The Friends of St. Vincent's Center, Inc. is a volunteer group, formed in 1997 to help the children and staff at St.Vincent's Center for Handicapped Children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Its mission is to provide service, supplies and support to the children and staff at St. Vincent's Center, a residential facility, day school with Montessori program, orphanage, out-patient clinic and hospital. As of October 2008 there are 11 orphans among the nearly 400 total number of handicapped children served.
The Friends of St. Vincent's Center, Inc. is an interfaith outreach ministry of St. James's Episcopal Church in West Hartford, Connecticut and recently became a 501c(3) non-profit Connecticut corporation.
The success of last year was the building and completion of a new brace/prosthetic shop to replace the shop that was in great disrepair. This new space is solidly built, large, bright and airy. The second phase is now to raise a total of $165,000 to build on the second floor, which will include new classroom space and a third floor for the use as guest quarters. “The Friends” received a Diocese of Connecticut Mission Development Matching Fund Grant of $30,000 over 3 years. “The Friends” have raised, with some difficulty, the required $30,000. matching funds making a total of $60,000. available to-date. By the grace of God, the balance will be raised and these two new floors will be built and affect the quality of care for the children and provide a welcoming space for professional volunteers for years to come.
During 2008, “The Friends” continue to address issues of enabling 11 older children to move out into society with useful skills by providing scholarships to attend local high schools. The prejudice barrier that prevented handicapped children from attending secondary schools has been broken. Our students are competing well in regular classrooms, making us proud and providing role models for others by their academic and social success. There are 85 blind children at St. Vincent’s Center. We now have provided 10 Perkin Braillers to support the blind program. Our current goal is to raise funds to purchase 10 additional Braillers at a total cost of $3,500.
The Montessori program, previously funded by “The Friends”, has been well received by the students’ parents. Our prayers are that this program will continue and grow.
A “Haiti Connection Conference, 2008” was convened in November in Petionville, Haiti. Children’s Medical Mission to Haiti sponsored this outstanding program. Bill Harris and Hope Lennartz attended the meeting to represent the interests of “The Friends” and St. Vincent’s. We were able to renew our friendships, network and make important new contacts.
Below is a picture of the several recipients of the Miriam Bergamini Humanitarian Award presented at an awards ceremony on June 1, 2008. Miriam provided seed money for “The Friends” organization 11 years ago by donating one-third of the proceeds from the sale of her family’s brewery business and has been a dedicated worker for “The Friends”.
“The Friends” continue to apply for grant opportunities including a Miles of Pennies Grant and one from the Virginia Theological Society. “The Friends” are dedicated to improving the life of children at the Center and welcome to the group the involvement of any interested individuals or organizations.
Respectively submitted,
Hope C. Lennartz, RN, MSN
Founder and Volunteer Executive Director of the Friends of St. Vincent’s Center
Updated on 1/10/09