Haiti

After the terrible tragedy of the January 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti and buried almost 300,000 souls beneath badly built houses and buildings, something remarkable but unsurprising happened. In the face of great tragedy and at a time of great economic stress at home, Catholics across the country responded as they've never responded before. The morning after the quake, the offices and agencies represented here put in place a response plan. It started with a request from Cardinal George and Cardinal Dolan for a Special Collection for Haiti Relief to be taken up in all dioceses on the weekend after the quake for humanitarian aid and to rebuild church structures.

Highlights from Our Efforts in Haiti

Reconstruction of the Church in Haiti

Now, three years later, the reconstruction of the church in Haiti is going strong.

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Proche - Rebuilding Haiti

In April, 2011 Proche (the construction unit in Haiti) has published the first version of its construction project submission form and distributed it to Haitian dioceses, parishes, and congregations for their use. The form, in French, collected basic information that was used to approve and prioritize projects for study and execution. Proche is now funding and working on over 40 projects in Haiti.

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Rebuilding Haiti an unprecedented challenge | Clarion Herald

Archbishop Aymond of New Orleans and Bishop Malone of Portland, Maine represented de U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services at the earthquake Anniversary Mass January 12, 2011 in Port-au-Prince. From the Clarion Herald, the New Orleans archdiocese newspaper, here is an account and a reflection on what they saw in Haiti. A moving "reality check", no doubt.

Haiti: A Year Later | CRS Voices

Catholic Relief Services President, Ken Hackett, reports on his impressions after a recent trip to Haiti one year after the earthquake. The resilience and creativity of Haitians and their determination to rebuild a better Haiti struck him deeply and made him proud of the role CRS is playing in aiding the local people.

From Rubble to Reconstruction

By John Rivera
Catholic Relief Services

A few months ago, a group of neighbors representing some 40 families in the Port-au-Prince community of Delmas 62 banded together and knocked on the door of Catholic Relief Services' office in Delmas 81 to ask for help. Displaced from their homes after the earthquake, they were living in a nearby camp and wanted to move back.

Participants in CRS' Rubble to Reconstruction program break rubble into gravel and sand. CRS is mixing the gravel and sand with cement to build foundations for transitional shelters. Photo by Benjamin Depp for CRS "I knew CRS would be able to help us," says Raphael Altide, who emerged as a leader among her neighbors. They took a collection for bus fare to pay for the expedition to the CRS office. "We said, 'If there's anything you can do, please help us'. And they responded."

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Efforts to Support Haiti

Efforts to support the people of Haiti with the United States federal government are listed below.