In the aftermath of the 7.0 earthquake and it aftershocks that devastated Haiti on Jan. 12, people at Memorial UCC have been looking at a variety of ways to respond. Here are links to sites with more information.

Bryan Sirchio, who has a long-standing relationship with the people of Haiti and who was there a few weeks ago, is maintaining his own web page about Haiti. He has a new project trying to get tents to house people in Haiti.It's called Tents to Haiti. Here is a video of Bryan singing a song he wrote after the earthquake.

Some people at Memorial have a strong connection to Margaret Trost, the former Madison woman who started a food program in Haiti almost a decade ago. Her What If? Foundation has played a critical role in getting food to people in one neighborhood.

Many people have donated through Memorial UCC to the work of Church World Service.  Church World Service has a good update of what it has been doing in Haiti. It is now looking for help in creating Hygiene Kits and Baby Care Kits.

We have been praying for the family of Diane Caves, the woman who grew up in Madison who was killed in the earthquake. Here is a very touching story about her.

Here is Bryan Sirchio's Feb. 19 update

I just returned (2/11/10) from a trip to Haiti. After many meetings with Haitian colleagues, it became clear to me and the group I was with that the best thing we can do now is send tents, rope, and waterproof tarps to some of the hundreds of thousands of people who are homeless, exposed to the sun, and sleeping in the streets as the rainy season begins.

We have put together an effort called "Tents to Haiti." All the information you need in order to send tents, tarps, and rope to our partners in Haiti who will distribute them can be found on the website www.tentstohaiti.org.

Thanks so much, and I look forward to working with you all on this!! Our goal is to send 15,000 tents to Haiti by March 15th

Here is Margaret Trost's March 2 update:

Dear Friends,

I'm writing to share with you a link to some extraordinary photos.  They were taken by photojournalist René Merino during his recent trip to Port-au-Prince.  René visited the food program at St. Clare's, so be sure to look for these pictures towards the bottom of the page.  Click here to go to his photo website.

It's hard to believe the month of March has arrived and that seven weeks have passed since the January 12th earthquake in Haiti.

I am excited to let you know that our partners at St. Clare's just launched a special education program for children that takes place every afternoon before the food program meals are served.  With schools closed in Port-au-Prince and no date set for their reopening, this two-hour gathering is treasured by the hundreds of kids who attend.  Members of the education staff are teaching the children songs, providing materials for arts and crafts, and leading group discussions.  Lavarice Gaudin, our earthquake relief coordinator, told me the teachers choose one subject a day to explore with the children.  Topics have included the earthquake and related fears, courage, service to others, life skills and values.  The history of the food program is also shared as Lavarice feels it's important for the children to know where the meals come from and who is involved in making them happen.  That includes all of you who provide the funding through the What If? Foundation and the extraordinary cooks who work many hours/day in the rectory kitchen.

I continue to be inspired by the vision, resilience, and faith of our partners in Port-au-Prince.  With everything they've been through since the earthquake, they have doubled the size of the food program, created educational opportunities to keep students engaged, and have provided an environment of healing, hope, and progress.  
 
Thank you for your continued support through our Tell-A-Friend campaign and all of the other creative ways you are sharing news about our work with others.  Your help with expanding our donor base makes such a difference and will help ensure that the programs we fund can continue into the future as the community of St. Clare's rebuilds.    
 
Piti piti na rive!  Little by little we will arrive,

Margaret

And words of prayer

And then there is prayer joining our hearts with all those who are suffering so much. Below, you can read an adaptation of Psalm 46, which seems particularly appropriate as we ask God to open our lives to be agents of God's love on earth. Pastor Phil has a column in the Cap Times called "Twisted theology doesn't explain Haiti's misery." He also preached about the situation in Haiti in the context of the Scripture readings for Jan. 24.

Psalm 46 - an adaptation

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
God is in the midst of the city.
God will help it when the morning dawns.
 “Be still, and know that I am God!”
The God of all creation, the God of our ancestors, is with us still.