HFI Team to Establish Operations in Haiti

Hope Force International announces a significant step forward in Haiti post-earthquake recovery efforts!

Eighteen months after one of the most devastating natural disasters of our lifetime, Haiti remains in the strong grip of tragic loss and poverty. During this time, Hope Force has provided ongoing relief efforts for the village of Sous Savanne -- located near the epicenter of the killer earthquake. These efforts have included the provision of disaster relief tents for families and operating a Child Sponsorship program with more than 80 families receiving food supplements each month -- benefiting approximately 600 people. A recent medical initiative and community health outreach brought quality healthcare to many families in the village. We have witnessed the benefit of partnerships with other agencies as permanent homes have been provided for some of the families.

Our commitment to serve the people of Haiti and Sous Savanne has grown stronger with each undertaking. Hope Force International is now taking steps to place a long-term team in Haiti to assist with ongoing initiatives. New HFI staff members, René and Marianne Lako, will represent "boots on the ground" in Haiti -- with the goal of receiving teams and facilitating projects. An initial preparation and set up phase is planned from August 21 ? September 28. The Lakos then plan to begin the long-term phase of our work October 14.

Jack and Cherie Minton, co-founders of Hope Force have known and worked with the Lakos for more than 25 years. During the recent outbreak of tornados across the USA, the Lakos were deployed and filled vital roles of leadership, helping to open up pathways of service to many of our Reservists. Additionally, Rene and Marianne served in Haiti for most of 2010 -- living in tents for several weeks in the initial aftermath of the earthquake. Both went back to Haiti with Hope Force teams in January and April 2011.

Our anticipated programmatic activities for the future work in Haiti include:

Housing: Adequate housing is still the greatest need in Haiti. Opportunities will be extended for teams to come and build homes in cooperation with the Haitian recipients.

Child Sponsorship Program: The need is great and the community struggles to regain their footing in an economy that remains depressed. The food and care being provided is truly a God-send. Approximately 50% of children in Haiti attend school of which 60% will drop out before the sixth grade. Ultimately, HFI envisions a biblically-based, educational opportunity for the children of Sous Savanne.

Community Health Education: Access to pure water is non-existent in Sous Savanne and the health of the community suffers as a result. HFI will seek to inform and empower community leaders in an effort to improve the physical quality of life within the community. We envision small scale initiatives designed to improve food security and health of the families.

Spiritual transformation: Voodoo is strong in the area; the only way to overcome this destructive influence is through the power and love of Jesus -- lived out by His people. Talks are underway with local church leaders to develop a collaborative, spiritual strategy resulting in holistic transformation of the people and community.

Economic development: Opportunities for regular employment are scarce; as a result, unemployment is unimaginably high. HFI is seeking help to introduce various micro-enterprise projects to combat this problem.

Next steps: The goal of the Lako's August/September deployment is to establish the framework for HFI's long-term presence. Following this stage, they will return to HFI headquarters as well as visit Holland to focus on procuring supplies, recruiting additional team members and to seek further financial support. Once this process is complete, our goal is to have them established long-term in Haiti by mid to late October. Priority needs right now are:

A team house for the Hope Force staff and for visiting short term teams
household furniture and supplies
A vehicle suitable for challenging roads; four-wheel drive is a must
Operating expenses for the team
We invite you to join us in prayer, in giving... and in going to Haiti in the days ahead. Having a permanent team on the ground will make all the difference in our ability to broaden the pathway of service and to increase our effectiveness. This step is vital to establishing this beachhead.

ATTENTION: We are considering the prospect of opening up week-long positions on the start-up team for Hope Force Reservists to assist with the goal of establishing our team in Haiti. Possible activities could include aiding in the acquisition and set up of team house items, a small medical team and opportunities to assist with distribution of goods to children being sponsored in Sous Savanne. The likely dates are September 11 - 25 for a period of approximately 7 days. If interested, please let us know by emailing us at info@hopeforce.org

The priority right now is funding for this long-term team. Please consider joining us as we reach out to the people of Haiti. Contributions are urgently needed to go toward our start-up costs and operational expenses:

• Housing - $60 a day
• Operations - $20 a day
• Transportation - $50 a day
• Sponsor a full week - $1,050