MANCHESTER, NH – The First Haitian Baptist Church and Haitian Community Center are running a Hurricane Matthew Relief Project to assist more than 350,000 Haitians in need. According to the BBC, at least 900 people have died and tens of thousands of homes destroyed. Clean water is in short supply, crops have been destroyed leading to food shortages, and the possibility of diseases related to the storm’s aftermath, including cholera, now looms.
Pastor Remand Dumont and his congregants are collecting whatever they can to send to various churches in Haiti. The churches will distribute items to those in need.
This particular project goes strictly through Haiti’s Christian community to avoid potential complications with the corrupt government. Today they kicked off OPERATION DRUM DROP: 50-gallon barrels are filled with basic necessities, shipped to Haiti and delivered directly to those in need (families, churches, orphanages, schools, nursing home, etc.). Each barrel costs $150, which includes shipping.
How it work: Individuals, groups, and organizations have a barrel dropped off to them. They fill it with a variety of items of necessity. Once full, the barrel gets picked up, locked, then shipped to a randomly chosen family or group. If contributors have someone specific they’d like their barrel to go to, that can be arranged.
Items can also continue to be dropped off at the church or arrangements for pickup can be made. We ask that contact is made before drop-offs so items are not left outside. There will also be more collection days to be announced in the future.
Contact information:
First Haitian Baptist Church
495 Hall St. In Manchester
PO Box 261 Manchester, NH 03105.
Samson Duclair can be reached at (603) 234-9542 or duclair@comcast.net.
Pastor Renaud Dumont (603) 860-8792 or pastordumont@yahoo.com. Checks should be made payable to First Haitian Baptist Church.
