Plateau, close to the Dominican Republic border, yet vastly different. Haiti is only an hour and half plane ride from Miami, Florida.

Why we serve
We support the “twinning program” with St. Francis in Haiti because it follows the mission and vision statements of St. Stephen’s church. “To know, love, and serve God through Jesus Christ with the St. Stephen Catholic Community”. “Like Christ we will administer to each other, evangelize, and be an advocate for justice.”

The Problems
The main problem for the people of Cerca La Source is hunger & poverty. Many families eat sporadic, meager meals within a week. For some children, the meal provided by the parish school is their only meal for the day. Families live in overcrowded shacks & buildings with limited clean water access. Disease and poverty perpetuate. Another issue is lack of a complete basic education. Saint Francis School in Haiti, now goes to 8th grade. For most children, there is no option to continue their education.

What is Being Accomplished?
Holding Hands with Haiti has used your donations to help the people of Cerca la Source. St Francis parish school serves over 1200 children. The school curriculum includes reading, writing, arithmetic, religion, and music each day. Thanks to our monthly donations, the teachers now have a small stipend for their efforts and the students are fed one hot meal. Clothing, shoes, and school supplies have been sent to the school and families as well. We continue to support the needs and growth of the school and parish based on monthly donations. In addition to this, many people of St Stephen’s donated money to purchase a large generator, which now provides light & electricity for the entire school & parish.

Ongoing needs
We need to sustain $2000 per month in donations to fulfill our commitment. For extra projects, the school needs repairs; there is a limited play area for the students and more teachers are needed. Continuing education is necessary for students & teachers. The rectory is dilapidated and a new one needs to be built. Many Haitians aspire to have economic sustainability. Medical and dental support is desirable to support the local clinic. Water purification is an essential basic need for all people in Cerca La Source.

Reasons to Help
We are serving the poorest of poor who are of equal dignity and value. Our small gifts improve their everyday life. This puts hope, happiness & a sense of appreciation into the Haitian people. They have a strong spiritual faith in spite of their limited material wealth. They share a mutual interest in St. Stephen’s Parish, culture & faith. In turn, this strengthens our own spiritual development and fulfillment too. The Haitians cannot do it alone. It takes many hands to lighten the load.