Annual 2002

The Friends of St. Vincent's Center is a group of volunteers formed in 1997 to help the children and staff at St. Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, to obtain the resources needed to educate and care for the children. The Friends of St. Vincent's Center is an interfaith outreach ministry of St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford, Connecticut.

The Friends of St. Vincent's Center mission statement is to provide service, supplies and support to the children and staff at St. Vincent's Center, a residential school, day school, orphanage and hospital for handicapped children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

During the past year this group of devoted folks has been involved in the following areas:

Service

During January and early February, the Friends prepared for Medical Mission 2002. This included coordinating efforts with optometrists in Maine, and an occupational therapist in Massachusetts.
Medical Mission 2002 (February 11-16): Eleven missioners, including four first timers, participated in the Friends' first Eyeglass Mission. Gerrard Rudmin, an optometrist who conducted the eye exams, brought 250 new eyeglass frames, donated by his colleagues in Maine. During a two-day period, 97 students and staff from St. Vincent's were evaluated; prescriptions for eyeglasses were written; and new frames were selected. The frames and prescriptions were taken back to Maine to be filled, and the new glasses were hand-carried back to Haiti by volunteers during the spring. Our spiritual advisor, Rev. Joanne Neel-Richard, from Trinity Episcopal Church in Wethersfield, conducted an Ash Wednesday service for all the missioners. Rev. Joanne also met with seminarian Fernande Pierre Louis, who was ordained as the first female Episcopal priest in September, 2002. The medical mission team leaders met with St. Vincent's Director, Nicole Magloire, and Chaplain Father Charles to discuss future plans, including opening of the Montessori School and much needed renovations to the Center and the Boys' Dorm. Hope Lennartz, Executive Director of the Friends, visited the future site of St. Vincent's Trade School. The second annual Field Trip to local public parks was conducted and was enjoyed by both the Friends and the students.
In March, members of Medical Mission 2002 traveled to Maine for a reunion and planning session for future mission.
In March, Bill Harris traveled to St. Vincent's to meet with Director Nicole Magloire, Father Charles and the proposed architects of the first stage of the renovation process.
During June, Bill Harris returned to St. Vincent's along with representatives from St. Michael's and All Angels Church in Dallas, Texas, to meet with Nicole Magloire, the architect, and an engineer. They discussed plans for construction and plumbing renovations in the boys' dorm, and followed up on the construction of the new girls' bathrooms.
In August, Bill Harris attended a meeting in Kansas City with representatives from Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD), Children's Medical Mission of Haiti (CMMH), St. Michael's and All Angels Church, Diocese of Haiti, and representatives from St. Vincent's to discuss coordination of the construction and renovation projects. As a result of this meeting a formal relationship between CMMH and the Friends was established and each organization will have representation on the other's Board of Directors.
During the year, 4209 volunteer hours were recorded by a core group of 18 volunteers. In addition, over 70 volunteers from local parishes, schools, and civic organizations assisted with packing supplies on the two land-sea containers.
In preparation for the publication of Marc Yves Regis' latest book about the children of St. Vincent's, Hope Lennartz, Marc and Marie Montas went to Brookline, MA to meet with Sister Joan who founded St. Vincent's in 1945. A portrait of Sister Joan, taken by Marc, will be used in the dedication of this book.

Supplies

Through the Adopt-A-Box Program at St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford, the Friends sent regular monthly shipments of medications totaling 1785 pounds to St. Vincent's.
The Friends purchased and sent two Canon copiers to be used at St. Vincent's hospital and school.
Annually, the Friends provide regular supplies to both the blind and orthopedic programs at St. Vincent's. These include Braille materials, braces, and prosthetic supplies.
In August, the Friends packed and sent a 40 foot land-sea container to St. Vincent's totaling 31,401 pounds of needed supplies valued at $123,857. This included an altar, altar cabinets, lectern, 48 disaster blankets, 72 bicycles, 56 wheelchairs, prosthetic and orthopedic and other medical supplies, sewing machines and supplies requested for the dormitories, school, hospital and elderly home.
In September, The Friends packed and sent a 20 foot land-sea container containing 9539 pounds valued at $26,030 to St. Vincent's. Over 100 bicycles, dental supplies, canes and crutches, food and supplies for the blind program, school, dormitory, hospital and elderly home were sent.

Support to St. Vincent's Center

St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford completed an outreach project, Feed-A-Child, which raised $1208 for St. Vincent's Food Fund
Proceeds from the art sales and the Little People pins resulting in $1462 profit have been used for scholarships and food.
Donations over $23,414 have been received from parishes and groups throughout CT and the US to provide support for food, scholarship, supplies and mattresses for St. Vincent's Center.

Outreach Education

New connections were made with groups in New Hampshire, New York, Massachusetts, Colorado, and Texas.
Members of the Friends of St. Vincent's Center made numerous presentations at churches, schools and civic group.
The Friends of St. Vincent's Center burned our first CD-ROM about Medical Mission 2002 and sent copies to supporters in CT, CA, CO, ME, NH, NY, TN, TX and Europe.

Training

An orientation meeting for the Medical Mission 2002 was held in January.
Version 1 of the Mission Training Manual for the Friends of St. Vincent's Center was developed, printed and distributed.
Orientation meetings for participants in Medical Mission 2003 and Haiti Connection Conference were held in September.
The Friends of St. Vincent's Center continue recruiting and training youth and mission leaders.

Support from Other Churches

St. Michael and All Angels Church in Dallas, Texas, has become an active chapter and has pledged $50,000 to the boys' water project. They recently collected and delivered Christmas gifts to the children at St. Vincent's Center.
St. James's and St. John's Episcopal Churches in West Hartford combined efforts to provide $30,000 for the renovation of the girls' bathrooms.
Connecticut Episcopal churches including Trinity in Wethersfield, St. John's in West Hartford, St. James's in West Hartford, St. Alban's in Simsbury, St.Peter's-Trinity in Thomaston, Christ Church in Stratford, St. James in Glastonbury, St. John's in Salisbury and St. Paul's in Southington have made commitment to our efforts.
Our first tele-conference with the Texas Chapter was held during the Sept. 22 Friends of St. Vincent's Center Board meeting.
The total volunteer hours for all the chapters is 5650 hours, which is equal to 2.8 full time positions.

Thank you again for your interest and support.