By Analiz G. Schremmer

Buckner has sent three relief shipments valued at more than $568,000 to Haiti since the earthquake and another is on the way, said Matt Asato, director of international humanitarian aid for Buckner.

“These shipments, which are each the size of an 18-wheeler truck, have a huge impact in the lives of people who have lost everything. We couldn’t have done it without the help of so many volunteers and donors,” he said.

The latest shipment was sent March 12, he said, and included 9,831 pairs of shoes, 112 cases of water 1,050 blankets, school supplies, stuffed bears and medical supplies. In total, that one shipment was valued at $308,511.

Gladys Thomas, director of Hope Children's Village and Hospital, is comforted by an aid worker in Port Au Prince.

Asato said that the shipments being sent through the Dominican Republic, where Buckner staff and partners can arrange for supplies to be driven across the border into Haiti.

The second shipment is expected to arrive in Port Au Prince mid-March and includes Crocs, baby items, clothing, bottled water, linens, medical supplies, hygiene kits and toys. It is valued at $164,692.The first shipment, valued at $95,000, arrived in Haiti on March 1.

Buckner was also able to send nearly 25,000 pairs of new shoes from Shoes for Orphan Souls through a partner organization based out of Florida, too.

“One of the neatest things about all of this is seeing how everyone has come together in support of the earthquake victims,” Asato said. “We had a couple of teen boys selling t-shirts to raise funds for Haiti, we had a young girl collecting stuffed toys, and we had all kinds of volunteers coming in to sort everything.

“This has been really positive for everyone because I think that a lot of times, people want to help those in need and they may go about it in a way that isn’t effective. But by working through Buckner and our partner ministries, people have really had the chance to make a difference.”

To make a donation to support Buckner efforts in Haiti, click here or call 1-800-774-7463. Visit www.buckner.org/HaitiRelief to learn more about the ways you can help.

Kentucky teens Drew Henderson and Nathan Crow model t-shirts that they are selling to raise funds to pay for a shipment of donations to Haiti.

By Analiz G. Schremmer

KENTUCKY—Last summer, two teen boys decided they wanted more than a spiritual high from camp.

“I went to Kanakuk this summer and the theme was ‘Get a Dream,’ so me and my friend Nathan realized that we were tired of being lazy,” said Drew Henderson,16. “We’d go to camp every year and our spiritual high would fizzle out and this year we wanted to change that and go beyond; so that was the start of everything.”

Henderson and Nathan Crow, both 15, began their efforts by shipping Christmas bags to children in Haiti in October 2009.

“After the earthquake hit, the school was completely destroyed,” Henderson said.

He added that once he and his friend learned about the quake, they got in touch with Buckner and decided to collect $5,000 to ship a container full of aid to Haiti. Then they began visiting churches to share a video they put together, talk about the need and collect funds. They also made shirts that they purchased for $2 and sold for $12 to raise money.

“We called a bunch of churches and most of them said no, but one of them called me back. So we went to Perryville Baptist and they raised $2,200,” Henderson said. “I felt God’s presence there. Because we are just teens visiting a little country church and what are the odds of that?”

“We have $4,800 so far,” he said, adding that his girlfriend teaches dance lesson and plans on having a benefits recital to help collect more funds.

To learn more about the ways you can help with continuing Haiti Relief efforts, visit www.buckner.org/HaitiRelief or call 214-328-7463.

They wander amid the rubble. Lost, hungry, scared, emotionally numbed by all they have seen. It’s these images of Haiti’s children—the most fragile citizens of an already impoverished nation plummeted into full-blown crisis by January’s earthquake—that have mobilized well-meaning Americans to want to do something to help.

Rebecca Hackworth, director of social services for Dillon International, a non-profit adoption and humanitarian aid agency affiliated with Buckner International, is currently working in Haiti, helping Dillon’s sister agency, the Foundation for the Children of Haiti, with relief efforts at its orphanages, school and hospital in Port au Prince. She has witnessed firsthand the dangers posed to children. “There are children on the streets who don’t even know their last name. They are vulnerable and easy prey for evil purposes of all kinds.”

It’s a situation that wrenches the heart. The impulse to rescue is strong.

“Immediately following the earthquake in Haiti, the public reaction was that there would be scores of children coming over to America that would need a place to stay,” said Deniese Dillon, Dillon International’s co-founder and executive director. The agency, which offers international adoption opportunities in 10 countries, received thousands of calls and emails from families eager to open their homes to children who lost everything in the earthquake. “They really had good intentions and they were so caught up in the emotion of the moment.”

