COVID-19
Dear HCM Supporters,
COVID-19 seems to be the topic of discussion for so many of us right now; it has changed the way the entire world is doing business and has dramatically changed the daily lives of everyone. Last week, Haiti had its first reported cases of the virus. As we all know, it’s only a matter of time before Haiti will be experiencing what most of the rest of the world has already become very familiar with. The difference being the medical care available in Haiti is vastly different than what we here in the US have available to us.
The HCM Board has been, and will continue to be, in almost constant communication with Pastor Bob and the staff in Haiti attempting to best meet the needs of the people we serve in Haiti during this worldwide pandemic. We are committed as a ministry, with the wisdom that the Lord provides and the continued financial support of those who are able, to meet the needs of the community of Pillatre and those surrounding communities that we serve.
A few of the decisions we have made to best help the community are these: increased funds have been sent to Haiti in anticipation of increased costs for food, medication and other necessities. We have committed to paying all HCM employees while they are off work as long as funds continue to be available (All schools and churches are closed. The only staff working right now are our medical clinic staff, key administration staff and security staff.). We are shipping medication to the medical clinic from the US as medication costs have tripled since the first COVID-19 cases were discovered in Haiti. We have educated our clinic staff via a video conference on the virus and our medical director is continuing to search for the latest information on treatment of patients who become infected and that information is being shared with our clinic medical staff.
As a ministry, we want to be as financially responsible as possible and spend our funds in ways that best help those in Haiti. Therefore, at this time, we are asking for as many of our supporters as possible to transition to an email version of our monthly newsletter, allowing us to save the cost of printing and mailing monthly statements and newsletters. If you are someone who is blessed to have not lost your source of income, please continue to give to HCM, and if you feel lead, please consider increasing your giving. As a board, we do not have all the answers, but we are meeting almost weekly to discuss and formulate plans for the ministry. Please be in prayer for Haiti, our HCM staff, the HCM Board, and our world as we all are facing uncharted territory in this “new normal”.
We will also be updating our HCM Facebook page and sending out emails about what is going on in the ministry. If you don’t already follow HCM’s Facebook page, please do so. If you presently receive a paper copy of the monthly newsletter and you are able to transition to an e-version, please respond to this email. If you are a supporter that has lost their job and need to temporarily stop supporting HCM, please let us know and also let us know how we can best pray for you in these trying times.
May God protect and richly bless each one of you!
Sincerely,
The HCM Board of Directors