Welcome

Welcome to Change4Haiti where our vision is now becoming a reality!  We are a group of parishioners of Saint Stephen Catholic Community who are developing this project for the sole purpose of aiding our Brothers and Sisters in Haiti as they struggle to rebuild their homes and lives in the wake of the recent earthquake. 

The goal of Change4Haiti is to enhance the ability of our Parish Community to continue to assist our brothers and sisters in Petit Goave and the surrounding communities during this time of extreme crisis.  Our first event in this continuing effort is our "Roadhouse for No House".  The Saint Stephen Community is sponsoring a "Roadhouse" style outdoor party, which will include a barbecue dinner, live music all night, door prizes, and a silent auction to raise funds for our brothers and sisters in Haiti who have "No House" in which to live.  The proceeds of this first event will be used to provide assistance in whatever form it may be needed, including medical assistance, to residents of Petit Goave and the surrounding communities when our volunteers travel to Haiti early this summer.  You may click here or click the Event Tickets link to the left to purchase your tickets online.  Tickets for this event will also be available after Saturday evening and Sunday Masses through the weekend of May 23. 

The Saint Stephen Catholic Community has been partnered with Notre Dame De L'Assomption Parish in Petit Goave, Haiti for almost 3 decades and provides ongoing financial support to the community of Petit Goave.  Additionally, a number of Saint Stephen Parishioners who are doctors, nurses, and dentists volunteer each year to travel to Petit Goave to provide medical care and assistance to residents of the area.  These medical missions are funded in large part by the volunteers themselves with additional assistance from members of the Saint Stephen Catholic Community.  Beginning this year, our mission and our goals are much greater than they ever have been in the past.

Our brothers and sisters in Haiti suffer greatly each day in this impoverished nation.  Haiti has been racked most recently by a Magnitude 7 earthquake on January 12, 2010.  This is the strongest earthquake to have ravaged this tiny nation since 1770.  The epicenter was only about 10 miles west of the capital, Port au Prince.  With a population of approximately 2 million living in Port au Prince, this is the most densely populated city in the entire nation.  Even today, more than 3 million people in the country are in need of food, water and shelter due to the destruction caused by this earthquake. 

This massive earthquake is not the only natural disaster to have hit Haiti in recent years.  Less than 2 years ago, Haiti was ravaged by 3 major hurricanes and a tropical storm in less than a month.  As a direct result of these storms, about 60 percent of the country's harvest was destroyed and entire cities were rendered desolate and uninhabitable.  This tiny nation had not even recovered from the damage caused by these storms when it once again became the victim of another major natural disaster. 

The need for assistance in Haiti, the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, has never been greater and the need for help will continue for years to come.  With your assistance, we hope to be able to continue providing a hand-up to our brothers and sisters in Haiti.  For more information about this ongoing project or how you can become a part of this endeavor, please click the contact us link on the left menu or you can send an e-mail directly to howcanihelp@change4haiti.us.  We truly look forward to hearing from you.