An Appeal from Ken Rosen

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

As some of you may know, my sister, Renee, and her husband, Lex, run an orphanage through a mission on Haiti's north shore. It was almost completely destroyed in this week’s earthquake. This is an organization that currently houses and cares for 300 orphan children. As a result of this disaster, the number of orphans will increase. Also, my sister emailed me that many people who have lost their homes are coming to the mission for shelter.

In our brief email exchanges on Wednesday morning, my sister asked for prayers and support. I am trying to get aid to her now and have set up a fund to rebuild orphanage facilities. If you are thinking about making a donation to help people in Haiti, please consider this. Any amount will help.

I am working with the mission’s U.S. office to make sure our contributions receive proper accounting and are used for the purposes for which they are intended. This is an opportunity to help out where the entire amount of the donation will directly benefit the effort.

I appreciate anything you can do and of course, you are welcome to share this information with our mutual friends.

Warm regards,

Ken Rosen

Update - August 25, 2010

From Ken's sister, Renee, in Haiti.

Things are going relatively well. All resources seem stretched of late: people, money, supplies... I have found it interesting how much the influx of people from hundreds, maybe even thousands of NGOs has impacted our area...both good and not.

We have been able to build back walls, some classrooms, orphan housing, visitor housing, storage... Right now we are working on putting the roof on the choukoun (a round pavilion with grass roof) and finishing the dorm rooms. We're going to Kansas City today to hear about a possible grant from Germany to continue with the school construction. We are building much differently than how things were previously. There's soooooooo much metal in everything now. We've had engineers and architects looking over everything and they are all very satisfied with the quality.

Again, thank you for all your help.

Update - March 30, 2010

Besides distributing about 500 tons of food, 2400 tarps, hundreds of hygiene and kitchen kits and dozens of tents to our students, orphans and the community and providing medical care to thousands of children and adults, we have…

The orphans have been staying in very large, 8 person tents with large living areas. However, they are too hot to dwell in during the day and as the rains begin, with children being children, they are getting wet at night. Today we are preparing an area to construct a temporary shelter of wood with a metal roof that will provide a solid, dry area for the children to live in until the new orphanage building can be completed.

The generous donations have allowed much of this work to be accomplished. We are so grateful for the outpouring of support for these children. Already, so much has been completed. Yet, there is a great deal more work to be done than what has been done thus far. We are working, virtually nonstop and are confident that step by step we will get there.

Please extend our thanks and appreciation to these donors as you see them and assure them that these children’s lives are full of hope today, because of their generosity.

Update - February 3, 2010

It is with sincere gratitude that I send this message.

I am writing to let you know that there has been a generous outpouring of donations to the orphanage that my sister runs in Haiti. We have seen contributions totaling about $125,000. We have used $85,000 of that money to send a container of supplies directly to the orphanage, including food, water, medical supplies, power tools, tents, and sleeping bags. This will be of tremendous assistance to them as they struggle to get through the next few weeks. Their numbers of orphans has increased and therefore so has the need. The orphans as well as all the administrators are sleeping in their courtyard, some in cardboard boxes.

We are looking at continuing our effort to raise funds so that they can rebuild the many buildings that were destroyed in the earthquake. This is a great opportunity to make sure that the money you donate actually reaches those in need.

If you were considering making a donation to this effort, we encourage you to do that today. Also please pass this information along to any foundation you know that might be interested in contributing. This is an excellent opportunity in that all funds will go directly to the organization in Haiti. The orphanage is a member of a community of about 100,000 people. Resources and funds they receive will directly benefit community members as well as the orphans.

Check and wire information follow this message. Also you will find the link that will allow you to donate by credit card if that is your choice.

Thank you again for your generosity and your caring.

Ken Rosen

Update - January 21, 2010

We have an update from my sister Renee as of this morning. They survived the large aftershock but are still awaiting aid. They did get their Mission of Hope Medical team in from the Dominican Republic along with some food and water. We are working to arrange a shipment of tents, tarps, batteries, and medicine by ship from Miami. She really appreciates all the financial aid as it will be a long and slow recovery period.

Here is a link to some footage from Haiti, and an interview with Ken's sister, Renee.

Checks may be made out to Mission of Hope indicating in the memo line "building fund" and mailed to:

Mission of Hope, Haiti
P.O. Box 176
Merrimac, MA 01860

You may also pay by wire:

Routing number: 211374020
Bank: The Provident Bank
Acct#: 27 729252

Or, if you care to donate by credit card, please use the following link:Mission of Hope