We're Getting Closer!

We just received word that the 48 boxes and 25 buckets of supplies that we purchased/collected over the past several months have arrived in Haiti and are currently making their way through Haiti Customs. Cross your fingers.

This is a photo of a family's kitchen in Jacmel, Haiti. Sadly, the kitchen only has a dirt floor and the family cooks over an open fire.

Skate4Haiti

Please join us at the Skate4Haiti event on Saturday, November 13th, 6pm to 9pm, at the newly renovated Purcellville Roller Rink (now called the Bush Tabernacle) at 250 South Nursery Avenue.

The purpose of the event is to raise funds to provide school scholarships to Haitian children.

Did you know?

• The average Haitian family income is less than $500/year.


• Less than 15% of Haitian schools are public and free.


• More than 85% of Haitian schools are privately owned and change fees (~$100 per year).


• More than 35% of Haitian children are unable to go to primary school, because their family can't afford it.

On November 13th, please bring a generous heart, a gently used stuffed animal, and your skates (if you have them) and help send a Haitian child to school.

Another Milestone Reached!

This past weekend, with help from Jim Wishmyer, Kim Kadesch, Ray Ginman and several other volunteers, the 48 large boxes and 25 buckets of tents, supplies and tools we purchased and collected over the past several months were put on one of two trucks bound for Miami, Florida, courtesy of Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH). From there the trucks will be put into a shipping container and shipped directly to Haiti. As soon as our truck navigants its way through Haiti Customs, it will be driven directly to Jacmel, Haiti. And once the truck reaches Jacmel, I hope to return with several volunteers to distribute our collected supplies to our Haitian neighbors. More details to follow.

One Step Closer!

On 9/27, we dropped off 48 large boxes and 25 buckets of supplies at a local storage unit, which is being rented by the Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH). Here is a photo of some of our packers. The items we dropped off included tents, tarps, tools, musical instruments, shoes, clothes, toiletries, school supplies, soccer balls, toys and more. CCH is in the process of trying to secure a shipping container to deliver our (and CCH's) supplies to Jacmel, Haiti. I haven't heard any details about the shipping container yet, but we should know soon. Unfortunately, it could take months for the supplies to reach Jacmel. UGH! Once we have more details, we can start kicking around dates for a return trip to Haiti.

Homer Goes to Haiti!

There is currently a big push in Haiti to try to move people displaced by January's 7.0 earthquake from tents to more permanent forms of shelter. Many homes are damaged beyond repair, but some are fixable. That's where Homer comes in. No, not Homer Simpson, but rather Homer from Home Depot. Jerry Michaels, the manager of Leesburg's Home Depot and his staff helped us assemble Shelter Repair Kits for some of Haiti's homeless. Each Kit, which costs about $300, includes dozens of basic tools and supplies that can be used to repair existing homes. Home Depot also provided us with a generous discount on the tools and supplies, which was much appreciated. These Kits will be on there way to Haiti soon.

The Tents Are Here!

Here is one of the tents that we ordered for the St. Charles Community in Jacmel, Haiti. This photo was taken without the fly. We bought these tents from REI during an end-of-the-season sale. The tents regularly sell for $349 each, but we were able to purchase them for only $249 a piece. The tents will sleep 4 people and are fairly durable with four metal poles. We also purchased footprints for the tents for $30 each, which should help reduce groundwater infiltration during heavy rainfalls.

Bill Clinton Speaks About Progress in Haiti

Here is a recent Meet the Press interview of Bill Clinton regarding the status of reconstruction in Haiti. It doesn't sound to good to me.

- Only 2 percent of debris cleared.

- $1.5 million Haitians still living in tents.

- Only $5 billion of $11 billion pledged by foreign donors has been distributed.

Haiti Wants You!

Are you interested in going on a mission trip to Haiti this fall? We're looking for a few good men and/or women to travel to Jacmel, Haiti to help erect tents for the St. Charles Head Together Community. The exact timing of the trip is still being worked out.

Over the past several months, we have raised about $16,000 toward our goal of $30,000. These funds will be used to purchase tents for the St. Charles Community. We need volunteers, however, to help erect the tents along side the Community members.

Please let me know if you have any interest in traveling to Haiti this fall. I can be reached at (540) 882-9194 or via e-mail at denicore@msn.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

Instruments in the Attic Goes International

When I was in Haiti this past April, I met Pastor Robert Noel. Pastor Noel is the pastor of a Wesleyan Church in Jacmel, Haiti. Here is a photo of his Church.

During my visit, Pastor Noel mentioned that he was interested in attracting people to his Church through music. The problem, however, was that he only had one guitar. I told Pastor Noel that I would try to find him some more musical instruments when I returned to the States.

Today, I picked up several musical instruments from George Mason University, which is located in Fairfax, Virginia. The instruments include a keyboard, a guitar, a ukulele, a drum set, recorders, tambourines, and much more. GMU has a program called "Instruments in the Attic" in which they collect donated musical instruments, refurbish them, and then send them back out into the community. Here is a link to an article about GMU's program and our plan to deliver the newly donated instruments to Pastor Noel this fall.

