Boca Grande Hope For Haitians: First Phase of Homes Complete, Drive to Build 40 More Homes Close to Goal
COCONUT CREEK, Fla. (April 10, 2023) Families in Périgny, Haiti, have new hope as Boca Grande Hope For Haitians has successfully raised funds to build 37 homes, inching closer to its goal of 40 homes.
A community center, a key component of the development, is 70 percent completed and is on track to be finished this month.
Under the leadership of longtime Food For The Poor (FFTP) donors Ben and Louise Scott, Boca Grande Hope For Haitians recently completed the remaining 33 homes that are part ot the first phase of 83 homes for impoverished families in Périgny. To date, the group has raised funds for 37 of the 40 homes planned for the next phase.
Assisting with the fundraising is a group based in Ohio, Miami Valley Hope For Haitians, led by the Scotts’ son, Benny, and his wife, Stacy.
“We are thankful for everyone’s generosity to help us get the first phase of homes accomplished and pushing us to reach our goal of 40 homes,” Ben and Louise Scott said. “For so many years, our friends and supporters have stood with us and with the people of Haiti, and we’re so grateful because the needs in Haiti are so great.”
The next phase of homes will be located in a more remote part of Périgny that is difficult to reach by car.
Donations to help fund the remaining three homes can be made by visiting www.FoodForThePoor.org/bocagrande or by contacting one of the Boca Grande Hope For Haitians committee members listed below.
Many families are living in makeshift homes made from mud, discarded sheets, dried leaves and wood sticks with roofs of thatch, sheet metal or tarps, leaving them unprotected from torrential rain and the punishing sun.
The precarious living conditions many find themselves in have grown worse since Hurricane Matthew devastated mainly the southern part of the country in 2016. The situation turned even bleaker in August 2021 after an earthquake killed 2,000 people, left thousands homeless, destroyed schools and damaged vital infrastructure.
On top of the natural disasters, Haiti is facing a still unfolding crisis amid rampant inflation, civil unrest, widespread gang violence and a cholera outbreak.
“It’s very sad to see Haiti go through so much adversity,” the Scotts said. “But this drives us to do even more, to raise even more funds and build more homes because we know there are so many families in need of safe, secure homes.”
The Scotts have witnessed firsthand the transformation that happens when families are taken from deplorable conditions and put into a home that protects them from torrential downpours.
“It’s a life-changing experience,” Ben Scott said.
No matter the obstacles, FFTP President/CEO Ed Raine said Boca Grande Hope For Haitians has persevered for families in Haiti, building more than 600 homes on the island nation through the charity since 2009.
“What a blessing it is for these families to receive a home with solid walls, a roof and foundation, access to safe water and sanitation and a community center that brings everyone together,” Raine said. “Our aim is to put these families on the path to breaking the cycle of poverty and providing a safe secure home is a necessary step in that direction. We are thankful and profoundly grateful for everything they’re doing to help these families who are trying to have a better life.”
Committee members include: Chairpersons Ben and Louise Scott, the Rev. Gary Beatty, the Rev. Jerome Carosella, the Rev. Michelle Robertshaw, Henry and Ginny Bryant, George and Lois Castrucci, John Denneen, Lou and Corie Fusz, Jim and Lynda Grant, Wayne and Janice Hursen, Stephen and Susan Jansen, Tom and Nancy Lorden, and honorary committee member Patricia Chapman.
Food For The Poor, one of the largest international relief and development organizations in the nation, does much more than feed millions of hungry children and families living in poverty primarily in 17 countries of the Caribbean and Latin America. This interdenominational Christian ministry provides emergency relief assistance, water, medicine, educational materials, homes, support for vulnerable children, care for the aged, skills training and micro-enterprise development assistance. For more information, please visit www.FoodForThePoor.org.
Michael Turnbell
Communications
954-471-0928
[email protected]