INTERNATIONAL PROJECT PROPOSAL PROJECT 1235 CFSOP Health Clinic Medical and Nutritional Outreach for the Poor Viloux, Haiti For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever. Psalm 9:18
We are a Catholic ministry that mobilizes the global Catholic Church to transform the poor and their communities materially and spiritually for the glory of Jesus Christ. Rather than create new institutions to distribute aid, we support existing ministries and churches already serving the poor. In addition to being the most cost-effective way of helping the poor, empowering these ministries allows us to support the Church s spiritual mission and its important position of leadership in poor communities. We consider every gift we receive as a precious resource from God. We direct every donation to its intended project, provide honest and accurate reports to our donors, and keep overhead costs to an industry low. We handle funds with utmost integrity and hold our ministry partners in the field to the same high standards by asking them to document costs and the impact of their outreach. We invite you to join with us as we seek to transform the lives of the poor materially and spiritually ways that please the Father and glorify him in Heaven and on earth.
Project Synopsis Description This project will support a free health clinic that offers preventive and diagnostic services, while providing crucial aid for the malnourished in the community. Purpose To utilize the knowledge of our medically trained sisters to impact both physically and spiritually the lives of some of poorest families in the Western Hemisphere. Our Partner The Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor (CFSOP). Location The village of Viloux, in the southern region of Haiti. Cost $66,000 will provide medical supplies, support for preventive care programs and lifesaving food for more than 200 malnourished villagers. The funding covers an 18-month period. Highlights The CFSOP health clinic in Viloux is free to all and is the only source of medical treatment in the area. The nearest alternative is a fee-based clinic in the town of Maniche, which is a 60-minute walk away. Sister Marie, a registered nurse, is ideally suited to administer the health clinic, having previously worked in similar clinics in the Philippines and in Jamaica. During a typical month, more than 400 patients come through the door of the health clinic. The health clinic is open three days a week Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and stocks its own medicine, including antibiotics, painkillers, and antidiarrheal and deworming medications. A feeding program is provided for children five days a week Monday through Friday at the convent. An additional feeding program is provided for the elderly twice a month. This food is vital to maintain the health of the malnourished in the community. Join Cross Catholic Outreach today to help fund the CFSOP health clinic in Viloux! 1
The Need Viloux is a small, impoverished farming community located in a winding stretch of mountains along the southern coast of Haiti. In the best of times, life is a struggle for the people living there. Very few employment opportunities exist for the unskilled, uneducated population, so most families simply live off the land, which means if the property is lost, they are left with nothing. That was the situation that befell the people of Viloux on October 4, 2016, when Hurricane Matthew smashed Haiti s southern peninsula. Homes and farms were destroyed. Livestock and crops were decimated. Under normal conditions, the people of Viloux would rely on the CFSOP sisters to provide shelter; but the sisters convent, chapel and clinic were destroyed by the hurricane, as well. More than a year has passed since Hurricane Matthew brought destruction to the southern peninsula, and much of the CFSOP mission has been rebuilt, but the same cannot be said for all of Viloux. Many poor are still struggling to get back on their feet, and their efforts to rebuild are going slowly. Hunger has also become a serious problem for the very poor especially in and around Viloux. The southern peninsula had always been considered the breadbasket of Haiti, but when Hurricane Matthew destroyed area farms, food storage facilities and the agricultural infrastructure, the breadbasket was left barren. Terrible food shortages have persisted to this day. Fortunately, the CFSOP sisters remain dedicated to Viloux, and they are working hard to provide solutions. Though they face a mammoth challenge, they valiantly fight on, never losing faith. With intense focus and in high spirits, the sisters administer food and medicine outreaches, while delivering Christ s love and comfort to all they encounter. The CFSOP sisters are eager to fulfill their mission of evangelization and salvation of souls through the corporal works of mercy, but they need your help to achieve their ambitious goals. Please support them as they work tirelessly to help the hungry children and villagers of Viloux, leading them to better health and a full recovery. 2
Ministry Description Driven by a compassionate Catholic heart and a calling to serve, the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor work tirelessly to bring healing to the hurting villagers of Viloux. Led by Sr. Marie who is a registered nurse and has been called by God to care for the poor the CFSOP clinic is the only health facility in the area and is free to all. Without it, suffering patients would have to walk an hour to the town of Maniche, where the clinic charges them for services. Even if the poor were to reach the remote clinic, few could pay to be seen, much less afford any prescriptions given. By contrast, the CFSOP clinic freely provides consultations and medications with the assistance of a licensed doctor three days a week. In order to address the most common needs, they make it a priority to stock antibiotics, painkillers, antidiarrheal and deworming medications. The clinic also provides medical outreach and hygiene instruction, training mothers and caregivers in first aid and nutrition. The CFSOP mission works miracles in the eyes of the poor it serves. Patients will wait for hours on end to be seen, because they trust the sisters and know their needs will be addressed with expertise and compassion. In addition to the free clinic, the sisters have established a feeding program for children five days a week, Monday through Friday. They have also established a feeding program for the elderly, which is held twice a month. By providing nutritious daily meals for the youngest and most vulnerable in the community, the sisters believe that they can successfully address the malnourishment issues that have worsened since Hurricane Matthew. Each day begins with prayer where all of the sisters and clinic volunteers pray together. The prayers continue throughout the day, preceding and following each activity. The CFSOP is a religious order whose sole purpose is to work for the poor and nurture their faith and trust in God. 3
Children s Feeding Program At 4 p.m., Monday through Friday, hungry children are fed a hot, nutritious meal. For many of these children, this will be the only meal they will receive. Community Health Care Sr. Marie brings many years of nursing experience to healing those in more than 20 local villages. Nurturing Body and Spirit In addition to providing medical treatment, preventive health care and lifesaving food, the sisters offer hygiene education and Catholic catechism classes. 4
Help Now! The CFSOP health clinic and feeding program are lifesaving outreaches vital to the well-being of Viloux s impoverished villagers. We want to do everything possible to empower the clinic and its mission. Cross Catholic Outreach needs your help to ensure the poor will continue to be accepted with open arms and will receive compassionate medical care by this mission. Will you join us in supporting Sr. Marie and the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor? Will you help this model of Christ s amazing grace remain a beacon of hope for the poor in Viloux? This program is needed now more than ever. Families living in Viloux are still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Matthew. They are hungry and sick, will travel great distances and wait for hours to be seen, because they value the services of this wonderful Catholic ministry. Join us in answering the cries of the poor by allowing God s angels of mercy the Compassionate Franciscan Sisters of the Poor to pursue their calling to serve and heal! Happy are those who consider the poor; the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble. Psalm 41:1 Our Promise to You! Proceeds from this campaign will be used to cover any expenditures for this project incurred through June 30, 2018, the close of our ministry s new fiscal year. In the event that more funds are raised than needed to fully fund the project, the excess funds, if any, will be used to meet the most urgent needs of the ministry. 5 2700 N. Military Trail Suite 240 PO Box 273908 Boca Raton, Florida 33427-3908 800-914-2420 www.crosscatholic.org Copyright Cross Catholic Outreach. Cost-effectively written, designed and printed in-house. [cmc1710]