Haiti Project

Clean Water

Prior to the January 2010 earthquake, 900 families of the Chabanne district of Petit-Goave, Haiti were making do with a water protection facility in need of repair.  It has failed completely as a result of the earthquake.  Our parish has partenered with the Ste. Jeanne D’Arc Haiti Foundation to raise funds for a properly engineered water-well to be dug in the area to provide clean sub-terranean drinking water.

An overview of the project

Haiti Water Well Project powerpoint

Thank you!!

Over $10,000 has already been raised!  Our immediate goal is $12,000… we are almost there!

Please support our effort to help the people of Haiti through the 50/50 Raffle (June 5th & 6th) and our Basket Auction (baskets assembled on various themes and sold by silent auction to highest bidder)

To contribute financially, checks may be made out to St. Bartholomew with Haiti in the memo line.

Haiti Update

By Parish Staff | Published: November 23, 2010
Hello,
 
Our brothers and sisters in Petit-Goave thank the parishioners of Saint Bartholomew for the gift of clean water.  This has saved them from the cholera outbreak which is devastating Haiti.
 
Sincerely yours in Christ,
 
Hermina

Clean Water is Flowing

By Melisa Hughes | Published: July 19, 2010

[from Hermina Hyacinthe]:

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!

PRAISE BE TO GOD, THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT!

ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA, ALLELUIA!!!

 

Our brothers and sisters in Petit-Goave have access to clean water for the first time in their lives. By the grace of God clean water is flowing from all three wells. 

I am extremely grateful to God for using me, one of His broken vessels, to work with Fr. Phil and his team at St Bartholomew Parish to bring clean water to His people. At the sight of the water, our brothers and sisters in Petit-Goave exclaimed with joy “Our prayers go up to heaven and grace comes down.”

Our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 10:42 “Whoever gives only a cup of cold water to one of these little ones to drink because he is a disciple amen, I say to you, he will surely not lose his reward.” Once again, I thank you for being disciples of Jesus.

Sincerely yours in christ,

Hermina

Clean Water Project in Haiti – Updates

By Melisa Hughes | Published: July 12, 2010

[from Hermina Hyacinthe]:

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, 

The platforms for all three wells are built. Water for Life will install the three pumps soon. 

The effects of the 7.0 earthquake and the many aftershocks which rocked Haiti resulting in over 250,000 deaths are not over. The survivors are struggling to meet their daily needs. Many women and children in the small town of Petit-Goave are displaced and continue to live in makeshift communities with minimal privacy and lack of basic services.

I thank each parishioner of St Bartholomew Parish for answering positively to the question “Am I willing, when the circumstances arise, to be a Good Samaritan?”

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Hermina

Well #3 in Haiti has been dug!

By Melisa Hughes | Published: June 24, 2010
From Hermina Hyacinthe:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Water for Life drilled the 3rd well in Chabanne.  They successfully found “good water” in all 3 wells.  It is an amazing grace.  God has used Ste Jeanne D’Arc Haiti Foundation and St Bartholomew Church to bring clean water to His people in Petit-Goave.  We listened to the call and set out to build one well, but God multiplied the fruit of our labour by providing three wells for the price of one.  This reminds me of the Multiplication of the Loaves in the Gospel of John Chaper 6.  Thanks be to God and to your generous participation.
 
In Christ!
 
Hermina
 

Well #2 in Haiti has been dug!

By Melisa Hughes | Published: June 21, 2010
From Hermina Hyacinthe:
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
Water for Life dug the second well at the shelter for the poor in Petit-Goave and found “good water” as well.  Water at both sites has been tested.  Water for Life will be at the third site today.  They are drilling all 3 wells first.  They will be installing the pumps as a second step of the process.
 
One more time, I thank the parishioners of St Bartholomew Church in Needham for being good disciples of Jesus to the poor in Petit-Goave/Chabanne.  Together Ste Jeanne D’Arc Haiti Foundation and St Bartholomew Parish have given hope to the poor in Petit-Goave.  This gift is priceless!
 
In Christ,
 
Hermina

Well #1 in Haiti has been dug!

By Melisa Hughes | Published: June 20, 2010

from Hermina: 

Water for Life (the company contracted to drill the well) is in Petit-Goave.

They drilled the first well at the primary site in Chabanne yesterday. By the grace of God, they found “good water” at the first hit.  Our least brothers and sisters in Chabanne are very grateful.

Haiti – Great news!

By Barbara Dury | Published: June 7, 2010

Bill Whitney and Hermina Hyacinth have returned home safely from Haiti! (Praised be the Lord!)  Bill reports that the trip went better than we had any right to expect.  I just talked to Hermina and she agreed.  Apparently we will be able to drill not just one well in Petit-Goave, but THREE wells (for slightly more than the price of one) and the drilling will begin on Tuesday June 8th!  All three should be producing water by the end of June.  More land was donated, the town and mayors office could not be more grateful, not only for our thoughtfulness but also our prompt follow-through action.

Bill ran a presentation of the trip to Haiti in Ward Hall after all Masses on Sunday, June 6th.  Our fundraising continued this weekend with another 50/50 raffle and silent auction of the Haiti Baskets. 

50/50 Raffle

Over $700.00 was raised in the raffle, the winning number for the 50/50 is 463540.

A winner has come forward, however they would prefer to remain anonymous and have donated their winnings back to the Haiti project.

 

Thanks

A big thanks to those who contibuted & assembled the baskets and to those who bid on them, enjoy!

