Are you looking for worthy recipient of your Giving Tuesday donation? Consider Haiti Outreach Mission (HOM), in particular to support their solar power project for the Medical & Dental clinic in Mirebalais, Haiti. Write a check to St. Clare’s (or give using another method as described at saintclareschurch.org/give) with “Haiti Solar” in the memo. Read on for an update on HOM’s work in Haiti.
Background: HOM is a 501c3 organization of 6 Catholic and Episcopal churches, including St. Clare’s, dedicated to helping the people, especially the children, of Mirebalais, Haiti. Partners in Mirebalais are St. Louis Catholic Church (Fr. Romel, Pastor) and St. Pierre Episcopal Church (Fr. Alphonse, Rector). HOM supports the St. Pierre Medical & Dental Clinic with donations to pay the staff and provide supplies, and the Eau St. Louis water purification system that supplies clean drinking water at a fraction of other suppliers.
2023 Update: Haiti is still in turmoil and one of the gangs currently from Port-Au-Prince made it to Mirebalais. However the residents of the town retaliated and defended it so Thank God our friends in Mirebalais are safe. Please continue to pray for them and for Haiti.
HOM has recently sent money for Fr. Alphonse to get medications for the clinic as he is not able to go to the Dominican Republic to get them and the quality of the drugs available there has declined. No one can go to Port-Au-Prince right now to do anything because of the danger from the gangs.
HOM has also contributed to covering the salaries of the staff at the St. Pierre school where the inability of the Mirebalais residents to work has reduced their ability to pay the school fees and Fr. Alphonse has been trying to enroll children who are refugees from the less safe parts of Haiti into the school in order to keep them safe from being recruited by gangs.
HOM recently installed a solar power system at the St. Louis rectory and church consisting of 9 solar panels and 12 storage batteries. The electrical power grid in Mirebalais has essentially ceased functioning. Power has only been available from private generators and the diesel fuel is difficult to obtain and costs around $38 USD per gallon on the black market. The solar system provides electricity 24/7 with very little maintenance. Phase II of the solar project will focus on the clinic, which requires a larger system due to the greater needs of the medical equipment.