Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction spans a great distance to help others become self-sufficient
Each year the people of Haiti are blessed by the ongoing effort of the people of Wayne and Holmes counties, who go to great lengths to put forth the annual Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction.
This year is no different, and the 31st annual auction will take place Friday and Saturday, Sept. 1-2 at the Mt. Hope Auction facility, which this year will take place in the brand-new event center.
According to Dean Wengerd, Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction chair, this event is about water, education, agriculture and faith.
“We are working hard to help the people of Haiti become self-sufficient in all of those areas,” Wengerd said. “We know it doesn’t happen overnight, but it is important work, and the love and compassion between these two areas is amazing.”
The Haiti Benefit Auction is a cooperative effort of many churches and individuals to bring relief to the hungry, the sick, the naked and the homeless people of Haiti. The ultimate goal is to win them to Christ. Relief is given without regard to religion, race or creed.
The purpose behind supporting Haiti is the realization that it is a nation that is struggling in its day-to-day existence because of great poverty.
The auction is equal parts fellowship, support and compassion, and it is a connection between two groups of very different people more than 1,000 miles apart.
The members of Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction have seen the great need in Haiti firsthand, and the many Amish and Mennonite-based aid organizations that have cropped up to support the people there show the extent to which the love and compassion of the people here have extended to the people of Haiti.
“We will have 17 different Haiti organizations set up tables and booths, and they share stories and insight into the impact each organization is making in Haiti,” Wengerd said.
In addition to the tables being set up Friday and Saturday night, Friday also will feature a unique insight into what is taking place in Haiti as the organizations work hand in hand with local pastors there as well as help build schools to support Haitian children.
The guest speaker for the Friday, Sept. 1 event will be pastor Stanley Fox, who will return home from Haiti just in time to share at the event. He will join the singing group Garments of Praise from 7-9 p.m. There will be a freewill offering taken during the evening.
“Stanley has been in Haiti for several years, and he will bring some fresh, new updates as to what is taking place in Haiti and how these organizations are making an impact,” Wengerd said. “He is a great speaker with a wonderful story to share.”
Friday night also will feature the food stands along with a meal of fresh Mississippi-raised catfish, something Wengerd said should not be missed.
Saturday’s activities will feature plenty of food including the always-popular Haitian rice and beans made piping hot in an iron cauldron, but all good eats aside, this weekend is about helping people learn how to help themselves in Haiti.
“Our community does such a wonderful job of taking care of our own people here, and this provides a way for those who can’t go to Haiti to help support those who can. It’s a blessing to watch as people show their compassion and support for people far away, and there is a connection between us and them that is based on God’s Word that tells us to reach out to others.”
The list of donated items to the auction is impressive, and therefore this auction is one that has drawn people from all around. In addition the idea that the proceeds will go to help the people of Haiti makes every contribution and bid crucial to the ongoing effort to help a nation that remains in great need.
Included in the auction will be a 32-by-50-square-foot garage, loads of outdoor and handcrafted furniture, buggy carriages, antique tractors, lawn mowers, storage barns, dozens of beautifully crafted hand-made quilts, and much more.
The tool auction will begin at 8 a.m., the main auction will take place in the event center at 9 a.m., specialty items and furniture will hit the auction block at 9:30 a.m., and the quilts will go up for bid at 10 a.m. One of the biggest and most exciting additions to the auction list is a semi-load of kiln-dried walnut wood.
“We have a golden opportunity to make a global impact for those in need,” Wengerd said. “These many organizations are having a huge impact on the ongoing support and teach the people of Haiti how to care for themselves. It’s all about teaching them to be more self-sufficient.”