Lott Carey Mission Alert -
Haiti Earthquake Update


Dear Lott Carey Partner:

 

On this anniversary of the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., I wanted to give you a status report on Lott Carey's efforts in the aftermath of the 12 January 2010 earthquake in Haiti.  The news of the earthquake's devastation in the Republic of Haiti continues to be overwhelming.  I am encouraged, however, about the compassion that is inspiring the Lott Carey network to move quickly.  Here is where we are today.

  1. We launched a Mission Alert urging prayer support and financial contributions for people in Haiti.  Lott Carey will work in collaboration with L'Union Strategique des Eglesis Baptistes d'Haiti and other church networks to facilitate cash grants to families impacted by the earthquake through churches.  L'Union is our group of 22 churches in Haiti for whom we provide monthly financial support and annual Pastors' Schools for training in theology and ministry in AIDS contexts.  While food and water will eventually begin making its way to people, our experience with previous hurricane disasters in Haiti teaches us that people will also need some cash to make things happen.
  2. We entered a partnership with the National Baptist Convention of America and Friend Ships Unlimited to solicit supplies for a ship that will carry workers and supplies to Haiti in the coming days.
  3. We teleconferenced for information gathering with the White House, USAID, and the National Security Council.
  4. We are consulting for collaboration with various communities like the North American Baptist Fellowship Disaster Relief Network, the NAACP, the missions executives from all four National Baptist Conventions, the Samuel DeWitt Proctor Conference, the Kingdom Association of Covenant Pastors, and the Hampton University Ministers' Conference.  We will continue to explore synergies with these communities and more.
  5. We are working on our longer-term strategic options.  We need you to pray for discernment.
  • One approach can replicate our robust multi-year impact in Somalia following the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami where we funded a hospital, psycho-social care for traumatized children, skills training for young adults, and launched an economic development fishing collaborative for self-sustainability.  We did this in partnership with the National Baptist Convention, USA, Inc. and Baptist World Aid.
  • Another approach can follow the ongoing partnership for substantial engagement in the Gulf Coast of the United States following hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Ike.  We have enabled pastoral care ministries, food and clothing distribution, social service assistance, mental health counseling, child development programs, economic development housing projects, grants to churches, coaching for pastors, free legal advice, skills training for discouraged workers, and the development of a Christian campground that is also a command post for future hurricanes in the region.  We have done this work in collaboration with the National Baptist Convention of America, National Missionary Baptist Convention of America, the African American Catholic Congregation, and with a new partnership with the Ford Foundation and the Stafford Foundation.

The longer term possibilities for helping people rise again will depend on the scale and scope of support.  The Lott Carey Network's generosity enabled us to make some of the largest humanitarian investments from church communities in Somalia following the tsunami and in the Gulf Coast following Katrina.  The depth of our response will drive the breadth of our work. 

 

Thank you for your prayers, encouragement, and gifts through the mail and online.  We value on ongoing support for our sisters and brothers in this catastrophe.  We intend to walk through it with them.
 

Keep up with opportunities and information at http://lottcarey.publishpath.com/hurricane-response.