However, adoption is not an option in the immediate wake of the disaster. Time must be taken to determine if a child is truly orphaned by the earthquake, or temporarily separated from family members in the midst of the chaos. Then there are other alternatives, such as placement with extended family members or domestic adoption within Haiti, to be explored. “Generally speaking, removing children from their birth country should be a last resort,” Dillon said.

Rebecca Hackworth, director of social services for Dillon International, visited Haiti a few weeks after the earthquake and said, "there are children on the streets who don't even know their last name. They are vulnerable and easy prey ... "

When international adoption does become a possibility, it is a decision families should reach after careful analysis, never on an emotional impulse, Hackworth added. “Many people are moved by the disaster and think helping one child is a manageable thing to do. They have not always thought through their desire to be parents or the length and intensity of the international adoption process,” she said.

“International adoption includes background checks, home studies, verification of financial resources, meeting health and age criteria, the support of friends and extended family and the ability to take a lengthy initial leave from work to help the child attach to his new family. If you are adopting trans-racially, it also requires a willingness to make that child’s ethnic heritage something that is incorporated into your family traditions and earnestly celebrated,” Hackworth explained. “Helping a child deal with the many losses they have experienced is not an easy task. I doubt you will get a ‘thank you’ note from the child for your assistance, and they should not feel the need to provide one.”

There are other ways families can share their love with Haiti’s children, she added. “If you want to rescue someone, choosing a child sponsorship program that will enable their physical and educational needs to be met is an excellent alternative to help.”

Families longing to reach out to Haiti’s children right now are urged to offer prayer support and to donate to reputable relief organizations that have well-established plans for meeting the needs of Haiti’s children, said Dillon, whose agency has provided humanitarian relief in the country for 20 years.

Together, Dillon and Buckner International have a long-term commitment to build a brighter future with the people of Haiti.

There’s an impulse for people to want to jump on a plane and do something but that is not always the best thing. If you want to help now, you need to empower agencies that are already established and working in Haiti to do the work unless you have skills that are needed today," said Randy Daniels, vice president of global operations for Buckner.

“Buckner’s direction and purpose in Haiti is to help Haitian families rebuild their ability to care for their own children with the guidance and reinforcement of people from that country,” said Randy Daniels, Buckner’s vice president for global operations.  “There’s an impulse for people to want to jump on a plane and do something but that is not always the best thing. If you want to help now, you need to empower agencies that are already established and working in Haiti to do the work unless you have skills that are needed today.”

With the long-range needs to be addressed in Haiti, occasions to help will abound for months to come, Dillon added. “If you are experiencing a true connection and calling to Haiti, there will be many opportunities to help. The needs will not go away any time soon.”

And for families whose hearts truly ache to add an orphaned child to their family, there are other international adoption programs open to new applicants today, said Dillon, adding that although the tragedy in Haiti inspires a sense of urgency, other countries also engage in a daily struggle to meet the needs of their children. “Every child that is in our care has had an earthquake or tsunami-type heartbreak in their lives. And long after the focus shifts from Haiti, the work of making a better life for homeless children everywhere will go on.”

“It’s like I had no choice. I had to do something,” Wood said.

Wood, a fourth-grade student from Saginaw, and her babysitter, Julie Sanderson, talked over the situation and came up with the idea of Hugs for Haiti.

Lara Deviller, Wood’s mom, said that the program started as something that was just in her daughter’s school, but has grown into something bigger. Drop-off stations now include Wal-Mart, 1st Convenience Bank and several restaurants, shops, multiple schools and other businesses in Saginaw.

“Right now we’re at close to 600 bears,” Deviller said.

Wood said that she was determined to do something “incredible” and added that stuffed toy donations are something practical that kids can give away.

“And I think it’ll be good for the kids in Haiti because it’ll make them feel safe and give them something to love,” she said.

Matt Asato, director of international humanitarian aid at Buckner said he is encouraged to see young people stepping up to help the orphans in Haiti.

“These children are dealing with significant trauma and the gift of a stuffed animal will go a long way to comfort them alongside the other vital aid we’re collecting and sending.”

Hugs for Haiti can also be dropped off at the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid at 5405 Shoe Drive Mesquite, Texas 75149. Call 214-328-7463 to schedule a time for delivery.

DALLAS  —  Buckner International, a global non-profit that helps orphans, vulnerable children and families, shipped more than 23,500 pounds of aid to the victims of the Haiti earthquake this morning.

