Haitian Health Foundation “Happy House” Program

St. James Christian Involvement Committee’s Ongoing Collection for

The Haitian Health Foundation’s

"Happy House" Program

Since 1995 the HHF has been providing housing for the homeless and for poor families residing in appalling hovels in rural southern Haiti. These hovels are typically made of cardboard, rags and straw and are so small that people often have to sleep in shifts.

The Happy House program replaces/renovates these shacks into concrete block buildings with a cement floor, a tole roof, windows and doors. When funds allow, a small porch is attached and the HHF Latrine Program supplies an "outhouse" latrine behind the house. The recipients of these houses participate in building the home under the direction of the HHF builder.

The construction costs for one of these homes is approximately $500, or $700 with porch and latrine. Recipients are chosen by a vote of a village committee to ensure that the most needy receive them. These are lifetime gifts to families trapped in poverty.

Benefits of these homes:

Provides humane living conditions, sanitation & dignity
Communities grow through cooperation and care for the extremely poor
Protection from the elements and improved sanitation results in improved health
Poor families are empowered through their contributions to the realization of their own home
Tradesmen/laborers gain employment and opportunities to improve their skills
The local economy benefits from the sale of materials

From This

To This

If you would like to donate, you can drop off your monetary donation (make check out to Christian Involvement) at the rectory or drop it in the collection basket. Please address it to the Christian Involvement Committee and indicate that it is for our "Happy House" program.
St. James Christian Involvement Committee’s Ongoing Collection for

Haitian Health Foundation Goat Program

The Goat program distributes goats to the poor villagers of Jeremie (where the Haitian Health Foundation is), providing a means for these villagers to become financially self-sufficient.

Each goat helps a village family gain some financial independence. Goats are bred and used for milk, to increase a herd, to barter or used for animal protein. With average incomes of $90-$300 per year, it is impossible for the poor of Jeremie to purchase a goat with out help from people who care about their survival.

Local committees chose the recipients on the basis of their poverty, their participation in health education and their commitment to the growth of their communities.

Recipients must agree to return one male offspring to be used in HHF’s Feeding Program, and one female to be distributed to the next family on the list. In this way, the program avoids a "welfare" situation and also multiplies the number of beneficiaries.

$150 will purchase a goat for a destitute Haitian family

The Christian Involvement Committee, as a group, has already purchased one goat!

We will be doing ongoing collections for this program. Please watch for our collections after mass at various times or at the coffee hours. Also, if you would like to make a monetary donation, you can it drop off at the rectory or in the collection basket. Please address it to the Christian Involvement Committee and indicate that it is for our "Goat" program.

We will keep the parish updated whenever we are able to purchase a goat.

Imagine…one small monetary donation that you make will go towards a purchase that will help make a tremendous difference in some family’s life!