Bread of Life to the physically hungry, Living Water for the spiritually thirsty.
Aug 23 Newsletter & Fund Request
Thank you for your ongoing support and encouragement for the children at the Divine Ministries in Hope for Children “Homes of Blessing” in Haiti under the care of Pastor Daniel Jean. The continuing upheaval caused by gangs and a non-operating government leave the children and staff under a constant threat of danger, a lack of food and other supplies, and the uncertainty of what the future may hold.
If you have remained informed of the operations in Haiti, you are aware that Divine Ministries currently maintains a boys home and a girls home in Port au Prince as well as a combined compound in Les Cayes (far from the upheaval of the capital city). As you will see below, Daniel Jean would like to move all of our children to the compound in Les Cayes to avoid the danger and upheaval of the capital as well as helping to reduce the overall expenses of the Ministry (P au P rent, tuition, etc.).
We generally attempt to keep you informed of conditions and opportunities while sharing a few needs for financial resources, however, the current situation has challenged us beyond our “usual” financial support. The TeamOne27 Board believes that it is appropriate to inform everyone of the overall needs of the ministry as well as this urgent and extra expense to move Daniel’s family, staff, and children under his care out of the life-threatening dangers in the capital region. As always, we trust that God will provide for the ministry bringing glory to Himself.
Daniel Jean was in the States just a week or so ago… during this visit he and Mark (president of TeamOne27) developed the list below of urgent projects, monthly and annual budgeted needs, along with a few additional projects that – along with all the others – can only be completed when funds are available.
Bottomline: The Board humbly requests that you receive this list as a fundraising effort and allow God to prompt you to respond as He has blessed you.
1) Immediate Needs:
a) $30,000 to finish the roof of the building now under construction at our compound in the countryside of Les Cayes. In order to move the children and staff now in Port-au-Prince, where life is increasingly more dangerous due to gang activity, to the much safer environment of Les Cayes, we need to have a roof on the fifteen-room building we
began to build earlier this year. UPDATE: A church in Central Ohio has already
committed $15,000 to this project!
a) $30,000 to finish the roof of the building now under construction at our compound in the countryside of Les Cayes. In order to move the children and staff now in Port-au-Prince, where life is increasingly more dangerous due to gang activity, to the much safer environment of Les Cayes, we need to have a roof on the fifteen-room building we
began to build earlier this year. UPDATE: A church in Central Ohio has already
committed $15,000 to this project!
b) $2,500 Balance of staff pay for June. Normally paid on first of the following month, part of pay was given to staff, but they we were not able to pay all staff in full.
c) $4,500 Summer staff pay for the month of July. Due August first.
c) $4,500 Summer staff pay for the month of July. Due August first.
d) $4,500 is the budgeted pay for all orphanage staff plus our school administrator and his secretary/record keeper. This figure is the monthly amount due on the first of the month year around.
e) $1,200 Each month is the pay for six teachers. Needed each month throughout the school year, September through June.
f) $300 Health and beauty care and laundry.
e) $1,200 Each month is the pay for six teachers. Needed each month throughout the school year, September through June.
f) $300 Health and beauty care and laundry.
g) $250 Water bill in Port-au-Prince.
Note: This cost will go away once we move the Port-au-Prince (PAP) operations to Les Cayes.
h) $200 Electricity bill in PAP. The government charges us this amount each month whether or not they actually provide electricity, which can be sporadic at best.
Note: This bill will also end after we move operations to Les Cayes.
i) $3,500 Needed for food each month. This figure has grown due to gang activity and the increasingly expensive food prices that are a result.
j) $300 Basic medical needs for vitamins and a nurse who visits three times each week to keep watch over our children and staff.
Note: Emergency medical needs cannot be predicted, but each month there are incidents that require hospital visits and additional medicines that add to the budgeted figure.
k) $300 We must pay for a government worker who is required for us to operate an orphanage. This person monitors our record keeping and daily care for the children, including education.
l) $500 Transportation of students to outside schools, travel to secure supplies and food and transport same to our locations. This figure includes gas, oil and basic upkeep on our vehicles.
h) $200 Electricity bill in PAP. The government charges us this amount each month whether or not they actually provide electricity, which can be sporadic at best.
Note: This bill will also end after we move operations to Les Cayes.
i) $3,500 Needed for food each month. This figure has grown due to gang activity and the increasingly expensive food prices that are a result.
j) $300 Basic medical needs for vitamins and a nurse who visits three times each week to keep watch over our children and staff.
Note: Emergency medical needs cannot be predicted, but each month there are incidents that require hospital visits and additional medicines that add to the budgeted figure.
k) $300 We must pay for a government worker who is required for us to operate an orphanage. This person monitors our record keeping and daily care for the children, including education.
l) $500 Transportation of students to outside schools, travel to secure supplies and food and transport same to our locations. This figure includes gas, oil and basic upkeep on our vehicles.
2) Annual Budgeted Needs:
a) $8,000 This is what we have been paying annually for the two orphanage locations in PAP – one house for girls and one for boys.
Note: This cost will be eliminated (praise God!) by moving our operations to the compound on the land we own in Les Cayes. The land was donated to us following the major earthquake of January 2010, and we built the existing facility there debt-free as funds became available over time.
a) $8,000 This is what we have been paying annually for the two orphanage locations in PAP – one house for girls and one for boys.
Note: This cost will be eliminated (praise God!) by moving our operations to the compound on the land we own in Les Cayes. The land was donated to us following the major earthquake of January 2010, and we built the existing facility there debt-free as funds became available over time.
3) Other Needs:
a) $45,000 Once the roof is on the new building in Les Cayes, we will need to finish pouring cement for the floors, install ceramic tile floors, electricity, plumbing, windows, doors and coat the walls inside and out with cement parging and paint.
b) $500 to $850 per month for a lunch program to feed the children who live outside our compound in the surrounding Les Cayes area to whom we provide school at little or no cost. Their families cannot afford to educate their children, so we negotiate a price they can afford and register their child(ren) at our school. Often these children arrive having eaten nothing in the last one or more days. They fall asleep in the classroom due to lack of energy caused by malnutrition. We had hoped to find an NGO (non-government organization) that specializes in such programs to help feed these children, but many NGO’s have fled Haiti due to the current danger and widespread unrest. We estimate we can feed all these children lunch three days per week for $500, or all five days per school week for $850 per month.
a) $45,000 Once the roof is on the new building in Les Cayes, we will need to finish pouring cement for the floors, install ceramic tile floors, electricity, plumbing, windows, doors and coat the walls inside and out with cement parging and paint.
b) $500 to $850 per month for a lunch program to feed the children who live outside our compound in the surrounding Les Cayes area to whom we provide school at little or no cost. Their families cannot afford to educate their children, so we negotiate a price they can afford and register their child(ren) at our school. Often these children arrive having eaten nothing in the last one or more days. They fall asleep in the classroom due to lack of energy caused by malnutrition. We had hoped to find an NGO (non-government organization) that specializes in such programs to help feed these children, but many NGO’s have fled Haiti due to the current danger and widespread unrest. We estimate we can feed all these children lunch three days per week for $500, or all five days per school week for $850 per month.
As you can see, the needs are significant and many are recurring. Please consider whether you might be able to help with a one-time or recurring gift to address whatever need you are moved by…
Note: If funds are received for a particular need in excess of a designated need, they will be directed to the next priority project/expense as determined by Pastor Daniel Jean.
Thank you for your partnership!
Thank you for your partnership!
Mark Gillette
TeamOne27 President
P.S. For more frequent updates, please provide your email address!