Haiti Fun Run

A Big thank you to everyone who participated in the Virtual Haiti Fun Run this year. WE are proud to announce the participants and donors helped raise $9800.00 for our brothers and sisters in Bouzy, Haiti this year. These funds will help support rebuilding the church that collapsed, help fund education for the school, help support the water filtration program, and continue to support healthy living.



Congratulations to Pat Blough who will received the prize for most Haiti Spirit during the virtual walk/ run. Over a 3 week time period, "Grandma Pat" walked over 100 miles to benefit the people of Haiti.
 

Last Sunday Ann and I celebrated at nearby Lake Camelot where I completed my 100 mile pledge to walk for Haiti. The weather for walking has been delightful these past three weeks.  Walking has given me so much good time to keep our deeply struggling Haiti friends in my heart and my prayers. I continue to walk & pray for Haiti daily.  Contact me if you would like to walk with me.  We especially celebrate all the many people of St Joseph's who are also running, walking and supporting Haiti in various challenging ways.

Many thanks to all of you who have rallied to this blessed cause.  Now more than ever we need your help to sustain our life giving programs of education, safe water and health in Bouzy, and to help our Haiti friends rebuild St Catherine's church. There is still time to participate via prayer, walking & financially.   You can contribute online at sjtw.net, or by check made out to SJTW with Haiti Fun Run on the memo line.       Thank you for remembering our dear friends at St Catherine's in Bouzy in these difficult times!
Fr Claude sends his deep thanks for your continuing support for the people of St Catherine's.

-Deacon Kevin


The images below show the progress of rebuilding St. Catherine's in Bouzy.






 

Above: 2020 Virtual Haiti Fun Run in progress – Abigail committed to running 1 mile every hour for 24 hours. She has raised $1400 for Haiti. Deacon Kevin has committed to walking 100 miles. Great work! Will you walk for Haiti!


Virtual Haiti Fun Run

Mark your calendars for the week of October 4th through October 10th. Our Haiti Fun Run/Walk is committed to sustaining and helping our brothers and sisters in Haiti through the following programs: Education, Clean Water, Healthy Living and Rebuilding the Church. 

Pick a date and time during this week that works for you and your family or small group to walk a mile, run a 5K, or any distance in between and enjoy your time together on your favorite trail. 

Deacon Kevin has pledged to walk 100 miles over the next 3 weeks and plans to raise $40 for every mile he walks. Individuals or small groups are welcome to walk with Deacon Kevin. Contact him directly at Deaconkevin04@gmail.com.

Congratulations to Abigail Schoenfelder who has achieved her goal of running 1 mile every hour for 24 consecutive hours and has raised $1400 to date.

Online Donations can be collected via pledgestar at 

Donate to Virtual Haiti Fun Run

Cash and Check donations are also accepted. Checks made out to SJTW with Haiti Fun Run on the memo line.

Share your virtual walk/run photos with the SJTW community and Fr. Claude in Haiti. We want to celebrate virtually with you as a community and celebrate your achievements. Send photos to Mark Kuhl at mark@sjtw.net

Prizes will be awarded to the group with the most creative Team Haiti shirts and outfits.

Any questions feel free to contact Joanne Freed at freed389@yahoo.com 

Our challenging time of coronavirus has been particularly difficult for our sisters and brothers of St Catherine’s in Haiti.  We are saddened that we have not been able to visit Bouzy for 18 months now.  But we have stayed very connected through calls, messages, photos and gifts to support our struggling Haitian friends.  A short update on all the good things we are doing follows.

Financial Support:
At this time, I need to ask your help for our Haiti ministry.  Fundraising is difficult for us at this time of the coronavirus.  We need increased support to sustain our life-giving programs of education, safe water, and health at St Catherine’s, and to help our friends rebuild their church.  Since we couldn’t do our regular Haiti Fun Run fundraiser this year, we are doing a Virtual Haiti Fun Run.  I ask everyone to participate in the Virtual Haiti Fun Run however you are able, with your prayers, in walking or running for Haiti, and in supporting participants with pledges or gifts to our St Joseph the Worker Haiti ministry. 
 
The Walk:
This week, I began a walking marathon for Haiti.  I pledge to walk at least 100 miles for Haiti over 3 weeks and to get at least $40 per mile (formerly $20- I know we can do more!) in pledges to support our good work.  I pray as I walk every day for our struggling sisters & brothers - the last mile or 2 is a daily struggle, but that’s when I pray best.  So far, I’ve completed mile 30. If you would like to walk with me, I can take a companion, or 2 or 3.  If you can help financially, any amount you can do is a big help to us.  Pledge your family, or me, or make a direct gift online or by check to St Joseph the Worker.   Thank you for your prayers & financial support.  Our Haitian sisters and brothers are great gifts to us, and your gifts sustain this blessed ministry.

Obstacles:
While the people of Haiti struggle every day, this year, their struggles are more profound than ever before.  They have COVID 19, like us, but with no medical care, they have no way to manage it or even name their losses.   This year alone, they’ve suffered floods from hurricane Laura, hunger, economic privation & violence protesting their corrupt, oppressive government. Despite all their losses, the people of St Catherine’s remain people of great faith.  As things get worse there, our consistent prayers and support bring hope.  They would not have St Catherine’s school, clean water, medications, vaccines & medical programs in their dispensary without us.  

Church:
We are delighted to report that work on their new church has progressed quite well despite weather, coronavirus & disturbances in Haiti.  The prep & foundation work is done.  Much of the walls and columns are up.  We will get another accounting when walls, columns, and floor are completed.  Then they move toward roofing, which will need more funding to complete.
 
Mesi anpil! Thank you very much for being great sisters and brothers to our Haitian friends.

Bondye ave ou/ God be with you

Deacon Kevin
for the SJTW Haiti Core Committee and
the people of St Catherine’s in Bouzy

Online Donations can be collected via pledgestar at http://pledgestar.com/sjtw. Cash and Check donations are also accepted. Checks made out to SJTW with Haiti Fun Run on the memo line.