Haitian Church Prepares for Tropical Storm Isaac

August 23, 2012

According to news and weather sources, Tropical Storm Isaac may strengthen to hurricane level as it reaches the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Friday.

In Haiti, heavy rain and severe winds would pose significant danger to the hundreds of thousands of people who are still living in temporary shelters and tent camps following the January 2010 earthquake.

Episcopal Relief & Development has reached out to its partner, the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti, and its relief arm, CEDDISEC (Centre Diocésain de Développement Intégré et de Secours) to offer preparedness assistance as the Church readies itself to respond to this potential emergency. Current plans include the assembly of locally sourced emergency kits for 2,500 families, containing gallon-sized bottled water, biscuits, soap, toilet paper and blankets. The kits will be made available through nine distribution points in at-risk areas.

Episcopal Relief & Development encourages prayers for those who may be affected by the storm, and for our partners who are working to lessen the impact on vulnerable communities. We stand ready to provide additional support as the situation unfolds.

Donations to the Hurricane Fund at this time will help support our partners in Haiti as they prepare for and respond to Tropical Storm Isaac.

Episcopal Relief & Development is the international relief and development agency of the Episcopal Church and an independent 501(c)(3) organization. The agency takes its mandate from Jesus’ words found in Matthew 25. Its programs work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Episcopal Relief & Development works closely with the worldwide Church and ecumenical partners to help rebuild after disasters and to empower local communities to find lasting solutions that fight poverty, hunger and disease, including HIV/AIDS and malaria.