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.
2012 Trip Dates Now Online
March 15th, 2011Hydrate Haiti: The Filter
March 14th, 2011High-volume water filter brings clean water for NWHCM programs, campus
Matt. 10:42 tells us that “if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward.”
What about six million cups of water?
In February, Northwest Haiti Christian Mission installed its first Sunspring Water Filtration System in the northwest zone from donations that were given to Hydrate Haiti, our campaign to fight cholera and provide clean water to prevent water-born disease. This one unit — which is now in use by travelers and every program at our main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord — will filter enough water for at least six million glasses of water this year alone!
The Sunspring, high-volume water purification system has been installed at NWHCM's main campus in Saint-Louis du Nord. Photo by NWHCM staff
That gets us excited, but it doesn’t stop there.
More Sunsprings are on their way because of special friends like you. From Indiana to New York, people have been actively engaged in fundraising efforts to purchase more water filtration systems for NWHCM.
In Southern Indiana, eight girls from Northside Christian Church raised over $20,000 through Facebook pledges, dance, selling bracelets and many more events. Did I mention they are only in the eighth grade? Check out a video about their work here.
In New York City, Forefront Christian Church held their annual Celebrate Generosity campaign. With weeks of promotion and three special events geared towards the initiative, they gave NWHCM over $35,000 for a water purification system and clean water projects.
That not to mention each one of you that gave sacrificially to help provide clean water to the people of Northwest Haiti. We thank you for your efforts! – Cameron Mayhill, NWHCM Director of Development
Georgia Running Events to Benefit Mole St. Nicholas
March 1st, 2011Savannah Team Endurance will hold two race events this year to support NWHCM’s ministries in Mole St. Nicholas. The first, a duathlon and 5k trail run, will be held March 19 in Savannah to raise funds to send a short-term mission team to Mole St. Nicholas in May.
The second event, a triathlon called “Tri the Farm,” will be held on May 7 to support various projects in Mole St. Nicholas and surrounding areas, including clean water projects and efforts to repair fishing boats that were destroyed during tropical storms in 2010.
All events will be held at The Farm at Morgan Lakes, a community in Pooler, GA, near Savannah. This will be the second “Tri the Farm” event organized by Savannah FCA Endurance. In May 2010, the group raised funds to help build a cistern for clean drinking water in the fishing village of Karenage, near Mole St. Nicholas.
Learn more by visiting the FCA Endurance website, www.fcasave.com.
NFL in Northwest, Again
February 24th, 2011Almost a year after Pierre Garçon’s visit, two Titans players take a mission trip of their own to help Haitians in need
Tennessee Titans linebacker Tim Shaw distributes shoes during his mission trip with NWHCM.
Photo by Paul Del Valley / NWHCM staff
By Tresa Halbrooks, TitansOnline.com
February 24, 2011
Nashville, Tenn. — The off-season allows time for players to recharge their batteries, spend time with family, take a much needed vacation and give back to their communities. Tennessee Titans players Pete Ittersagen and Tim Shaw are doing just that by lending a hand to Haitians in need during a mission trip to Haiti February 19 – 28.
Along with six other volunteers, Ittersagen and Shaw have joined Northwest Haiti Christian Mission for a mission trip including a variety of duties such as construction, community development, well drilling, preaching, teaching, relational evangelism and medical assistance.
Just over a year ago in January 2010, Haiti was hit by a 7.0-magnitude catastrophic earthquake near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. The Haitian government reported an estimated 316,000 people died, 300,000 were injured and over 1,000,000 others lost their homes. It’s also been estimated that 250,000 residences and 30,000 commercial buildings had collapsed or were severely damaged due to the disaster.
“We are going on this trip to serve the people of Haiti and to be a light that reflects Christ’s love for us,” Ittersagen said. “As folIowers of Christ, we are passionate about making a difference and spreading the good news about Jesus that has changed our lives. It excites us to help the people in whatever way possible and be a blessing to a country that has been through a lot and is in so much need.”
Every year, more than 1,000 volunteers from North America serve on short-term trips through NWHCM, which leads groups and individuals of any age and background from churches, businesses, schools, or community associations on short-term trips 10 months of the year.
Ittersagen was informed of the NWHCM mission trip opportunity by his friend, NWHCM missionary Grant Roskowiak. Once he realized this was something he wanted to be a part of, he began to assemble the team that would travel to Haiti, which included Shaw.
In April of 2010, Indianapolis Colts receiver Pierre Garçon also traveled to Haiti in partnership with NWHCM. His foundation, the Pierre Garçon Helping Hands Foundation, supported relief work in the Port-au-Prince area and in Northwest Haiti in response to the earthquake.
Follow updates on the Titans’ trip at www.titansonline.com.
Baggage Fee Notice
February 23rd, 2011American Airlines now charging for second piece of checked baggage
February 24, 2011 — American Airlines has announced it will begin charging $30 for a second checked bag each way for trips to Haiti and elsewhere in the Caribbean. Passengers may still check one bag at no charge traveling both to and from Haiti.
