Ohio Haiti Auction provides hope to hurting nation
Authentic Haitian rice and beans is always a big drawing card for the Ohio Haiti Auction in Mt. Hope. Fans can get their fill of this food and plenty more during the upcoming Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction Friday and Saturday, Sept. 2-3 on the Mt. Hope Auction grounds.
The 36th annual Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction will once again draw a multitude of people to the Mt. Hope Event Center in Mt. Hope to celebrate the Haiti people and to show their support for the people struggling with poverty, disasters and hardships.
The event will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 2-3 with a host of activities, auctions and food.
On Friday, Sept. 2, the quilts and furniture for the Saturday auction will be on display for patrons to peruse. Not long after, the food lines will open for a supper consisting of barbecue chicken, Mississippi catfish, seafood, dressing and noodles, Haitian rice and beans, pie, ice cream, and other delectables.
Rock of Ages Choir will present live music from 7-9 p.m., and special guest speakers Joab Telusma and Les Cayes will paint a picture of the hardships and faith of the people of Haiti. In addition, there will be many booths of some of the many outreach ministries impacting the people of Haiti in various ways.
On Saturday, Sept. 3, the day will begin with a breakfast buffet at 6 a.m. The auction in the event center will kick off at 8 a.m. with furniture hitting the auction block at 9:30 a.m. and the quilt auction beginning at 10 a.m.
In the Dean Beachy Building, the tool auction will start at 8:30 a.m., and there will be a firewood auction starting at 10 a.m., followed by the outdoor items.
And 100% of the auction proceeds will go toward helping the people of Haiti to build up their schools, empower food programs, aid orphanages, create fresh well drilling operations and develop Christian literature for the people of Haiti.
“I think we as a community feel very blessed and honored to be able to share our blessings with the people of Haiti,” said Travis Yoder, Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction board member.
When turmoil followed the kidnapping of 17 Haiti missionaries with Christian Aid Ministries in October 2021, many Haitian ministries pulled out of the country for safety reasons. Since then most have returned amid tighter safety precautions, and while there are still some who haven’t, Yoder said the mission remains the same.
“It’s about supporting and helping the people of Haiti, built on the love of Christ,” Yoder said. “One thing that has changed a bit is that these mission groups have switched to an ideal of creating and teaching things that are sustainable rather than simply providing handouts like in the early years. The goal is to have them support themselves, and that is the model that the missions are striving to reach.”
Highlights of the auction will include solid cherry and oak furniture, quilts, lawn furniture, a Toro zero turn mower, a 2000-watt Honda generator, a John Deere 2720 compact tractor with a front loader and belly mower, a Polaris ATV side-by-side, a Ventrac 4500 with mower, a PJ Trailer Tube rail, a 10-by-16-foot Somerset storage barn, a 10-by-14-foot Riverside storage shed, a 32-by-50 garage with a 6-foot overhang, a 10-by-20-foot cabin from Miller Storage Barns, pony carts, buggies, an open surrey, a Henry Golden Boy 22LR, grills, chainsaws, gilders and rockers, sofas, hardwood furniture, living room and bedroom sets, live edge slab tables, e-bikes, and enough other items to keep the bidding going all day.
“We’ve been extremely blessed by this community and its willingness to support our efforts over the years, and this year has been no different,” Yoder said. “This event has become such a community effort, and so many people have shared the same passion we as a board have in aiding the people of Haiti.”
According to Yoder, the funds raised from the auction don’t go directly to the people of Haiti but are funneled to the various mission programs the auction supports. They then decide which areas and what programs they want to build, grow and support.
The money raised at the event each year goes to support the many Haiti relief organizations, like Haiti Christian Union Mission, Gospel to Haiti, New Horizons Ministries, Open Hands Haiti and Mennonite Gospel Missions to Haiti.
It is through the ongoing effort of these organizations that great works are being done. The benefit supports 18 different mission efforts, and Yoder said helping the missionaries that are willing to go forth and spread the gospel is something everyone can do in helping them do the groundwork.
“This event is a wonderful weekend that brings people together who love to reach out to others in compassion,” Yoder said. “There’s great entertainment, an incredible message of hope and some great food. We have catfish Friday night, and the Haitian food is always a favorite. But what is most important is that we have a chance to share the love of Christ with the people of Haiti through our giving.”
For more information visit the group’s website at www.ohiohaitiauction.com.