It's Finished!

The New Klinik Espwa

After three years, the dream of the new clinic has come to fruition!  

Pictured here are the literal results of your generosity and the difference collectively we can all make.
Thanks be to God and to everyone who helped make this a reality.  The people in Haiti will directly benefit from your generosity.

This clinic building is complete, but now comes the tremendous challenge to allow the full potential of this facility to be realized. Funds for staffing, medical supplies, pharmaceuticals and additional medical equipment are an ongoing need. Please help sustain the operations of this clinic so the children and people in Haiti can receive the basic medical care they so desperately need.

Together, lets ensure this life-saving mission continues.  Please go to www.freethekids.org (or click the link on the right) and donate to the S.O.S. Medical Fund established for this purpose today.  Mesi!  

Look At What Your Donations Have Accomplished!

This is a photo of the clinic nearing completion and you can see the amazing transformation that has taken place from previous posts. What a blessing! Work is in progress to outfit the interior with the needed equipment and the hope is that the clinic will be fully operational in several months - late spring/early summer, 2012. We are almost there!

This S.O.S. for Haiti effort continues as support for the finishing work on the physical facility as well as ongoing sustenance for the clinic and its medical programs. You can join in this effort by donating here: http://www.freethekids.org/sos-for-haiti/.

Your help will literally be life-saving for many in Haiti.

Thank you!

Escape From Alcatraz 2011 Was Successful!

We escaped Alcatraz and made it to shore on the other side of the Bay. Thankfully we're free, but it's not too late for you to help 'free the kids' from medical poverty by assisting in equipping and sustaining the new clinic at Pwoje Espwa. Go to http://www.freethekids.org/sos-for-haiti/to join us in this effort. Thank you.

Jameson Midgett (17 - pictured below) finished his first escape like a champ for his buddies in Haiti. Won't you help out too?

The Latest Clinic Photos

Here's some shots of the progress of the clinic...
Phase One is taking shape nicely.

Swimming Again?

Yep - at it again. You never know quite where life will take you and I for one didn't think I'd be getting back into the chilly choppy waters of the SF Bay. But guess God had some other plans... This time however, there will be at least one other person that I personally know taking the plunge with me in June which I'm very excited about - my 17 yr old son, Jameson. He's a good swimmer and he really wanted to help raise funds for the clinic / medical program at Pwoje Espwa too. I'm proud of him for his desire to help make life a little better for those who so desperately need it. He's busy with his with his "Match My $20" challenge to other teenagers (or anyone). We can all burn through $20 bucks pretty quickly and medically, that can go a long way in Haiti. And great news, we have a generous matching donor for funds raised for the Pwoje Espwa medical clinic / program. All funds raised up to $50K will be doubled! How wonderful is that? Help us double the dollars for medical aid for the kids in Haiti. Phase One of the clinic is underway, but more funds are needed for equipment, supplies, pharmaceuticals, staffing, and to keep it sustainable. See http://www.freethekids.org/ for more info or the column on the right for the donation link. Please help.

Coming Along

Construction of the clinic is coming along as you can see in this photo taken in early March, 2011.

Construction Photos

Here's a couple of shots of the foundation and the beginnings of the walls of "Phase One" of the new Klinik Espwa. What a blessing for this project to be underway and gratitude for all who have generously contributed.

Groundbreaking

I'm thrilled to report that as of 9/20/10 groundbreaking has officially taken place on the clinic! This is a long-anticipated and momentous occasion. Thanks be to God and thank you to all who have made this event possible through your donations. Please say prayers for the construction phase of the new Klinik Espwa. If all goes well, the Spring will bring the ability to provide enhanced care to many in much-needed adequate space. I will continue to update this blog periodically with the progress, so please keep checking in.

Update: Blessings

Things continue to move along with plans for the new Klinik and I never cease to be amazed by God's blessings. Just this week, the largest single gift to this fundraising effort was received as Rotary District 7690 graciously donated $17K! Much gratitude for that gift, as well as every dollar that has been given and every prayer offered. That puts the total S.O.S. for Haiti funds raised for the new Klinik at Pwoje Espwa over $137K now. This is just in time for the groundbreaking that is slated to occur sometime this summer (stay tuned)! Blueprints are in the final stages and construction on "Phase One" is soon to begin. Phase One will house some of the most critical components of the clinic and other phases will be added as funds allow. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later, as the whole project in full operation will most effectively meet the many health needs in this community in Haiti, and especially those of the children. Our goal is to only build what is sustainable. Operating costs are an ongoing need, so please continue to give to this cause if you feel led. Thank you!

