Shed a Tear for Haiti

Local youth working to organize local efforts for financial aid to stricken population in Haiti

By Sid Riley

Twenty year old Brent Melvin and his fifteen year old brother, Drew, have been to Haiti four times working as part of mission groups to assist two orphanages in that impoverished nation. They have experienced first hand the every day suffering of the population of Haiti. They have seen the disease, the malnutrition, the orphans, the toddlers with the swollen bellies and orange hair caused by lack of nutrition, they have seen the people bathing in sewers, they have heard the cries of beggars as they passed. They have experienced Haiti.

On their excursions to Haiti they assisted in construction of facilities at the orphanages, and they conducted Bible School classes for the orphans as part of the mission work. In fact, their family has taken in one of the boys they met on these visits, and the Haitian named Junior Jovin, is now living with the David Melvin family in Marianna while he attends Baptist Bible College in Graceville. Brent says that Junior is like an older brother, and is very much part of their family.

When the quake struck Haiti last week, Junior was very much afraid his family in Haiti had been killed. However, he has since been able to confirm the fact that they are safe.

Anyone who has experienced what living in Haiti is like, can not help but feel sympathy for those suffering people now that the miseries caused by a major natural disaster has been heaped upon the awful miseries which were already present from the man made disasters caused by inept and corrupt politicians. Bret Melvin wants to do something to help his friends in Haiti who are trapped in that world of pain.

Brent is a student at Chipola, and is a member of the Chipola Honors Club. Through that organization, he is working to coordinate a student led donation effort to raise money for the two stricken orphanages, and to get those funds directly to those who operated those facilities. They are reaching out to area high school organizations to assist in their fund raising effort. This is a direct pipeline for donations to reach those in need, with no “skimming” of the funding to cover operational and organizational costs. The orphanages operate through the Christian Light Foundation, and can be viewed at their web site, Christianlightfoundation.com. The Christian Light Foundation has mission efforts underway throughout the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and other undeveloped areas of the world.

These Haitian orphanages are operated by Marie Prinvil and by Sherrie Fausey. It has been confirmed that both ladies were uninjured, and are working at their orphanages to house and care for the huge influx of homeless children which resulted from the disaster. They desperately need your help.

If you wish to donate to this locally sponsored relief effort contact,

Bonnie Smith

(850) 526-2718

Ext. 3247/3400

smithb@chipola.edu



Any money can be mailed to:



Chipola College

Attn: Chipola College Honor Program Haiti Project.

3094 Indian Circle

Marianna, FL 32446-2053