Haiti Devastation: An On-the-Ground View and How You Can Help

Hurricane Matthew is making its way to the Florida coast, but lives have been devastated already.

Today, I want to share with you a message from a priest in Gandou, Haiti. A friend's cousin runs her Indiana church's Haiti ministry to help this village. Please read this. Pray for relief efforts in Haiti and all other places affected by Hurricane Matthew. Help if you can.

"IT is with great sadness that I send this message after the devastating cyclone that Matthew is terminated Haiti. The words to express the damage this terrible devastating cyclone fail us and we always fail, because it is unimaginable to see in so little time a country knelt and saw his destruction of state as if there was a war in country.
Gandou take such a community that previously was very vulnerable in terms of poverty of the population today, hit the entrails with the passage of Matthew.
At Gandou there is more garden beans, corn, everything is washed away that come in the hills. And the wind is still considered for the inhabitants of Gandou, the greatest enemy even when there is no cyclone like this.
I announce, population Gandou does not know yet where to go.
No roads, drinking water problem.
Animals such as goats, beef, especially mule representing much of the wealth of people Gandou are all washed away by heavy rains caused by the cyclone.
The extent of damage is invaluable.
I promise to send some pictures, but I hope you have the sad courage to look.
For now, there is no telephone network that works Gandou.
No Internet. There is not even a road for donkeys, let alone motorcycle or vehicles, perhaps in the next three months. For now the feast of the community Gandou is not a priority. What is priority now is food, medicines, sheets, nails, cash for work, to support the most needy population.
I count on the support of every living inhabitant of Indiana in particular, the parish of Saint Anthony, my sister parish. I have not had time to greet you but I hope you understand me because the situation is really precarious painful sad and painful.
May God bless you United States, Indiana, and everyone"
Fr. Reginald Voltaire

If you would like to support Haiti relief efforts in Gandou, St. Anthony Catholic Church in Morris, Indiana, works directly with the community there. Checks to St. Anthony Haiti Ministry can be mailed to St. Anthony Catholic Church, PO Box 3, Morris, IN 47033. Please specify hurricane relief.

Christmas Gift Idea for a Girl Scout Troop: Custom Ornaments

As a Girl Scout leader, I'm always on the lookout for interesting ways to inspire the girls in our troop. I want them to believe that with time and effort, they can accomplish much. And, being that we are a church-based troop, I want them to always remember that faith is not separate from their actions.

I typically have not done Christmas gifts for my girls, though I've seen it discussed a lot on the leader Facebook groups I participate in. But I got a little divine inspiration recently from Pinterest. I stumbled on an image in my feed of an old prayer card with the Virgin Mary with Girl Scouts. The back simply stated the Girl Scout promise. I looked but didn't have much luck finding online - with the exception of finding a set of 100 in bulk. That, and if the other fourth-graders are anything like mine, no matter what the intention, the card would likely be lost in a corner someplace.

A trip to Michaels inspired me. There was a 1/2 off sale on porcelain ornaments. A little Modge-Podge, a printout of the image (scaled to about 3 inches square), and I had a unique gift that hopefully the girls will remember and keep in their homes as they grow up. All for roughly $1 per girl.

When someone you love needs help at the holidays

"To learn to give, you have to learn to receive," I was told by a wise nun years ago.

It is the toughest advice I ever had to swallow but one I think I benefit from each day.

I had a baby and a three year old, my husband was out of work, and the Great Recession was in its beginnings. Everyone was scared. And so was I.

This was the year that Christmas came from loved ones - and many secret Santas I'm still grateful for. They blessed us with diapers, clothes, toys for the children. I spent that Christmas day in half tears, devastated by the fact we ourselves couldn't provide things for our family. The Kroger gift card - giving us a week's worth of groceries - drove the point home. Never intended, but our situation was too raw.

I learned my "lesson" that year and despite our financial situation tucked away a few things over the year (clearance summer clothes, etc.), determined not to be empty under the tree. But it took even longer for me to learn the real lesson.

Whatever we have - no matter how little - is a gift from God, and we always have the chance to grace others and share blessings.

Here are some ways we've learned to bless others - and some tips for friends and family who are on the "other side" wanting to help: 

Blessing Others When You're Broke

• Time and talent: I always try to remember that in our church they talk about gifts of not just treasure - but also time and talent. (Note that you'll often hear "treasure" last of these tree!) Gifts of time and talent can make such a difference - whether it's donating time to a charitable organization or making an upcycled gift.
  
  In the last few years, while we try to recover from our financial upset, we have redoubled our efforts to help, whether it's at school, scouts or church. Not only does it provide needed volunteer support, but my children will remember that mom and dad were there! Maybe you can't donate to the Angel Tree, or perhaps you yourself are benefiting from it; instead, can you help wrap gifts or deliver them?
  
  The gift of time is simple too. While I don't do gifts for friends, we do invite them for cookie making - treasured time when everyone is so busy! Or offer to babysit one night for a dear friend.
• Use ExtraBucks wisely. As we don't have a lot of extra money right now, we are very careful in what we can donate. But those ExtraBuck deals can bless others. Now I buy nearly free diapers for our Gabriel Project at church or free foods or medications for the church food pantry. Every bit helps.
• Reach out and ask how you can help. I believe people naturally want to help others but sometimes we need to give them the opportunity. A woman at church knew a family whose home burnt. She certainly couldn't help them in all the ways they needed, so she reached out. And we reached out. A few phone calls later and I had not only clothes for one daughter from us but also clothes for a son and decorations for a Christmas tree I had heard was being donated to the family. 

When Your Family Is Financially Struggling 

• Don't be afraid to ask what they need...and gently encourage them to share. Do the kids need new shoes? Pajamas? Maybe they need diapers (or maybe cloth ones they can reuse?) or gas cards?
  
  Be specific. Saying to let me know if you need anything, or asking what I can do to help may not get you far.
• Help meet emotional needs. While you're not a therapist, even something as simple as movie tickets and an offer to watch the kids for a night can give parents the emotional break from the constant worry of a situation.
• Be practical without feeling"practical." Sure you could buy groceries, but you can also buy a basket of locally made spaghetti sauces, breads and salad dressings (for example) from the winter farmers market or buy a gift certificate to a local produce delivery service. It makes the ordinary - cooking and worrying about feeding the family - feel a bit more decadent.
• Consider gifts of experience instead of stuff for the kids. One year, my mother bought the kids soccer and dance lessons at the parks department instead of toys. She likely even saved money than when she bought stuff, but more importantly, the kids felt a little more "normal" and for once weren't turned down when they asked to do an activity. We've tried to continue this tradition when we could, asking for a drawing class through Girl Scouts, for instance.
• Take the focus, if you can, off money. Invite a family for a popcorn and Christmas movie night at your house, take them to a free or low-cost Christmas event, go caroling or looking at the Christmas lights, or invite the kids out for an afternoon of sledding.
• Remember, while they appreciate any assistance , it's also hard to receive. Being in a position of constant worry is difficult, and it's hard to learn to receive gracefully.

Please help others help their loved ones! Share your tips below.