Value for the Disabled

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Value for the Disabled

At St Luke, as our mission is to help the most vulnerable in society, we are proud to have a team of 30 disabled people of all different backgrounds. They work in our tilapia fish farm, raise chickens, grow coffee and moringa, and even sing! We offer them a chance to work according to their abilities, as well as their will. In truth, this kind of work is not always economical from a financial point of view, but from a humanitarian and an eternal point of view, we see it as priceless. Empowering vulnerable people is our true calling, and we enabled our staff to receive a monthly salary and the ability to manage their own lives and families.

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USAID Meeting at St. Luke Hospital

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USAID Meeting at St. Luke Hospital

Through the American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (“ASHA”) grant that St. Luke received in 2014, we were able to build a conference and education center at St. Luke Hospital. The meeting took place in our conference room and organizations such as Restavek Freedom, the Caris Foundation, Mission of Hope, Samaritan’s Purse, Christianville, and Catholic Relief Services were represented at the discussion. St. Luke was honored to host this meeting, and hopes that the discussion and collaboration will continue.

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Restoring Dignity in Haiti, A Visit from GSD Healthcare Inc.

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Restoring Dignity in Haiti, A Visit from GSD Healthcare Inc.

After receiving treatment at Mayo Clinic Arizona, Fr. Rick, knowing that many people in Haiti could also benefit from his same procedure, suggested to Dr. Patel and Dr. Humphreys to find a way to bring that kind of care to the men of Haiti. Elderly men are often a neglected population within this country. They don’t generate a lot of aid; they are not cute and marketable, like babies and young children. With little aid for this demographic, these men are often left to live for years with catheters, some even unable to work and care for their families because of difficulties and challenges that come with incontinence.  With this knowledge, Dr. Patel and Dr. Humphreys set out to restore dignity to men in Haiti, and the group GSD was birthed.

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GSD Healthcare: Building St. Luke Hospital's Trauma Care Capacity

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GSD Healthcare: Building St. Luke Hospital's Trauma Care Capacity

Since the earthquake in 2010, various international organizations throughout Port au Prince have provided trauma expertise for burns, accidents, high-risk maternity and various other emergencies. Some of these trauma centers were located just a few miles from St. Damien and St. Luke hospitals. Unfortunately, at the end of July of this year, one organization announced the closing of two of their hospitals, cutting back funding to maternity and trauma services, with trauma being closed altogether after June of 2019.

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Tending Haiti's Dead

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Dear Friends

Catherine Porter, of The New York Times (Toronto) came to Haiti to capture the tragic circumstances of death, for so many poor an marginalized people.

It led her to discover that we have been burying destitute dead for many years.

I think her article has a lot of depth and insight. It also highlights the person of Raphael Louigene, a greatly admired and loved member of our leadership team here in Haiti.

I hope this article will give deeper insight into the sufferings of the Haitian people, and more compassion for people around the world whose lives are heavily burdened, and of course, the desire to help lift their load.

Merry Christmas, soon to come.

Fr Rick Frechette CP DO

An update on Hurricane Matthew relief from Fr. Rick

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Hello friends,

A brief note because of limits of time at the desk:

On Sunday evening our 4th barge load of materials left for Jeremie (Nan Roche).

We met the barge, which arrived Monday evening, and on Tuesday we unloaded all the materials, in just one day, onto small boats and to shore.

We were blessed by cloud cover without rain, which saved us from getting scorched as we usually do.

The materials include 3400 sacks of cement, 5000 cement block and 240 tons of rebar.

All of this is to build a school at St Victor, Jeremie province, which will be an additional school of the St Luke Programs.

We have also sent two caravans to the north of Haiti so far: to Anse a Foleur and Ounaminthe.

This is more challenging (very aggressive crowds), since we do not have a base there.

With each caravan we learn from the previous difficulties to find the best way to offset the challenges.

Some pictures are attached.

Thanks so much for your support!

God bless you!

Fr. Rick 

28Sep2017

"Gaining ground after Hurricane Matthew and changing math"- From Fr. Rick

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Dear Friends and Family,

Not quite a week ago, after a full day’s work, a small group of us left Port au Prince and headed for Jeremie Province (Lagombri), in the rain.

We reached the muddy river crossings past Jeremie City almost eight hours later (at 2am), and slept, sitting and crunched up in the truck until sunrise, since it is not wise to negotiate the mud rivers when you can't see.

We reached St Victor almost two hours after that, and abandoning the truck for lack or roads, continued on an off road "polaris," for another hour and a half of a hair-raising ride, on mule paths that severely tested all the mechanics of the jeepish buggy, and of our bodies. 

After two flat tires, and reaching where even mules had to give up, we continued another hour on foot. 

As we walked, the rains came again. The red mud made everything slippery, and we spent as much of our time keeping our balance as walking, and we were wet and cold and mud-stained. 

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Now that the winds have died down...

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"As we accompany our neighbors in rural Haiti, after the devastation of hurricane Matthew, it is clear that they are eager to replant their gardens, fix their roofs, replace their drowned livestock.
 
They are eager to give their children something to eat for today, and an education and skill that will make them independent tomorrow.
 
Unlike a shooting start that cannot be followed to any destination, or even admired for very long, the dream of the rural Haitian people is rather like the north star, a compass and guide, steady and clear."

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