Group of local musicians and concerned Christian friends move forward to take on responsibility for a neglected Haitian orphanage housing 130 children

  • by Jennifer Kneuss
  • January 17, 2011
  • 321
Group of local musicians and concerned Christian friends move forward to take on responsibility for a neglected Haitian orphanage housing 130 children
Group of local musicians and concerned Christian friends move forward to take on responsibility for a neglected Haitian orphanage housing 130 children
Group of local musicians and concerned Christian friends move forward to take on responsibility for a neglected Haitian orphanage housing 130 children
Group of local musicians and concerned Christian friends move forward to take on responsibility for a neglected Haitian orphanage housing 130 children
Group of local musicians and concerned Christian friends move forward to take on responsibility for a neglected Haitian orphanage housing 130 children
                        
An invitation to take part in a 10-day trip to perform their music in Haiti became a transforming event in the lives of siblings Naomi Hicks, Ben Massey, and Susi Cox, known as Shiloh Mountain Trio. During their time in the tiny, impoverished country, they and friends and family who accompanied them stopped to visit the LOCC (Loyal Oaks Community Chapel) orphanage in Despinos, Haiti. The orphanage had become sadly neglected due to the fact that the original church organization in the US no longer exists, and there was no one to fulfill its commitment to keep the 130 children there safe, clothed, fed, and loved. The Tuscarawas County group found their hearts completely won over by the children who called the dilapidated buildings of the orphanage “home”. They planned repeated trips to help, including an emergency trip just after the January 12, 2010 devastating earthquake, which destroyed the girls’ dormitory. The growing group of concerned Christians knew that they had to take the next step. “With the approval of the orphanage’s original founders, as of January 2011, we have formed an organization called Imagine Missions, with the sole purpose of taking care of these precious, orphaned children,” explained Cox. “Some of the children do not even have enough body fat to be able to receive immunizations from aid groups,” she added, her voice breaking with emotion. She and five others are part of the new organization’s volunteer board of directors. “We have some little, little babies. Some are babies that people just drop off and leave. We have one little guy that was found in a dumpster! We have a lot of kids age three to seven. It is so hard to leave them each time – I have seen grown men cry when they have to leave. But there is so much stuff here that has to be done here to take care of them. Every day, when I look at my to do list, I just carry that passion with me, and that keeps me going.” “The children have just two main meals a day of mainly rice and beans, and then a snack before bed. They get chicken on Wednesdays and vegetables on Sunday. I have never seen the kids have fruits,” explained Melissa Young. Young has recently taken a leave of absence from her job as a Strasburg school kindergarten teacher to live full time at the LOCC mission and serve as a teacher and house ‘mother’. Conditions in the ‘kitchen’ used to prepare the food are currently deplorable. “There is no refrigeration, and just one spigot. There is no drain plumbing, so all the water drains on the floor and we push it out a little hole in the wall. Dishes for everyone have to be washed in buckets. There is no storage for utensils. Even worse, there is no stove at all, so the ladies cook on two propane tire wells,” continued Young. “There is no place to wash hands before meals. Without a refrigerator, the kids never get a cold drink, and it is so very hot here in Haiti. We cannot store meat or vegetables, so someone has to go to the market to buy them right before they are prepared.” Imagine Missions is trying to raise the funds to build a sanitary kitchen for the orphans, with all labor to be provided by volunteers who will supply their own expenses to travel to the island and build the new facility. “A stove could be purchased here in Haiti for just $859.00,” noted Young. “It would make such a difference to have basic appliances! Building supplies are quite expensive here, but we think we could do the whole kitchen project for eight to ten thousand dollars.” The orphanage staff, which consists of Young and several Haitian workers, including older teens, cares for the children, along with the support of two nurses who Imagine Missions has arranged to help with the children’s healthcare. Park Christian Church in Dennison, Ohio, has offered the non-denominational group office and storage space, and Imagine Missions is currently working fervently to get desperately needed clothing and supplies to the children. “We are working with Christian Aid Ministries, out of Berlin, and we want to raise enough money to ship over a container with them full of clothes and school supplies for our kids,” stated Cox, who helps organize the volunteer effort. Imagine Missions is asking for the help of local, concerned groups and individuals to donate supplies and funds, and also to participate in upcoming aid trips. “We can make such a difference in these little ones’ lives,” said Cox. “The need is huge.” To help, call 330-340-1385, and visit online at www.imaginemisssions.org. Donations can be sent to 236 Miller Avenue, Dennison, OH 44621, or pickup can be arranged.


Loading next article...

End of content

No more pages to load