Petition to Congress

Two months after Haiti's devastating earthquake, President Obama pledged more than a billion dollars to Haiti for long-term rebuilding. But today, more than six months later, Congress still needs to pass the bill that contains this critical funding. Will you please join us in asking Congress to follow through on America's commitment to Haiti by signing the linked petition?

Another Tent Quote

I also received a quote for a more expensive tent. Like the previous tent, this tent is 12' x 12' and housing about 4 to 5 people. It is also made out of the same single fold, 100% cotton, 450 GSM natural white, waterproof canvas. The only real difference is that this tent has an outer fly, which would probably make for a more watertight tent. The cost is $195/tent plus about $25/tent for shipping. So, we're looking at $220/tent. A little out of our price range. :-(

Tent Quote

I received a couple quotes from a potential tent supplier. The tent in this photo is 12' x 12', which will house about 4 to 5 people. The tent is made out of single fold, 450 GSM (grams/square meter) waterproof, natural color, cotten canvas. The cost is $120/tent plus about $25/tent for shipping. So, we're looking at about $145/tent.

Aid & International Development Forum

I attended the Aid & International Development Forum at the Washington, DC Convention Center today. This Forum focuses on humanitarian aid, disaster relief and development effectiveness.

Several tent manufacturers participated in the Forum, so I was able to obtain some good information about the types of tents that may be available for the Saint Charles Head Together Community.

Tent Design

I met with Duncan Burt, co-founder of Explus, Inc., today to discuss potential tent designs for the Saint Charles Head Together Community in Jacmel, Haiti.

Apparently, many of the tents being provided to Haitians by various relief groups are not holding up under Haiti's severe weather conditions.

We're Halfway There!

We just reached the halfway point in our fundraising efforts.

Thanks to our generous donors, we have collected enough money to purchase 150 of the 300 tents needed for the St. Charles Head Together Community in Jacmel, Haiti. Yeah!

If you are interested in making a donation to this cause, please send your 100% tax deductible donation to PO Box 34, Waterford, VA 20197 made payable to the "Community Coalition for Haiti" with the word "Tents" on the memo line.

Interesting Article

This is an interesting article about the huge debris problem in Haiti. I took this photo in Port-au-Prince during my trip to Haiti this past April. Unfortunately, it sounds like not much has changed with respect to debris removal.

Interesting Article

This is an interesting article about how the emergency tents aren't holding up in the heavy rains of Haiti. We're hoping to find a supplier that can provide more durable tents that can withstand Haiti's sun, wind and rain.

Concert Results

Thanks to generous concert goers and the beautiful music of Janet Emma & Seven West, the DeadHawks, Catherine Wyatt and Jeff Bean, we raised more than $3,000 at yesterday's Benefit Concert in Waterford, Virginia.

These donations translate into 30 more tents for the 300-family, Saint Charles Head Together Community in Jacmel, Haiti.

If you weren't able to make the Concert, you can still donate. Please send your 100% tax deductible donation to PO Box 34, Waterford, VA 20197 made payable to "Community Coalition for Haiti" with the word "Tents" on the memo line.

Benefit Concert in Waterford, Virginia

Please join us at 4pm today for a Benefit Concert in Waterford, Virginia (at the corner of Janney and High Streets) to raise money to purchase tents for Haiti's earthquake victims.

The Concert will feature the music of Janet Emma & Seven West , the Deadhawks, Catherine Wyatt, and Jeff Bean. Please bring blankets, lawn chairs, picnic fare, and a heart of giving! All ages are welcome!

All proceeds from the Concert will go to Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH), a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that has been working in Haiti for the past 20 years. CCH has established a restricted account for the purchasing of tents.

If you cannot make the Concert, you can still donate. Please send your 100% tax deductible donation to PO Box 34, Waterford, VA 20197 made payable to "Community Coalition for Haiti" with the word "Tents" on the memo line.

Concert Results

Raising Praise rocked the house last night's Benefit Concert at the United Methodist Church in Leeburg, Virginia. The generous people that attended the Concert donated more than $2,700 to purchase tents for the earthquake victims of Haiti.

The funds raised last night translates into 27 more tents for the Saint Charles Head Together Community in Jacmel, Haiti, a 300-family community that is currently living in tents made out of bed sheets and sticks.

If you weren't able to make it to the Concert, you can still donate. Please send your 100% tax deductible donation to PO Box 34, Waterford, VA 20197 made payable to "Community Coalition for Haiti" with the word "Tents" on the memo line.

Thank you Raising Praise!

Benefit Concert in Leesburg, Virginia

Please join us at 7pm today for a Benefit Concert at the United Methodist Church in Leesburg, Virginia to raise money to purchase tents for Haiti's earthquake victims. The Concert will feature the music of Raising Praise.

All proceeds from the Concert will go to the Community Coalition for Haiti (CCH), a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that has been working in Haiti for 20 years. CCH has established a restricted account for the purchasing of tents.

If you cannot make the Concert, you can still donate. Please send your 100% tax deductible donation to PO Box 34, Waterford, VA 20197 made payable to "Community Coalition for Haiti" with the word "tents" on the memo line.