Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction continues to play vital role
The Haitian rice and beans made fresh at the event continue to be a highlight among the lineup of food. This year’s event will take place in Mt. Hope on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2 at the Mt. Hope Event Center.
The long arms and giving hearts of the people of Amish Country are preparing to reach out and span the distance between Haiti and Holmes County one dollar at a time, with the ultimate goal set to benefit the hurting people of Haiti who continue to find hope despite the ongoing poverty, disasters and hardships they face.
The 37th annual Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2 at the Mt. Hope Event Center.
“We’re excited to finally bring everything under one roof, and we can do that since Mt. Hope Auction added on to their event center,” said Travis Yoder, Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction board member.
The event will kick off Friday evening with a music performance by the Neuenschwander Family from 7-9 p.m. Special guest speaker Jude Cadet will present a portrayal of what life was like growing up in Haiti. He will present a picture of the hardships the people face and a portrait of a people who have retained hope and positive attitudes through it all, showcasing a great faith, a commonality of most hard-working people of Haiti.
For those wishing to get a leg up, all quilts and furniture for the Saturday auction will be on display for patrons to peruse, beginning at 4 p.m. Not long after, the food lines will open for a supper consisting of authentic Haitian rice and beans, barbecue chicken, Mississippi catfish, seafood, dressing and noodles, pie, ice cream and more.
On Saturday, Sept. 2, the day will begin with a breakfast buffet starting 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. 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.
Every penny of what is raised at the auction will go directly toward the many missions that are providing for the people of Haiti to invest in their schools, food programs, orphanages, fresh well drilling operations and Christian literature for the people of Haiti.
With a large number of different organizations providing aid to the people there, the hope is these efforts will not only ease some of the pain and hunger of the people, but also teach ways to support and enhance their own communities.
“This always comes down to people reaching out and showing compassion to others,” Yoder said. “This event is about something much bigger than ourselves, and we are always grateful to the many who come to support the auction and learn more about what is taking place in Haiti.”
In addition, there will be many booths featuring most of the outreach ministries impacting the people of Haiti in various ways.
“We encourage everyone to stop by the mission’s area and meet and talk with the representatives of the organizations that are having a great impact in Haiti,” Yoder said. “It’s insightful to hear exactly what each ministry is doing.”
In recent times Haiti began to struggle with rebels becoming more aggressive and threatening, and as a way to deal with that, many of the missionary organizations have integrated the help of Haitian natives to help fill some of the roles of each mission.
Highlighting the auction this year will be some high-end items, along with plenty of items that most anyone can afford to purchase. Among the highlighted auction items will be a 32-by-50-foot garage with a 6-foot overhang front, 10-by-20-foot cabin from Miller’s Storage Barns, a Toro zero-turn mower, a Ventrac 4500 tractor with a mower, loads of hardwood, a 10-by-16-foot Somerset storage barn, a 10-by-14-foot Riverside storage shed, sewing machines, a pergola from Berlin Gardens, a Henry Golden Boy rifle, barbecue grills, outdoor lawn furniture, buggies and carts, and myriad pieces of hardwood furniture including bedroom suites and dining sets. There also will be a pair of e-bikes and quilts of all shapes, colors and sizes.
The Haiti Benefit Auction is a cooperative effort of many churches and individuals to bring relief to the hungry, the sick, the naked and homeless people of Haiti, with the ultimate goal of winning them to Christ.
Haiti is the most populous full-member state of the Caribbean Community. It is the poorest country in the Americas as per the Human Development Index. Political violence has occurred regularly throughout its history, leading to government instability, and it has been hard-hit by numerous devastating acts of nature that have left the people of Haiti reeling in the aftermath.
Anyone wishing to donate items for the auction, make a monetary donation or give of their time by helping at the auction can call 330-231-6159 or 330-231-9509.