Thursday, December 1st, 2011 -
Diane Cornelius was recently featured in USA Today’s weekend insert for her work facilitating weddings with NWHCM in Haiti.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011 - Executive Director Janeil Owen describes new options for NWHCM trips, aimed to offer travelers greater flexibility. Read more…
March 29, 2011 – NWHCM founder and former director Larry Owen is recovering from a successful heart operation in Lexington, Kentucky. We are asking the entire NWHCM family to remember him in your prayers. Read more…
Tuesday, March 15, 2011 – Dates for 2012 short-term trips with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission are now online. As usual, revisions and additions will be made as necessary. Check them out here.
“The Hungry” takes an in-depth look at malnutrition and how NWHCM is fighting it
Thursday, May 6, 2010 – Northwest Haiti Christian Mission today released “The Hungry,” a video photo essay project that draws attention to the causes and effects of hunger and child malnutrition in Northwest Haiti, and the ways NWHCM is working to help.
The result of more than a year of documentary photography work by NWHCM photojournalist Andy Olsen, “The Hungry” follows the stories of two children: A severely malnourished girl being treated in NWHCM’s hospital, and another malnourished girl enrolled in one of NWHCM’s child nutrition programs. Through the eyes of these children and their families, the video explores the complex set of factors that contribute to poverty and hunger.
The video was produced before the January 12 earthquake that forever changed Haiti, but the issues it confronts are no different now than they were before the quake. As with other natural disasters in Haiti, the earthquake has only placed greater strains on Haiti’s economy and food supply.
Churches, individuals, organizations and other groups are encouraged to use “The Hungry” as a tool to raise awareness of the issues of hunger and malnutrition. It is a perfect accessory for packing events and fundraisers in conjunction with NWHCM or its ministry partners, Feed My Starving Childen and Kids Agains Hunger.
“The Hungry” is also available on NWHCM’s resources page.
Calls mission clinic “one of the best in the area” of Northwest Haiti
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Saint-Louis du Nord, Haiti — A story aired on CBS News Saturday highlighting the efforts of Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s medical clinic to help meet the enormous health needs in the country’s Northwest Department.
The piece, which was shown on the CBS Evening News, outlines Haiti’s dire public health climate even before the January 12 earthquake that destroyed most of the health-care infrastructure in Port-au-Prince. CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jon LaPook calls NWHCM’s clinic “one of the best in the region,” noting, however, that both public hospitals and NGOs must be better equipped to fully address the country’s medical problems.
In the piece, LaPook tells the story of NWHCM’s medical staff having to share an oxygen machine between a premature baby and an expectant mother experiencing labor complications, because only one machine was available.
“The reality is that even the best-equipped NGO hospitals in Haiti have to make very hard decisions every day because resources are so limited, compared with hospitals in the United States,” said Andy Olsen, NWHCM media director. “LaPook’s story underscores the huge need for greater financial support of medical ministries in Haiti, and the need for governments to invest in Haiti’s public health infrastructure.”
NWHCM has been providing free and low-cost medical care in Northwest Haiti for more than 20 years. It’s medical facilities are almost entirely staffed by trained Haitian doctors and nurses, and surgeries are offered at various times throughout the year by NWHCM’s many visiting surgery teams. Click here to learn more about NWHCM’s medical programs.
View more about LaPook’s reflections on his experience at NWHCM’s clinic.
A fisherman trades his tackle for earthquake relief efforts
By Andy Olsen, NWHCM Media Director
Port Canaveral, FL — David Bates’ friends say he made things stink here. Bates thought it smelled like money.
The local seafood baron in his heyday, Bates owned a small fleet of shrimp- and scallop-laden boats that once dotted this bay. His company’s property was visible from almost any spot along the water in Port Canaveral. The shells spit out by his processing plant piled up so high that today they form part of the city’s coastline.
That was before plummeting seafood prices, soaring energy costs, and real estate-hungry cruise lines pushed Bates and his wife, Lisa, to retire. They sold most of their shrimp boats, trusty white workhorses that had literally fished the world.
“It got to the point where we could buy shrimp from Asia, ship it here, package it, and resell it for cheaper than we could sell our shrimp,” said Lisa, who is was also Bates’ business partner. “We said we would never do that.”