The shipment, which filled an 18-wheeler truck with aid worth more than $95,000, is part of a collection of donations provided by people who have given online or dropped off items to the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid located in 5405 Shoe Drive Mesquite, TX 75149.

Buckner is asking donors to consider putting together hygiene kits for Haiti. Kits should contain items in this picture and be sealed inside a zipped baggie.

“This load is one of four that we plan on sending to Haiti,” said Matt Asato, Buckner director for international humanitarian aid. “We couldn’t have done it without the help of our donors and our volunteers who come to the warehouse to put together hygiene kits and sort the gifts.”

The aid is expected to arrive in the Dominican Republic on Feb. 20. From there it will be driven across to Haiti where partners on the ground will distribute it.

Buckner is still accepting online and in-kind donations. To give to Haiti relief now, call 1-800-774-7463 or learn more about the items being collected at www.buckner.org/haitirelief .

DALLAS – When the news of Haiti’s earthquake reached the United States on Jan. 12, Randy Daniels, director of global operations for Buckner, was glued to his TV.

“It was about 5 p.m. on Tuesday, and all I could do was sit in front of my television and try to better understand the tragedy,” he said.

Daniels and a group of leaders from Dayspring Family Church in Irving, Texas had visited Haiti one month before the earthquake to tour ministries, hospitals and orphanages as part of an exploratory trip.

Randy Daniels, along with a team from Dayspring Family Church in Irving, Texas, visited NGOs and orphanages in Haiti one month prior to the earthquake.

“I kept listening for names of people I knew, hints of information about those people who we had been talking with a month before,” he said. The team had stayed at Hotel Montana, which was completely destroyed.

The morning after the earthquake, Daniels jumped into action and began making contact with other ministries and NGOs in Haiti. One of those NGOs was Gladys Thomas’ Hope Hospital and Children’s Village in Port Au Prince, which works with Dillon International, Buckner’s international adoption affiliate.

“Hope Hospital was one of the few hospitals left standing,” Daniels said. “They were receiving a lot of people and were in desperate need of some immediate resources to meet the demand.”

Daniels quickly initiated Buckner’s response alongside Dillon International and partner organization Global Aid Network (GAiN) and developed a list of items needed in Haiti, including first aid kits, blankets, medicine and hygiene supplies.

“We were able to enlist support from friends and supporters for a unified response within a couple of days,” he said. “Buckner is not a disaster relief organization, but we are familiar with crisis. We help people in crisis 24 hours a day, every day of the year. We had the connections and we felt called to respond.”

The response to those initial requests was much higher than expected, said David Slover, president of Buckner Foundation.

Sonjia Dickerson, pastor at Dayspring Family Church, visits with Haitian children during an exploratory trip with Buckner in December 2009.

“We have been overwhelmed at the generosity of our supporters over the past two weeks,” Slover said. “Because of their quick response, we have been able to send direct support to Haiti through our partners and will continue to send aid over a period of time.”

Buckner is known for its holistic approach to providing social services around the world, and has been part of a coalition of international providers developing plans to meet the long-term needs of children in Haiti, said Daniels.

“We are looking toward the future now,” he said. “We anticipate Buckner being a part of the rebuilding process in Haiti and will need continued support in order to do so.”

Buckner continues to collect hygiene items and other humanitarian aid supplies at its Center for Humanitarian Aid, 5405 Shoe Drive, Mesquite, Texas for shipment to Haiti. For a complete list of items needed, click here.

To help support Buckner’s relief efforts in Haiti, click here now.

Cindy Davison, public relations and marketing director for Dillon, Buckner’s international adoption affiliate, said Dillon “has received 882 online pre-screening forms so far from families interested in adopting from Haiti when adoptions resume.”

Davison explained there is a continuing moratorium on processing new adoptions from Haiti “so that displaced children and family members can first be reunited.  We are expecting this to take one-two years before new adoptions from Haiti would resume.” 

“Children who had been assigned to U.S. families in the adoption process prior to the earthquake are being allowed to have their adoptions expedited and are being allowed to enter the U.S. through a special humanitarian parole policy implemented by the State Department,” she said. To read this policy in more detail and other articles, click here.

To date, Dillon has raised more than $50,000 for Haiti relief. Much of the funds have been slated to help Hope Hospital and Hope Village, subsidiaries of the Foundation for the Children of Haiti (FCH).