Other blessings:

** We were recently able to order some initial pieces of medical equipment for the new clinic using awarded grant monies specifying this purpose. This, being one of the first "tangible" actions for the new clinic, was exciting and a most welcomed reality of this effort to help those in Haiti. Funds for additional equipment and supplies are an ongoing need.

** The Alcatraz Sharkfest for 2010 was just held (this year in June - they move it around based on the tides) and it effectively had to be canceled (ie greatly modified) due to bad weather! This is rare, but there was just way too much fog. After the swimmers were taken out to the island to "escape," the race directors determined it too dangerous as visibility was extremely low and so they called it off. (They did let the swimmers do a little swimming back at Aquatic Park, but not the full swim across the Bay by any means.) This made me aware of just how blessed I was last August to have the most clear weather - no fog whatsoever in San Fran that day - which is also rare! I can't imagine going through all the training and fundraising last year only to have this event canceled. I firmly believe the August date and the gorgeous weather in 2009 was a gift from God (for a novice like me) but mostly for the people in Haiti.

Clinic and Medical Care Update

Lots of questions are coming in about the plans for the new clinic in light of the earthquake. The clinic is still very much a priority -- the ability to provide more adequate medical care is needed now more than ever. The medical ripple effect of this unprecedented disaster will unfortunately be felt for months and years to come; just providing care for the new amputee population alone will be a task. Public health issues are already on the rise across Haiti, and medical care will be needed for the additional children who will be new in residence at Pwoje Espwa as a result of the quake. The population needing medical care in the villages surrounding Pwoje Espwa will also increase, as more people from a collapsed Port-au-Prince resettle in the countryside. It just goes on and on ...

The earthquake has caused an immediate increase in building supply costs. Donations are being accepted to help with this, as well as with ongoing needs to sustain operations of the new clinic (i.e., purchasing medical supplies, equipment, pharmaceuticals, and staffing). See donation information in the right-hand column if you would like to help. Thank you!

A Direct Line to the Front Line of EQ Relief

As details of the earthquake tragedy in Haiti unfold, I'm trying to help get the word out about relief efforts at Pwoje Espwa http://www.freethekids.org/.

Just wanted to let you know, so you can possibly share with your many contacts around the country (& world), about the efforts through this organization and that it's a great DIRECT line to the "front line" in Haiti. There are many worthy organizations out there and most of those efforts/funds will be rightfully focused on Port-au-Prince, at the epicenter, but the outlying areas desperately need aid as well. And, they are able to provide aid without all the extreme logistical challenges going on in the capitol city.

Refugees and injured people are streaming into Les Cayes from Port-au-Prince in droves now, yet with all the chaos, it may be days before relief reaches this area. These people need food, water and medical care. Fr. Marc and the staff at Pwoje Espwa are not only caring for the approx 680 children at the orphanage, but they are trying to help others who are desperate for help. Currently, they are preparing meals out of their old facility in the middle of town and they are sharing what food and medical supplies/aid they have, as the need is so tremendous. They're going out on faith that their own very limited supplies will somehow be replenished, because time is of essence for so many.

If you are interested in a direct, grass-roots line of care already in operation on the ground by those who live in Haiti ... please consider donations through http://www.freethekids.org/. Seems everyone is looking for a channel in which to donate ... please help spread the word about this one. Since they are (relatively) small in comparison to the many large organizations providing aid in Haiti ... it's difficult to get the word out to the masses.

Pwoje Espwa (http://www.freethekids.org/) will need much help in the days and weeks ahead as this situation will not be quickly remedied. Thanks for remembering them. This is a desperate situation.

Earthquake Prayers/Relief Needed

A catastrophic event in such a fragile country ... please keep those in Haiti and at Pwoje Espwa in your prayers. Thankfully, the children and staff at the Espwa orphanage are okay from any immediate impact of the earthquake, but they will feel the effects in the weeks and months ahead. As history of similar, but even less intense, disasters in Haiti have shown, food & supplies will be difficult to obtain and prices will soar. Here's an excerpt from Fr. Marc's blog today. Please help if you can.

Help!
Thank you for your supportive comments and for your prayers. Matante was overjoyed this afternoon to hear that her two daughters in Port-au-Prince are safe and that her grandson is fine. Two of our monitors, housemothers, have lost family in the earthquake. We have been inundated with people asking for money to get to Port-au-Prince to find their relatives. Maxime, who was recently married, lost his sister in the disaster and will be heading to PaP as soon as possible. It is hard to keep up with the individual stories. Some of you have asked how you can help. Well, the easiest way is to go to our website at freethekids.org and make a donation so that we can afford to buy food, supplies and help out individuals and families in need. Your help is deeply appreciated. Keep us in your prayers. Father Marc