Instead, they found themselves looking for something to do with the shrimp boats they could not sell. When a devastating earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on January 12, and damaged the Caribbean nation’s main seaport, David felt led to load one of his boats with relief supplies and sail it to Haiti.
And so began a partnership with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission to deliver food and other badly needed supplies to Haiti’s northern coast. Through a series of connections at his church, First Christian Church of Merritt Island, Bates was put in touch with NWHCM and began retrofitting one of his ships, the Capt. Scott B., to haul cargo to Haiti.
Donated goods from across the country started rolling into a NWHCM warehouse in Port Canaveral. On February 22, Bates and his crew began a two-week process of loading the ship. On March 9, it sailed into Port-de-Paix and crews unloaded more than half a million meals of relief food, generators, barrels full of medicine and medical supplies, and hundreds of water filtration systems.
“I’ve always thought God has blessed me and my family beyond my dreams,” David told Florida Today, a local newspaper. “I figure we could give something back. It thrills me to be able to do it.”
A special thanks to NWHCM staff and missionaries Cameron Mayhill and Mike and Teresa Grant for helping coordinate the effort.
Lexington, Kentucky — Pam Shelton, who loved Christ and served faithfully for years in Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s U.S office, died Thursday, April 15 in Lexington, Kentucky. She will be sorely missed by NWHCM staff and by the mission community as a whole.
Shelton, 57, had been undergoing medical treatment and suffered a complication during the process. Shelton served as a bookkeeper and all-around administrative helper for NWHCM. For hundreds of NWHCM partners, hers was a familiar voice on the phone offering information about nearly every facet of the ministry. She was passionate about helping orphans and worked tirelessly to pick up slack wherever she found it. She was heavily involved at Southland Christian Church in Lexington, where she was also an active volunteer.
Shelton left her position in March to begin undergoing medical treatment but continued to serve NWHCM in an advisory role. Visitation and remembrance services were held Saturday, April 17. Please keep her family in your prayers during this season in their lives.
Learning about missions and Haiti has never been this much fun!
Wednesday, March 31, 2010 – Finding Mache is a brand-new VBS supplement with a missions focus. Built around a series of five short DVD video segments, it follows a young girl named Naika who is searching her small town in Haiti looking for her family’s donkey, Mache. Along the way, Naika sees the many ways that God is using missionaries in Haiti to change lives and help children grow up to be strong and know Jesus.
Produced by Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, the materials make an excellent “missions moment” supplement to any existing VBS curriculum or children’s Sunday school class. In Finding Mache, children will encounter a safe environment to learn about poverty, missions, evangelism, and helping others.
The Finding Mache package includes a DVD, teacher handbook with suggested activities and accompanying materials, and a Northwest Haiti Christian Mission T-shirt. It also offers practical ways for kids and churches to get involved in missions in Haiti.
Contact us today to request a FREE copy of the materials for your church or VBS program. Materials will be available in mid April.
Mark Wilkerson hopes to raise money with every runner he passes in Indianapolis mini-marathon
(March 8, 2010) Indianapolis, IN – Mark Wilkerson, an executive with OneAmerica Financial Partners in Indianapolis, has partnered with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission to launch Run Mark Run!, an initiative to recruit 1,000,000 people who will pledge a penny for every person he passes during the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon on May 8, 2010 in Indianapolis. All proceeds will go to the relief efforts in Haiti.
Mark Wilkerson (photo submitted)
Wilkerson’s unique strategy will use traditional and social media to gather pledges from around the world that will assist with Haiti relief. He will use a blog, e-mails, Facebook and Twitter to chronicle his experience and urge more people to pledge. With a goal to pass at least 2,000 fellow runners, Wilkerson and NWHCM will use the donations to create a fund that will improve and sustain medical work in Haiti.
“With the high demand for medical care after the earthquake, we understand that the existing resources needed to improve medical care have been stretched beyond capacity,” Wilkerson said. “The destruction of hospitals, the lack of medicine and increased patient loads for current medical facilities and personnel require more funds, so every penny raised will be meaningful as we look to address these needs.”
NWHCM has been working to provide and improve health care in Haiti for the last two decades. The organization’s work includes an outpatient clinic that sees more than 2,000 patients each month, a birthing center that delivers between 60 to 80 babies each month, and a surgical facility that hosts U.S. surgical teams year-round.
To make a pledge or learn more about this endeavor, visit www.runmarkrun.net.