“Gladys Thomas, founder and director of the FCH, describes the scenes of destruction throughout Port-au- Prince as worse than what is shown on TV,” Davison said. “She asks that we continue to pray for the people living and working in the city, that they will be protected emotionally and physically.  Gladys is using her contacts throughout the aid community to arrange for supplies and child care.” 

Hope Hospital, she said, “continues to be involved in providing emergency care for people injured in the earthquake. The hospital has 50 in-patient beds and an outpatient clinic.  However, given the number of people needing care and the lack of medical facilities in Port au Prince, at any given time there can be up to 1,000 people at the hospital seeking medical attention.”

Thomas and her staff are arranging relief medical personnel from other countries and asking that these teams also bring in new medical supplies with them.

Hope Hospital and all three of FCH’s orphanages are located in one of the hardest-hit areas of Port-au-Prince, said Davison. “Amazingly, all four facilities are still standing having sustained only minor damage at the children’s village. Hope Hospital did not sustain any damage and has been functioning since the quake to feed the children and community around who have come for aid and shelter.”

A visiting doctor reported that local police has stationed officers at the hospital around the clock to protect the people and supplies from the growing number of looters. Members of the military from various nations are also keeping a watch and assisting with security efforts throughout the city.

To learn more about the adoption process in Haiti, visit www.dillonadopt.com/Haiti-A.htm  or call 918-749-4600 to speak with an adoption professional today.

To make a donation to the continuing relief efforts in Haiti, click here.

One shipment of medical supplies and cots will be sent by air, through the Dominican Republic and into Haiti, to benefit the children and families receiving aid at Hope Hospital in Port Au Prince, said Matt Asato, director of humanitarian aid.

“The other container will be filled with about 24,500 pairs of new shoes next Thursday, Feb. 4. We’ll be sending that container to Florida where we’ve partnered with Holy Cross Lutheran Church. They will be distributing the shoes in Haiti to orphans and families through their connections with Food for the Poor,” he said.

Asato said they will schedule subsequent shipments of basic humanitarian aid supplies over the next three to four weeks, depending on what supplies are provided by donors.

Several churches in Texas, including Crestview Baptist Church in Midland and First Baptist Church in Irving, are collecting hygiene items for Haiti to be distributed by Buckner.

“Hygiene kits and supplies are still our biggest need,” he added.

Complete hygiene kits include the following:

• Hand towel
• Wash cloth
• Toothpaste (4.6 oz or larger)
• Toothbrush (in original package)
• Bar of soap (in original package)
• Comb
• Wet wipes
• Shampoo
• Bandages (travel size or larger)
• Tissues – 2 travel pack sizes
• Feminine hygiene products (18 or more per pack)

To collect and send a kit, fill a two-gallon sized Ziploc bag with the items listed above and mail or drop it off at the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, located at 5405 Shoe Drive, Mesquite, Texas 75149. Donors are encouraged to call 214-328-7463 to schedule a time for delivery.

To make a financial contribution for Buckner Haiti Relief, please click here.

To help support Buckner’s crisis relief work in Haiti, please click here.
To collect humanitarian aid for Haiti, click here for a list of needed items.

“One of our biggest needs is for hygiene kits,” said Matt Asato, Buckner director of humanitarian aid.

Complete hygiene kits include the following items:
· Hand towel
· Wash cloth
· Toothpaste (4.6 oz or larger)
· Toothbrush (in original package)
· Bar of soap (in original package)
· Comb
· Wet wipes
· Shampoo
· Bandages (travel size or larger)
· Tissues – 2 travel pack sizes
· Feminine hygiene products (18 or more per pack)

To collect and send a kit, fill a two-gallon sized Ziploc bag with the items listed above and mail or drop it off at the Buckner Center for Humanitarian Aid, located at 5405 Shoe Drive, Mesquite, Texas 75149. Or to schedule a drop off, please call 214-328-7463.

Other items being collected include new clothing, shoes, socks, tents, blankets, baby food, and new medical supplies. Click here to download a complete list.

Four shipping containers are being provided by GAiN (Global Aid Network), and Buckner is filling them for distribution within the next couple of weeks. Buckner is also coordinating the distribution of medical supplies and hygiene kits within the week, Asato said.

Aid will be sent to support Gladys Thomas’s Hope Hospital, which is receiving many casualties from the quakes, as well as the children living in the Children’s Village orphanage.

Dillon International, Buckner’s international adoption affiliate, has worked with Thomas for 25 years and places children from her orphanage into adoptive families in the United States.

To give financially, donors may call the Buckner Foundation at 214-758-8050 or click here to give online.

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