Ray and Donna Moon, a retired couple from Hales Corners, WI are among our most dedicated supporters. They have been bringing groups of hard-working visitors down to Haiti to help us out for several years, doing a variety of tasks including construction work, organizing supplies and helping out in the clinic. Earlier this month they came for a week’s visit with our newest board member Bill Schweitzer, his wife Jeanette, who is an active member of our Banquet Committee, medical technologist Yvonne Ducharme, who has been here many times and Rotarian, retired veterinarian and amateur photographer Pat Mahoney.
It was an active, enjoyable and productive week as they helped organize supplies at the clinic, made up gift bags of toys and clothes for us to give out to local children at Christmas, packed used clothing and hygiene supplies in sacks for distribution to families high up in the mountains, labeled shelves and bins in the pharmacy and went out into the local communities to survey hurricane damage and meet with our Community Promoters. Pat was able to visit several families who had received latrines from us in our Water and Sanitation program that was largely funded by his local Fox Cities Morning Rotary Club. He could see the significant impact of the Rotary Club financial contributions and the community development that resulted from the efforts of our volunteer Community Promoters.
Suitcases filled with medications brought by Ray and Donna Moon and their group
Bill, Jeanette and Dr. Katie standing in front of the government hospital in Jérémie with second floor blown off in the hurricane. An office desk sits in place on the roof.
Jeanette laughing with some new-found friends.
Yvonne with an innovative young man who made his own wheelbarrow to carry water cans.
Community Promoters in the community of Fraise stand next to a latrine that lost its roof and door.
Rotarian Pat Mahoney visiting communities that were part of FHH’s Water and Sanitation Program and latrine building project.
Gift bags of clothing and toys to give out to local children for Christmas, the result of hard work by the visiting team.
Jeanette, Yvonne and Donna enjoy a laugh with pharmacy technician Guy-Johns
Ray Moon and Bill Schweitzer helping out at the clinic for the day
On Friday, we all went to a nearby community for a large community meeting and teaching session with the local people. They were anxious to learn about ways to protect their health and were happy to welcome visitors in their midst!
Dr. Katie talking with the community members as the visiting team looks on
People huddle under and around the shelter where community education is being conducted.
It’s standing room only as community members stand along the edges of the shelter during a community meeting.
School next to the community meeting site. The roof has been blown off by the hurricane but students and teachers continue on with their education.
We were thrilled to have a photographer in the group to take photos of us and our staff as we saw patients in the clinic. Pat’s antics behind the camera and his warm heart brought out a lot of smiles from our patients. Wearing his hat backwards might have helped out as well!
Dr. Katie and Cherlie attending to a young patient who came into the Emergency Room.
Toys make all illness get better!
Registration clerk and chaplain Adrien Jean Jacques registers a new patient
Nurse Vetelie Charles looks on as patients wait for consultation in the hallway of the clinic.
Cherlie gives medication instructions in the pharmacy as pharmacy technician Guy-Johns Chevalier looks on.
Ray and Donna work very hard during the year acquiring medications and supplies that they bring down with them when they come to visit us. These supplies are invaluable in helping us provide medical care to our patients. In addition, Ray and Jeanette Schweitzer are responsible for the “FHH Store”, where we sell items with the FHH logo as a means of making our ministry known to others. We want to say a special thank you to Dunn’s Sporting Goods for making the t-shirts and caps that are sold in the FHH store. They donated dozens of t-shirts for us to give to our faithful staff and Community Promoters and everyone was thrilled with their gifts! Thanks to our friends at Dunn’s!
Bill and Jeanette Schweitzer stand with Community Promoter Dominique showing off FHH logo products made by Dunn’s Sporting Goods.
Community Promoter Jude St. Louis poses with her new FHH bag.
Staff workers Lubin and Viel show off their new Dunns t-shirts and FHH water bottles. Thank you Dunn’s!
We’re grateful for all of our visitors and appreciate all the supplies they bring to us and the hard work they do while they’re here. Most importantly, though, we appreciate THEM as people who are here to share our lives and our work and then go back home and communicate those experiences with others. This sharing of experiences helps to expand our circle of friends and enables Haiti’s needs to be made known to others who may be motivated to help out here and to pray for us and our ministry. We were thrilled when Pat Mahoney expressed a desire to post to our Facebook page some of his photos and impressions of his visit with us. You can share his experience firsthand by visiting Friends for Health in Haiti’s Facebook page.