Sawyer Products, a Florida-based water filter manufacturer, has donated 269 water filters to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission’s earthquake relief efforts. The filters will provide vital clean water to communities in Northwest Haiti and in the Port-au-Prince area.
Children at NWHCM's orphanage in Saline Mayette use a Sawyer pointONE water filter. Courtesy Amy Reed / Sawyer Products
Thanks to a special matching program by Sawyer, the filters were provided through a combination of individual gifts, and generous donations from Messiah College students and the congregation of First Church of Christ in Burlington, Kentucky.
After the earthquake struck Haiti, Amy Reed, a Sawyer employee and Messiah College alumna, got in touch with Messiah’s women’s basketball team to raise funds for filters. Both the men’s and women’s basketball teams made appeals at four home games and raised over $3,800 for filters.
“Clean water is of critical importance after a natural disaster because existing water sources can very easily become contaminated and an epidemic of waterborne diseases can be just as deadly as the natural disaster itself,” Reed said. “The Sawyer filters that were donated to NWHCM take literally minutes to install, are easy to maintain, require no chemicals and are powered by gravity. They are not just a short-term solution, they will be providing clean water to the Haitians weeks, months and years down the road.”
The Sawyer pointONE filter is the official water filter for NWHCM development projects. The filters will be distributed through NWHCM’s partners in Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas to help those who were affected by the earthquake, as well as in communities in Northwest Haiti to provide badly needed clean water for poor families and refugees.
Wednesday, January 27 — Northwest Haiti Christian Mission has been overwhelmed with requests from U.S. medical professionals desiring to travel to Haiti to assist in earthquake relief efforts. At this time, organizations in Port-au-Prince are turning away medical volunteers for lack of resources and facilities to utilize them. NWHCM is unable to accept any new inquiries for medical personnel at this time, though we will continue utilizing small, specialized medical teams on a limited basis, based on the recommendations of our medical staff and their analysis of the medical needs in Haiti.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and we are truly grateful for the God-given desire to help. Haiti’s need is greater than ever, and will continue to be for years to come. There will be ample opportunities to serve on NWHCM medical teams later this year and in future years, and we encourage anyone interested in serving to consider applying for one of those teams. — The NWHCM medical staff
Internal Revenue Service special provision allows taxpayers to claim Haiti earthquake relief giving on their 2009 tax returns
Wednesday, January 22 — Gifts made to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission for earthquake relief before March 1 can be claimed as a deduction on 2009 tax returns, according to the Internal Revenue Service.
A special provision announced Jan. 22 allows taxpayers who itemize deductions on their 2009 return to claim contributions made to earthquake relief as if they were made in 2009. Gifts made to other non-profits operating in Haiti also qualify. Only cash contributions made to these charities after Jan. 11, 2010, and before March 1, 2010, are eligible. This includes contributions made by text message, check, credit card or debit card.
“Americans have opened their hearts to help those affected by the Haiti earthquake,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. “This new law provides an immediate tax benefit for the many taxpayers who have made generous donations.”
The contributions must be made specifically for the relief of victims in areas affected by the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti. Taxpayers have the option of deducting these contributions on either their 2009 or 2010 returns, but not both.
To get a tax benefit, taxpayers must itemize their deductions on Schedule A. Those who claim the standard deduction, including all short-form filers, are not eligible.
As always, please consult your tax professional for the best answers. For more information, please visit the IRS webpage for Haiti relief.
NWHCM medical teams continue their work at the hospital in Saint-Louis du Nord, particularly performing orthopedic surgeries. NWHCM is blessed to have a gifted hand surgeon on-site to focus on hand injuries, as well. The hospital remains in full swing and bustling with activity.
NWHCM staff met recently with local pastors who are experiencing high demand for relief food within their congregations. The mission is now distributing corn and fortified meals to needy families through more than a dozen churches, in addition to its already established food distributions sites across Northwest Haiti.
Wednesday, January 27 – 8:50 a.m.
NWHCM is shifting some attention to badly needed long-term rehab and therapy services. In coming months, NWHCM will be asking for the services of physical therapists and prothesis professionals. Qualified volunteers may contact us to inquire about serving on a therapy/prothesis trip later this year. Note: NWHCM is unable to bring in additional medical teams for the next few weeks.
Other medical teams are continuing to run clinics in outlying areas of Northwest Haiti
Tuesday, January 26 – 10:25 a.m.
