Compassion International Needs Your Help

Compassion International is asking for help Haiti as well. Compassion operates 230 Child Development Centers in Haiti, and 1/3 of those are located in the area hardest hit by the quake. According to compassion, the children they serve in Haiti are in shock and face immediate needs for food, water, medical care, shelter and counseling. We have teams prepared to respond, and we are deeply committed to helping each child. They’re asking for monetary donations and prayer. For more information or to make a donation visit: https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/disasterrelief.htm?referer=105910

More info from Compassion...

Compassion in Haiti
• Compassion’s work in Haiti began in 1968.
• Currently, more than 64,600 children participate in 230 child development centers. At least one-third of Compassion’s centers are in the area hardest hit by the earthquake.
• Compassion partners with churches to help them provide Haitian children with the opportunity to rise above their circumstances and become all God has created them to be.

What is Compassion Doing?

Without communication, we don’t have specifics for this crisis. But our Compassion guidelines for disaster response spell out pretty specifically what the field should do and can do in response to a crisis.

IMMEDIATE RESPONSE
In the immediate few hours after a disaster, Compassion locates those Compassion-assisted children and families who have been affected by the disaster, and provide them with the following:
• Temporary Shelter: Shelter needed to remove the families out of the elements and into
safety. Items like tents, tarps, blankets & mosquito nets are often supplied.

• Basic Sanitation: Items such as latrines and temporary hand washing station.

• Cooking Utensils & Fuel: Things like pots and pans, plates, cups, eating utensils,
as well as a means for cooking food item

• Emergency Clothing: 2-3 day supply of clothing for each family member.

• Preventive Health Services: Control of communicable diseases (e.g. measles, malaria) and outbreak control (e.g. cholera, meningitis, typhoid) needed to ensure health is not negatively affected as a result of the disaster.

Compassion staff will also set up a temporary meeting area called a “child area”, and stock it with crayons; paper; stuffed animals, etc. A “child area” is described as a safe place for registered children & their siblings to go during the aftermath of a disaster. Here they can find comfort in activities (such as coloring & games) as well as support and encouragement from project staff.

ON-GOING RESPONSE
On-going efforts in the wake of a disaster or crisis are provided in the form of:

• Family Reunification: Locating & unifying Compassion families who were separated during the
aftermath of the disaster

• Food & Water: Emergency food & water needed until the family is re-established and able to keep themselves at the level of nutrition they were prior to the disaster

• Personal Items: Toiletries and other personal items needed to maintain hygiene during the aftermath of the disaster

• Trauma Counseling/Spiritual Support: Counseling needed on an individual or group basis; It is
preferred that his counseling be provided by Christian health workers or pastoral staff.

• Medical Attention: Any medical needs resulting from the disaster

• Funeral Expenses

Why Compassion?
• Compassion is working around the globe to permanently rescue children from poverty, not merely sustain them through it.

• Compassion recognizes there is no such thing as a cookie-cutter kid. That is why we take an
individualized, holistic approach to meet the personal needs of each of the more than 1 million children we serve in 25 of the world’s poorest countries on four continents.

• Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion’s unique holistic combination of physical, economic, educational and spiritual development programs helps Compassion-sponsored children to thrive, not just survive.

• Because local churches know the unique needs of their community’s children, Compassion works exclusively through local churches, partnering with more than 5,000 community congregations from 60 denominations.

• Compassion is consistently recognized for its financial integrity by organizations including:


The Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Philanthropy 400”

The NonProfit Times’ “Top 100 Revenues”

The American Institute of Philanthropy’s “Top Rated Charities”

Charity Navigator, who has awarded Compassion International it’s highest rating – four
stars – for seven consecutive years.