How to Send Help to Haiti

Most of us have found our hearts turning to Haiti this week in the wake of the terrible quake there.

There are, of course, a multitude of ways to give money to help provide relief. Some we have heard about go directly through your cell phone or through a link on the website. The national UCC link (as well as the Massachusetts Conference) will send money through the One Great Hour of Sharing emergency relief program, an organization that has already sent relief toward Haiti and has been operating as an ecumenical entity for more than a half century. 100% of your donations will go to the relief effort.  http://www.ucc.org/disaster/major-earthquake-strikes.html. The UCC has a strong presence in Haiti, with two missionaries – Kimberly and Patrick Bentrott. Click here to read some of their reports from the past several months.

You can also send a check made out to our church (FCC) with Haiti in the memo line, and Annie will forward the collection to OGHS. In that way, your contribution will be added to your offering statement at the end of the year.

Church World Service is an umbrella organization for these same mainline organizations that is well known for its disaster relief. You may contribute directly to them. You can connect with them here:
http://www.churchworldservice.org

In the past we have been involved with St. Joseph’s Orphanage through the Hearts with Haiti program. Some of our members have even gone there to work (Carol Stein-Payne, Jan Keep, and Jody Green are among them.) You can, of course, also direct your efforts there. http://www.heartswithhaiti.org/page16/page16.php

We are getting suggestions from many of our members of many other places with missions already on the ground who can help. I’m sure there are many worthy and effective organizations. But the above mentioned organizations are ones with whom we as a church have worked before, and they remain the church’s recommendation  suggestion.

- Pastor Carrie