 

Pictures and info from Bill & Hermina’s visit to Haiti will be coming soon…

Haiti Basket Auction

By Barbara Dury | Published: May 25, 2010

Thank you for your prayers and contributions, it seems the trip was both safe and sucessful, more info to come!  As the need continues to be great, we continue to raise funds for our brothers and sisters in Petit-Gove, Haiti

Baskets for Haiti Silent Auction

The Silent Auction of Baskets for Haiti begins this weekend, after all the masses, in Ward Hall. The themed baskets have been donated by parishioners and families in our religious education program. Come down and bid on a basket or two using the bid sheet for that basket. Whether it be the gardening basket, movie basket, stationary basket, basket of home-made chocolates, basket of books, baby basket, sundae basket, baking basket, party basket, hummingbird basket, Italian basket, “New England” basket or the “pamper-yourself” basket, there is a basket sure to be your favorite.

After the initial bidding this weekend you may call the rectory to enter a new bid on any of the baskets. Be sure you know the name of the basket on which you want to bid. Bidding will be open after all Masses on the weekend of June 5th and 6th. Bidding will close at 12:45pm on Sunday, June 6th. The highest bidder will win the basket. You do not have to be present to win.

50/50 raffle

Tickets for the June 50/50 raffle will be on sale before and after all Masses the weekend of June 5th and 6th. The winning ticket will be drawn just before the close of the silent auction bidding.

Congratulations to Cheryl Brown, the winner of the May 50/50 raffle.

Prayer of Blessing for our Travelers to Haiti

By Barbara Dury | Published: May 17, 2010

 

 ”All loving, powerful and merciful God; your glory fills all of creation and your presence we find wherever we look. We pray that you will bless and protect Bill Whitney and Hermina and all the people who travel to Haiti seeking to bring your healing presence to this sacred place and sacred people suffering so much pain due to a natural disaster.

As you led your chosen people and as you guided the Magi to your Son by a star, please guide our brother and sister and others to a trip filled with blessing, peace and wonderful results.

May Almighty God bless each of you.”

Bill and Hermina will be leaving for Haiti Tuesday, May 18th

On Wednesday morning they will meet with the management of Water for Life in Port-Au-Prince to make arrangements for the drilling and installation of the well in Chabanne, Petit-Goave and leave for Petit-Goave where they will visit the site of the collapsed well and the donated land for the installation of the new well.

While in Petit-Goave they will meet with the mayor and other representatives of the community of Chabanne.

Ste. Jeanne D’Arc Haiti Foundation is well known in Petit-Goave as a Catholic Foundation dedicated to serving the needs of the poor. One important aspect of the Foundation’s ministry is the “Soup Kitchen” which was founded and is now run by the Foundation. While they are in Haiti Bill and Hermina will help serve nutritious meals to over 300 of “the regulars”, the poorest of the poor.

A representative of the town of Petit-Goave has asked Ste Jeanne D’Arc Haiti Foundation to help raise 18 of the registered orphans of Petit-Goave as a result of the devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Bill and Hermina will meet with the children and their representatives. Please pray for God’s blessing and wisdom! They will also be visiting the sick and injured of Petit-Goave and taking lots of notes of what else needs to be done.

Thank you to all whose generosity has made this project and this trip possible.

No one has stepped up to claim their prize in the May 50/50 raffle.

Another raffle and silent auction to benefit the Haiti project will be held on June 6th.

Stewardship: “Do Just One Thing”

By Barbara Dury | Published: May 13, 2010

It is amazing what one can accomplish by deciding to do just one thing. Back at the beginning of February we decided, as our Lenten alms project, to “adopt” the rural town of Petit-Goave in Haiti. This area, home to the poorest among the poor, had suffered devastating damage during the earthquake. Most of the buildings collapsed. The few that remained standing suffered structural damage. The people had no food and no clean water. The only well in the area, serving 900 families, was destroyed during an aftershock. The needs of the people of Petit-Goave were great before the earthquake. After the earthquake they are overwhelming. How could we, a parish in Needham, MA. make a difference? By doing just one thing at a time.

This Tuesday, Bill Whitney, a parishioner who volunteered to head up the well project, will travel to Petit-Goave with Hermina Hyacinthe, the executive director of the Ste. Jeanne D’Arc Haiti Foundation. They will be looking at the site selected for the new well and will be making the final arrangements necessary for the drilling to begin. Thanks to your generosity we have, to date, raised $10,685.00 dollars towards this project. Hopefully, it won’t be long before the people of Petit-Goave have, once again, safe water to drink.

This week, please do just one more thing. Please pray for Bill and Hermina that they will be safe as they journey to Haiti, that they will be successful in contract- ing the digging of the well and that the people of Petit- Goave will soon have potable water once again.

For more information on the Haiti Project please visit our NEW website at www.stbartholomew-needham.org and click on Haiti Project.

~Barbara Dury

The winning ticket for the 50/50 raffle drawn on May 2nd is 463284. Call Barbara Dury in the parish office at 781-444-3434 to claim your prize.

++++++++

My church is composed of people like me. I help make it what it is. It will be friendly, if I am. Its pews will be filled, if I help fill them. It will do great work, if I work. It will make generous gifts to many causes, if I am a generous giver. It will bring other people into its worship and fellowship, if I invite and bring them. It will be a church of loyalty and love, of fearlessness and faith, and a church with a noble spirit, if I, who make it what it is, am filled with these same things. Therefore, with the help of God, I shall dedicate myself to the task of being all the things that I want my church to be.