Special Delivery: Homes, Help & Hope for Haiti

Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, home to nearly 10 million people. In January 2010, conditions went from bad to worse when a massive 7.0 earthquake struck, killing nearly 300,000 and leaving 1.6 million homeless.

Despite an outpouring of humanitarian support, reconstruction has barely begun. More than 600,000 Haitians are living under tarps and in tent cities throughout Port-au-Prince, the country’s largest city. Poverty and illness are epidemic. 

“Death, devastation and despair are everywhere,” says Ken DeYoung, a third generation farmer and pilot from Laurens, Iowa. “When you see and experience it firsthand, you can’t help but search your heart to find a way to help.”

Focused Passion
DeYoung knows. He began flying humanitarian missions to Haiti shortly after the quake, delivering food, medicine and medical support.  During those early visits, he became acquainted with a Haitian couple that was establishing an orphanage for young women. 

“When they found out I was from Iowa, they said ‘We need you, a farmer from Iowa!’” DeYoung recalls. “Rarely do people say that. It got my attention.” 

He quickly reached out to missionaries Terry Baxter of Clear Lake, John Howe of Garner and Tim Wittmaack of Linn Grove. Together, they founded the Global Compassion Network (GCN), a faith-based, non-profit organization that provides domestic and international emergency and disaster relief assistance.

“Numerous humanitarian organizations exist where you send money and then stay home,” says Baxter. “We wanted to do something different by creating an opportunity for Iowans to focus their passion and be personally involved in impacting the world.”

The GCN quickly sprung to action to assist the orphanage, raising more than $90,000 to purchase five acres near Les Cayes (located 80 miles southwest of Port-au-Prince) for establishing the Village of Hope. The settlement will include up to 50 units called SafeTHomes, modified grain bin structures developed by Sheffield-based Sukup Manufacturing.

Howe says it’s an ideal structure for the area. The SafeTHome is made entirely of metal, making it impervious to termites and moisture. It measures 18-feet wide by 14-feet tall, can sleep 10 or more and features a double-roof systems that displaces heat, two windows that can be locked from inside and a water collection system. The SafeTHome can withstand 130 mile-per-hour winds and is virtually earthquake proof. The cost of the unit is $5,700 and has a life expectancy of 75 years. 

Call to Action
In September, GCN representatives began sharing their vision for the Village of Hope at public meetings and in one-on-one conversations. “God certainly has his hand in this because it’s bigger than any one of us,” says Baxter. “We’re now ready to take the next step.”

That call to action will involve the Iowa Food & Family Project (Iowa FFP), a purpose-driven initiative launched in April by the Iowa Soybean Association in partnership with nearly 25 commodity groups, retail partners and food relief organizations. The organization is dedicated to inspiring greater trust between farmers and consumers through dialogue and personal engagement. It’s also committed to serving a higher purpose by aggregating resources to help people in need of food and shelter.

“When there are families and children who are hurting, Iowans have always stepped forward,” says ISA President Dean Coleman of Humboldt. “As the breadbasket of the world, we have a responsibility and opportunity to make a difference.”

Campaign to Launch
The Iowa FFP will host a news conference Monday, Dec. 12 in Des Moines to unveil “Special Delivery: Homes, Help & Hope for Haiti.” 

The campaign will be co-chaired by Iowa Lt. Governor Kim Reynolds and Ag Secretary Bill Northey. It will involve Iowa farm and commodity organizations, GCN and Meals from the Heartland, a non-profit organization composed of volunteers who package meals for delivery to starving people around the world.

“Secretary Northey and I are privileged to lend our support and voice to such an innovative and necessary effort, one that’s rooted in Iowa’s farms and values,” says Reynolds. “The need for shelter and food in Haiti is immediate. The Iowa Food & Family Project is an ideal organization to further the tremendous work of the GCN and its Village of Hope.”

Donations are encouraged and will be used to purchase up to
48 SafeTHomes. With each unit, the Iowa Soybean Association will contribute $1,000 for the purchase of Meals from the Heartland.  The food packets contain soy protein, rice, vitamin powder and dried vegetables and will be shipped with the SafeTHomes. The Iowa FFP will also secure donations to cover transportation costs and purchasing concrete needed to secure each unit (a $1,000 cost per SafeTHome).

The campaign will continue through Spring 2012. At its completion, volunteers from Iowa will be invited to travel to Haiti to construct the homes and meet Village of Hope residents.

For more information about “Special Delivery: Homes, Help & Hope for Haiti” and to make a contribution, log on to www.iowafoodandfamily.com.