I first heard of Starfish Ministries when I lived in Susanville about 7 or 8 years ago, and our church sent teams to work in Haiti at their orphanages and schools. I appreciate their outlook toward solving the problems of the world, which you will find in the Starfish Story on their website. Go there and read it. Pastor Diogene and his wife Leonette visited our church on occasion, and they have lived in my Bible for a long time.
Starfish Ministries have been working on the ground in Haiti since the 1990s. Their funding comes from North Americans, but most of the work is done in Haiti by Haitians. Many folks have taken short trips over the years to offer practical help, but the day to day business is tended by those who know Haiti best, the natives. On their website, they offer a great deal of information about who they are and what they do, including how they have seamlessly adjusted to the new reality and are working to help those whose needs are greater. They offer various options for support, either one time donations or on an ongoing basis supporting families short term in the aftermath of the earthquake or supporting students in the schools they run (providing meals and school uniforms) long term.Samaritans Purse is another organization I have been involved in for a long time. I think I packed my first shoe box for Operation Christmas Child the year my son was born. When we lived in Susanville, I helped beyond packing shoe boxes. I was asked to help transport boxes from our church to a collection point where our 253 boxes were added to others gathered in Northern California because I had been recently blessed by the addition of a large vehicle to our fleet.
My friend and I drove to Red Bluff where the boxes were consolidated with others.
Lots of others.
They were packed in cartons and trucked to a warehouse where they would be sorted and inventoried before being sent to children around the world to celebrate Christmas.
These same find folks also provide relief wherever disaster strikes in the world. They had doctors and others on the ground in Haiti within 24 hours of the earthquake. They are providing fresh water by filtering water for tens of thousands of people. They are providing tarps for temporary shelters. They are in the process of loading a barge with heavy equipment that they cannot fly in, to help open roads and clear buildings that need to be rebuilt. Ultimately this equipment will be used to rebuild the country. Both of these organizations are in Haiti for the long haul, one because they live there and the other because they know their work is not done until the people are ready to survive on their own, however long that takes. I have supported both of them over the years in many ways. I am continuing to support them as they work in Haiti with my finances as well. I invite you to share this with your friends and to share with me in supporting both of these fine groups.
