Amitye a sanble menm bagay la nan tout mond lan.
Friendship looks the same all over the world.
My name is Bill Craddock, and I am proud to serve as the Chairman of the Board of Directors for Saint Vincent’s Centre for Handicapped Children (SVC). Founded in 1945 by Sister Joan, a physical therapist and member of the Society of Saint Margaret, SVC is one of more than 250 institutions operated by the Episcopal Diocese of Haiti. Unique among all the valuable ministries in the diocese, Saint Vincent’s is the only one providing academic, clinical, and residential services for blind, deaf, and physically-disabled children and adults.
In the fall of 2015, The Episcopal Church (USA) and the Rt. Rev. Jean-Zaché Duracin (Bishop of the Diocese Haiti) called for the formation of a new governing board to support and revitalize the work of the Centre. The SVC Board of Directors (which includes members from both Haiti and the United States) is responsible for creating a strategic plan, setting policies, and providing oversight of all daily and long-term activities of SVC. It’s been an amazing journey, and I’m proud of the progress taking place:
• We’ve recruited qualified, experienced board members—the majority of whom are Haitian.
• We’re establishing a strong organizational infrastructure.
• Construction has begun for a new facility at Santo 17 (a suburb of Port-au-Prince) with initial commitments of $200,000 to help cover the costs. An additional $200,000 is still needed.
• We’ve enrolled more than 320 blind, deaf and physically-disabled students this fall.
• We have a talented leadership team working with more than 100 staff members.
Your Support is Needed!
Many students and clinic patients are unable to pay for the services they receive at Saint Vincent’s Centre, so we depend heavily on the generosity of others to help us fulfill our mission. Ongoing financial support is needed to help provide food, water, classroom supplies, transportation, salaries, utilities, medicines and other items. Visionary donors are also needed to invest in the Centre’s future development. In addition to construction costs, funds are needed for relocation expenses, furniture, supplies and other items to help the community establish a new home.
Please take a look at our website (http://stvincentshaiti.org) to learn more about the Centre and the people we serve. I also invite you to CLICK HERE to read the latest newsletter from our community.
The SVC Board of Directors is confident that we are making headway and remain deeply committed to providing our students with a quality education and the support they need to live their hopes and dreams. We earnestly ask for your ongoing financial support and continuing prayers as we prepare for our new beginnings in 2017. I know we all see God at work in our mission and ministry.
Sincerely,
William S. Craddock, Jr.
How You Can Help:
Please continue to keep Saint Vincent’s in your prayers and share our story with others. We would be grateful if you would consider making a one-time or regular gift to support our work. You may click the “Donate” link at http://stvincentshaiti.org to make a secure online donation or learn how to donate by mail.