News

In the aftermath of the horrific earthquake in Haiti, many of you from the Great Lakes region have responded to MCC’s invitation to support our brothers and sisters. With your generous donations of time, money, material resources and prayers, MCC is working with Haitian partners at long term solutions.

Many groups and individuals have donated relief supplies and volunteered their time at material resource centers at The Depot in Goshen, Indiana, and at MCC Connections in Kidron, Ohio.

Katie Miller of Dundee, Ohio, a dedicated volunteer with MCC Connections, hosted several comforter knotting evenings with local Amish youth. The groups finished 200 comforters. In addition, a comforter blitz in the quilt room at MCC Connections brought in another 125 comforters in a five-week period.

One group of volunteers spends almost every Tuesday morning at the material resource center in Goshen, Indiana. Over the past several months, their focus has been on packing relief kits and other supplies donated for Haiti earthquake relief.

“It’s a wonderful way to do service,” said JoAnn Preheim, who has been volunteering with the group of mainly retired people for almost two years. “I feel like the work I’m doing is important to people, and I like to be somewhere I feel like I can make a difference.”

Margaret Thut began volunteering with the group five years ago with her mother, who recently passed away. “I thought I was doing it for her, but I realize that it actually means a lot to me,” said Thut. “Right now our work is very directed towards Haiti relief, with a lot of urgency.”

Jean Joseph, who grew up in Haiti, has been volunteering with groups in Goshen and sharing about life in his home country.

Altogether, material resource donations from the Great Lakes region total almost 4,000 relief kits, over 2,200 comforters and more than 562 sheets.

People of all ages are contributing to MCC’s efforts. Kaitlyn Wenger, a senior at Central Christian High School in Kidron, Ohio, is using her artistic talent to raise money. At MCC Connections, she is offering canvas prints of her paintings, which portray service, to local people who donate at least $50 for MCC Haiti relief.

Kindergarten students at Pettisville Elementary School in Pettisville, Ohio, wanted to do something to help the victims of the earthquake. They used the bathtub in their room – generally used as a fun place for reading – and filled it with relief kit supplies they gathered from other students and community members. The students gathered hundreds of bandages, toothpaste, toothbrushes, fingernail clippers, towels, bottles of shampoo and bars of soap, as well as over $1,100 of donations.

Thank you for your ongoing support! For the most up to date information on MCC’s relief and development efforts in Haiti, visit mcc.org/haitiearthquake.