NWHCM medical teams are spreading out across the northwest region this week to run clinics at the mission’s campuses in La Baie des Moustiques and Beauchamp, focusing on general and pediatric care. Haiti’s entire medical system is strained and as such, health care nationwide is in a fragile state. NWHCM’s medical response strategy is to triage and assist all patients needing care, regardless of whether or not they are earthquake victims.
NWHCM Assistant Medical Director Melissa Curtice and orthopedic surgeon Del Worthington, of Arizona, have been assessing patients at nearby hospitals in La Pointe and Port-de-Paix. Earthquake victims with fractured bones have arrived at the mission’s main medical facility in Saint-Louis du Nord and are being treated.
A special thanks to G.O. Ministries for providing chartered flights to transport NWHCM medical teams within Haiti.
Sunday, January 24 – 5:15 p.m.
A 22-member medical team has arrived in Northwest Haiti and is developing a plan to respond to medical needs in the area. NWHCM is also working closely with the government in Saint-Louis du Nord to provide financial and food assistance for refugees arriving in the city.
Wednesday, January 20 – 10:15 a.m.
A magnitude 6.1 aftershock struck Haiti early this morning near Port-au-Prince, the strongest yet since the devastating earthquake that ravaged the capital city eight days ago. Though nerves were rattled, little to no additional damage has been reported. In Northwest Haiti, the quake was felt strongly and many were woken from their sleep, but all NWHCM staff and travelers are safe. NWHCM’s main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord is roughly 100 miles from where the aftershock was centered.
Tuesday, January 19 – 9:00 p.m.
NWHCM medical staff traveled to the main hospital in Port-de-Paix today to assess the situation there. The hospital is full, having taken on many patients from Port-au-Prince in addition to their normally heavy load. Lack of basic medicines and medical supplies, along with challenges in coordinating medical care for so many people, are serious problems.
NWHCM has been providing supplies and medicines to the hospital in Port-de-Paix and in La Pointe, and will continue to do so as we’re able. We will provide increasing support with medical personnel over the coming weeks.
Monday, January 18 – 7:55 p.m.
All of NWHCM’s regular ministries are running normally today, though our generators are being run limited hours to conserve diesel fuel, a commodity which is becoming difficult to find in Haiti. To date, NWHCM has secured enough diesel fuel to meet our basic water needs and provide electricity for our clinic through February, and we are expecting to receive more.
NWHCM medical staff will travel to the primary hospital in Port-de-Paix tomorrow to assist the hospital staff there, which have been stretched to their limits treating patients.
Sunday, January 17 – 10:20 p.m.
NWHCM’s medical team returned safely to the mission’s main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord, along with missionary Jose Castillo and staff member Andy Olsen. Some family members of NWHCM’s Haitian medical staff also arrived with them from Port-au-Prince. Other mission staff and missionaries attended church this morning at their respective campuses.
Saturday, January 16 – 8:05 p.m.
NWHCM lab and pharmacy director Maureen Moore treats a dehydrated baby at a clinic in Port-au-Prince on Saturday.Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff
NWHCM doctor Simon Marc treats a girl with a broken arm at makeshift clinic in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Saturday. Mission staff established the outdoor clinic along with medical staff from Mission of Hope at a church in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince.Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff
Along with missionaries from Mission of Hope in southern Haiti, NWHCM medical staff set up a clinic today at a church in the Delmas area of Port-au-Prince. They treated patients there throughout the day and also assisted at an emergency orthopedic care center nearby. Staff involved included Assistant Medical Director Melissa Curtice, Dr. Simon Marc, Magdala Remy, Lab and Pharmacy Director Maureen Moore and Miss Sylveste.
Most NWHC staff plan to return Sunday to Saint-Louis du Nord, where NWHCM has been notified it will be a treatment center for overflow patients being brought from Port-au-Prince.
Friday, January 15 – 9:35 p.m.
A street in downtown Port-au-Prince on Friday, January 15.Andy Olsen / NWHCM staff
NWHCM medical staff continue to assist at Mission of Hope, one of our partner missions about 10 miles north of Port-au-Prince. Some national NWHCM doctors have continued on to Port-au-Prince to assist with medical work there.
