Starfish Community

Val Children's Home Care (www.valschildren.weebly.com) News:

All 30 children and Pastor Val and sister Irma are all safe, but buildings destroyed. They had a well, don't know if it is crushed by quake. They are located in Bognotte, near Gressier, near Leogane. This small orphanage has been run by Haitian Pastor Franklin Val since 1987, and is provided for by his taxi service and the donations of a few families in the US. They will need adequate shelter, food and water in the coming weeks. For now, more than likely there is a makeshift tent city they are staying in. The adjacent church building also was crushed and some people lost their lives. I suppose there are injured as well.

We need a team of qualified reconstruction people with access to building materials, well drillers, etc. Probably some med help, don't know details on their need just yet. ANYONE WHO GOES MUST BE COMPLETELY SELF SUFFICIENT - WATER, FOOD, SHELTER, TENTS, MEN ONLY (b/c of lack of bathroom facilities and privacy). PLAN ON A ONE TO TWO WEEK STAY, THEN COME OUT AND BE REFRESHED AND SEND IN FRESH PEOPLE.

Contact Kellee Metty at King's Park Int'l Church, kelleemetty@gmail.com for more information.

I DO NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION ARRANGED!

WE NEED A CONTACT FOR TRANSPORTATION - AIR AND GROUND!!!

This post was edited by a moderator January 2010.

Transportation: done. Contact me if you can go immediately for transport. Kellee

One month later: Pastor Val is caring for more and more people who have lost homes in the rural community surrounding the orphanage and church there. PAP is getting a lot of attention b/c it's so massive. The rural areas are fending for themselves. Skype is working well to make phone calls to Pastor Val on his cell. I spoke with him two days ago and he is saying they need to begin preparing for the rain and need plywood, nails, and other necessary building materials. He thought cement and block would be available in PAP.

If someone is in Haiti now, and has an interest in checking on this place (Bongnotte in Leogane province) Pastor Val's phone number is 509-727-9156 and their GPS coordinates are 1830'7.52" N 7234'4.70" W

Perhaps it could be a command central for other efforts in this rural area of Leogane Province, since we have the contact. He speaks English very well and is networked well in Carrefour, PAP and the rural area to the south. (He is 70 years old, and has been a pastor for at least 30 or 40 yrs.)

Kellee