South Florida Haiti Project announces three new programs

The site of the SFHP housing project in Bondeau, Haiti.

The South Florida Haiti Project (SFHP), a coalition that includes St. Gregory’s, Boca Raton; St. Paul’s, Delray Beach; Holy Spirit, West Palm Beach; and Good Shepherd, Tequesta, in partnership with Ste. Marie Madeleine parish in Bondeau, Haiti, has recently begun three new programs.

David Gury of St. Gregory’s, co-chair of the diocesan Haitian Recovery Committee and a member of the executive committee of SFHP, describes these new initiatives:

1) Building a model housing unit with four rooms to accommodate four families along with a latrine with separate doors for each unit. This is being constructed on property owned by Ste. Marie Madeleine, Bondeau. If this unit is successful, we plan to raise funds to acquire additional land, and build additional units for between $3,000 and $4,000 per family room. For people sleeping with a blue tarp as their roof and walls, this will be a huge improvement.

2) Establishing a trade school at Bondeau using the existing schoolrooms after regular school time. This requires an initial investment in training equipment for electrical, plumbing and tile design and installation. The initial investment is being funded from the South Florida Haiti Project funds of $11,000. The cost of instructors, expense for feeding and training between 50 and 100 students from the Bondeau community for three months, including apprentice time, is $19,000 for the class. SFHP has received funding for this from the Haiti fund of Episcopal Charities of Southeast Florida. With the loss of many people from the building trades in the earthquake, as well as the loss of trade school buildings, this project has significant importance for reconstruction times in Haiti, and will also provide needed job training for people without other opportunities.

3) St. Gregory's has an endowment fund to support seminarians, the Helena von Kreuter Seminarian Fund. Through the South Florida Haiti Project, a request was made and approved by the St. Gregory's vestry to support three Haitian seminarians with $2,000 per year for up to three years. This could be a total grant of $18,000 over three years for seminary support. While the seminary of the Diocese of Haiti was destroyed in the earthquake, there are currently 17 seminarians continuing their studies in temporary facilities until more permanent facilities are built. With so few clergy currently serving in the Diocese of Haiti, the need for seminarians studying to become deacons and priests is vital for continuing to build up the Church in Haiti. “Church” in this case refers to the people rather than the buildings. The financial support from the von Kreuter Fund has been very significant for seminary students in the Diocese of Southeast Florida in the past. Including the Diocese of Haiti in this seminarian support is a significant part of our relationship with Haiti.