All but a few short-term missionaries who were visiting NWHCM campuses are on their way to catch flights out of Haiti via alternate cities. Jose Castillo, Andy Olsen, and a few other NWHCM staff are still in Port-au-Prince assessing the situation.
Thursday, January 14 – 10:50pm
We did hear that our team arrived safely to Mission of Hope and are looking to provide mobile medical treatment from there. By the time they arrived, the hospital had completely run out of supplies. We’ve also heard several times from our staff, Andy and Jose, in Port-au-Prince, and are relieved to know they are well.
Wednesday, January 13 – 11:11pm
Our day was spent loading and unloading trucks. We were blessed with the arrival of the contents of our recent container, including food and other supplies. The driver agreed for us to rent the same truck to load with I.V. fluids, bandages, sutures, antibiotics and other medical supplies.
Early in the morning, we will send a team to assist the disaster relief and provide medical care. Please pray for the group as they travel and serve: Melissa Curtice (NWHCM Assistant Medical Director) Maureen Moore (Pharmacy/Lab Director), Sylveste Rogella (nurse), Magdala Remy (nurse), Dr. Simon, Innocent (security), Benna (security). Especially pray for the driver, that he would have wisdom and that they would be protected in their travels.
They will head for Mission of Hope, one of our partner organizations located about 10 miles north of Port au Prince. Mission of Hope requested help, as earthquake victims have been dying at their gates due to limited medical personnel and insufficient supplies. We just heard from the Mission of Hope medical director, saying they’ve worked 33 hours straight, their supplies are dwindling and they have to close their doors for the night. Pray for strength for our staff as they step into this overwhelming tragedy.
We are also thankful to report that we’ve heard word this afternoon from Jose Castillo, NWHCM staff, who was in Port au Prince during the earthquake. He still does not have phone service, but was able to send a message along to us that he is still fine.
We also have a small group who traveled to Port au Prince this morning. Please pray for Andy Olsen (NWHCM media director), Dr. Joseph, Junior, Edril, Imano and their driver as they look for family and as Andy documents the relief efforts. Pray for safety, wisdom and their safe return.
More than anything, please pray for our national staff and friends. It is heart-breaking to talk with person after person, all aching to know about their family and friends who may be trapped under the rubble. It is hard to find someone on campus who does not have family missing – a son, a wife, parents, aunts, cousins… Pray that God would work miracles in the midst of this tragedy.
Wednesday, January 13 – 10:39 a.m.
Northwest Haiti Christian Mission is responding in the quickest ways possible to respond to the earthquakes that have shaken Haiti.
Currently, NWHCM staff are assessing the situation on the ground to identify the areas of greatest need. By working closely with our Haiti One ministry partners across the country, NWHCM plans to assist in every way it can.
To donate to NWHCM’s earthquake relief efforts, please click here.
Your support will go directly toward relief of the immediate needs in Port-au-Prince and Northwest Haiti, and will go to fund ongoing aid efforts as Haitians struggle to recover and provide for their families in the aftermath.
The destruction left by the earthquakes will most likely affect all of Haiti and its economy for months to come. NWHCM plans for its response to be strategic, responsible and ongoing. We will first be sending a team of medical personnel along with desperately needed medical supplies. We will give more information on our next steps as we talk with our partners throughout the country and further assess the situation.
January 10, 2012 Hi, I”m Ben from Overland Park, KS, I’m not part of any specific group, I have traveled to Haiti with my wife Brittany and our friend Shekah. I’m 34 years old and I become a Christian at the. […] Source: nwtraveler
January 9, 2012 Well folks we’ve nearly finished packing our 18 bags!  It’s time to head home to Haiti and we couldn’t be more ready! We have truly enjoyed our time in the states! It’s been so encouraging! . […] Source: castilloavektimoun
January 7, 2012 My name is Amanda Morphew, I came with my sister Katelyn and my friend Becca.  I have been to Haiti before, I came in July of 2010. Haiti is an amazing place, i love it so much. Its such a beautiful. […] Source: nwtraveler
January 5, 2012 I have come to the realization that I haven’t come to change Haiti. I came so that Haiti could change me. It has only been a few days here at the mission, and God has used me more than I ever imagin. […] Source: nwtraveler
October 17, 2011 After living in Haiti all of these years – I still cannot wrap my mind around this. I’m watching my 2 year olds covered in orange from a bag of Cheetos – stains on their shirts from the bowl of. […] Source: castilloavektimoun
