Church News
Helping Children in Haiti
By: Jody Davidson, co-chaiperson
St. Mary’s Mission and Outreach Committee
Approximately eight years ago the Reverend Ellen Hanckel, our previous priest associate, and the Reverend Kenol Roc, a Haitian priest, met at Sewanee while attending a class there. They kept in touch and Hanckel was compelled to find a way to help Roc after hearing of the difficult challenges of his ministry and his struggle to find ways to help his people meet their physical, as well as spiritual, needs and create a better life for their children. She approached St. Mary’s Mission & Outreach Committee, asking them to consider helping Father Roc’s ministries in some way; he was then responsible for six church communities and five schools in the far South of Haiti.
When we inquired of Father Roc about the greatest needs of his congregations at that time, he answered without hesitation “education” and asked if St. Mary’s could raise $100.00 per child so that at least ten of the church members' children could attend school the coming year. He followed up with a letter enclosing photographs of twenty children. Susan Elwood, current co-chairperson of committee, tells the story of a meeting where the committee members were asked which ten children they wanted to support. Elwood asked which ten children should they say “NO” to. That year St. Mary’s sent all twenty children to school, having raised $2,000 from the parish.
For the last four years, we have held an annual Island Party in August replete with festive decorations, food, libations, D.J. and Silent Auction. Everything provided for the party is donated and every dollar raised is sent to Haiti for the support of the children’s education. Each year donations have far exceeded our expectations and we have seen growth from $7,600 (2003), $9,600 (2004), $13,600 (2005) and $20,000 (2006). St. Mary’s would like to thank All Saints Episcopal Church ECW (Cayce), All Saints Episcopal Church (Beech Island), All Souls Episcopal Church (Northeast Columbia), and St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church (North Augusta) for partnering in this project and their generous support.
This year the silent auction, chaired by Terry Henshaw, raised $5,000 of the total donations for Haiti. God is counting on you to get involved in mission work somewhere in His kingdom. We are counting on Him to help us continue to support the children of Haiti. There are many opportunities for Haiti ministry partnerships including projects in and around Cange in the Central Plateau (where our Diocese has been extensively involved for many years), our projects in the Les Cayes in the South or many other areas in great need within the Episcopal Diocese of this tiny neighboring island nation.
You are encouraged and welcome to contact any of us mentioned in this article through St. Mary’s,
803.798.2776, or Allen Thames, chair of the EDUSC World Mission Committee for further information about ministry opportunities in Haiti.