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Diocese News October 7, 2016

The Church Responds to Hurricane Matthew

Hurricane Matthew, a powerful category 4 storm, made landfall in Haiti on Tuesday, October 4, with 145 mile per hour winds, storm surges and up to 40 inches of rainfall. Please support the Church's response to Hurricane Matthew as we pray, learn, act and give to those in need.

ENES

Hurricane Matthew, a powerful category 4 storm, made landfall in Haiti on Tuesday, October 4, with 145 mile per hour winds, storm surges and up to 40 inches of rainfall. Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is responding to help Haiti and other countries recover from this powerful storm that has left hundreds dead and devastated communities in this nation still recovering from the earthquake that struck in 2010. CRS works on behalf of Catholics in the United States to assist poor and vulnerable people around the world.

Catholic Relief Services is committing an initial $5 million to help Haiti and other countries in the Caribbean recover from Hurricane Matthew. The funds will be used to continue and expand relief work that began even before Matthew hit on October 4 as CRS staff pre-positioned supplies in areas where the storm was expected to make landfall.

Based on the most critical needs, still being determined as teams are reaching areas cut off by the storm, CRS’ response will include:

  • Emergency shelter materials - tarps, ropes and blankets— and construction of temporary shelters using local materials that are cost-effective and easy to assemble.
  • Drinking water, hygiene kits, hand-washing stations to prevent diseases outbreak. The area is still reeling from a cholera outbreak in the months following the earthquake and there's a high risk for another outbreak.
  • Cash to families to cover their most immediate needs.
  • Living supplies, including kitchen utensils and buckets.

 

Please support the Church's response to Hurricane Matthew as we pray, learn, act and give to those in need.

 

DONATE NOW   »

 

PRAY

As Catholics, we recognize that prayer binds us in solidarity to our neighbors in distress, and connects us more deeply with the grace that flows from God. In times like these, we encourage responses that begin with prayer.

 

LEARN

 

ACT