The charges will take effect for any tickets purchased after February 10. Tickets purchased prior to February 10, even if for trip dates later this year, will not incur the charges.
NWHCM advises travelers to plan their trips accordingly be prepared to cover all baggage charges upon airport check-in. Questions? Please contact us, we would be glad to help.
Run, Mark, Run 2.0
February 21st, 2011Campaign will fight preventable illness, water-born disease and hunger one penny at a time
Mark Wilkerson will run for pennies.
Last year, the executive at OneAmerica Financial Partners set out to pass 2,000 runners in the annual OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis. In exchange, family, friends and complete strangers pledged to donate a penny to Northwest Haiti Christian Mission for every person he passed. When he crossed the finish line, Wilkerson had, in fact, passed more than 12,000 people — not bad for a self-described “old guy.”
And so “Run, Mark, Run” was born.
Now in the second year, Wilkerson runs again, and he will not run alone. Kentucky youth pastor Mark Graham and die-hard Philadelphia runner Mark Mullelly are joining Wilkerson in Indianapolis for the race on May 7. Supporters can pledge pennies for any or all of the runners.
Each Mark will run for pennies that will be designated to a specific cause. Wilkerson’s race will support NWHCM’s hospital and provide medical care to the neediest in Northwest Haiti. Graham’s race will help fund clean water projects to bring safe drinking water to Haitian communities. Mullelly’s race will help provide healthy meals to Haitian children at risk of malnutrition.
The trio’s collective goal is to raise $100,000 to help Haiti as they chew through 13 miles of pavement. In addition to pledges, supporters may also make one-time gifts toward the effort. All gifts are fully tax-deductible.
At Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, we believe that pennies can change the world. Learn more about Run, Mark, Run and make a pledge or a gift at runmarkrun.com.
May God bless you for your ongoing faithfulness and generosity in showing love to Haiti.
Follow Run, Mark, Run on Twitter at @rmr4haiti
RUN MARK RUN from NWHCM on Vimeo.
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Run, Mark, Run is a fundraising effort in partnership with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. NWHCM is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that aims to rescue others from hardship, restore families and communities to wholeness, and redeem lives to their full potential in Jesus’ name. For more than 30 years, NWHCM has demonstrated its commitment to help bring people out of spiritual, physical and social poverty.
TwitChange Wins National Social Media Award
January 11th, 2011Mashable recognizes innovative approach of NWHCM partner ministry
Tuesday, January 11, 2011 – TwitChange, a Northwest Haiti Christian Mission partner ministry, has won the 2010 Mashable Award for Most Creative Social Good Campaign. The award, announced at last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, recognizes innovation in using social media to make a difference in the world.
The brainchild of Atlanta pastor and NWHCM staffer Shaun King, TwitChange utilizes Twitter to allow fans to bid on the chance to have a celebrity mention, follow, or retweet them online. The proceeds from TwitChange’s initial auction last year — more than half a million dollars — benefitted NWHCM’s expansion of the Miriam Center in Bonneau, Haiti. More than 175 celebrities participated in the first auction.
Mashable, a leading online source for news about social and digital media, chooses the winners for its awards based on votes from its readers. Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore noted that the very leverage TwitChange uses for charity in the Twitter marketplace was the same leverage that earned it enough votes for the award.
TwitChange will launch its next celebrity Twitter auction in late January.
One Year Later :: Looking Back at NWHCM’s Involvement
January 11th, 2011Haiti has arguably endured more in the past 12 months than it has in any other one-year period of its history — from the catastrophic earthquake in Port-au-Prince that propelled Haiti back onto the global conscience, to the hurricanes of late 2010, to a cholera epidemic and political unrest.
At Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, we have been unmistakably changed. And as much of the international community rightfully assesses the effectiveness of post-quake relief and development efforts one year later, we want to take this moment to affirm that God is still good, still in control, and still redeeming our world unto himself.
Here is a video glance back at just a few of the ways the events of January 12, 2010 impacted Haiti.
Click here or the use the link underneath the embedded video to watch it in full HD.
Watch it in HD
Homepage photo: Marco Dormino / UN
Pennsylvania Newspaper Features NWHCM Volunteers and Orphanage
January 6th, 2011The Patriot-News, a daily newspaper in Harrisburg, PA, recognizes the ongoing partnership between Capital Area Christian Church and Northwest Haiti Christian Mission.
Click here to read the article.
Links to websites and blogs not maintained or owned by Northwest Haiti Christian Mission, including those of NWHCM staff and affiliates, are provided as a service. Northwest Haiti Christian Mission is not responsible for their content and does not necessarily endorse the views or content they contain.
Louisville Courier-Journal highlights youth working for clean water
December 15th, 2010Wednesday, December 15, 2010 — A group of eighth-graders at Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Indiana, caught the attention of the Louisville Courier-Journal with their fundraising efforts to bring a water purifier to Northwest Haiti.
Click here to read more about their partnership with Northwest Haiti Christian Mission.
Upcoming Events
Northwest Haiti Trips
Click here for dates and details on upcoming NWHCM missions trips.
