Centre de St. Jean Bosco, Inc.

On August 14, 2021, a 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the southern peninsula of Haiti. It decimated the cities of Les Cayes and Jeremie, and the surrounding communities, including Dame Marie.

Dame Marie is a remote fishing village located at the tip of the southern peninsula, one of the most isolated regions in Haiti. Food shortages are especially acute, as landslides block the roads in and out of the village.

Thousands of people are living in seriously damaged houses or have lost their homes entirely, forcing them to sleep in the streets just as the hurricane season begins. During Hurricane Grace, just days after the earthquake, people were sleeping in chairs outside their homes. Also damaged were the roof and walls of Our Lady of the Nativity Church, a pillar of the community. The adjoining rectory was declared uninhabitable.

Most of the children who were about to start school again are now unable to because their families must use the meagre tuition money for shelter and food. Without school supplies, the children will be cut off from the daily meals and emotional support the school routine provides during this chaotic time of earthquake, pandemic and political unrest.

We can help! Pere Jean Antoine, Tom Bernadzikowski and Ann Grunert  have been our trusted contacts in Haiti for over 15 years. Tom and Ann set up a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation, Centre de St. Jean Bosco, in 2013 specifically to support Pere Jean Antoine's programs for education, nutrition and healthcare for the children of Dame Marie and Jeremie. All contributions made through GoFundMe will be used for emergency relief in these regions.

Their advice is for monetary donations that will be directed toward three primary needs:

- Distributing food to help feed the children in the surrounding schools, both in Dame Marie and Jeremie.

-Purchasing school supplies for the children of families struggling to repair their homes.

- Acquiring building materials to help local residents repair their earthquake-damaged homes.

In 2016 this GoFundMe community was able to raise over $12,000 to rebuild Dame Marie after Hurricane Matthew. Today we humbly ask for your help to serve this community again, to help them recover from the devastation of this catastrophic earthquake.

If you have any questions regarding this non-profit work, please feel free to contact me for more information.  

Centre de St. Jean Bosco 
333 Biddle Street
Chesapeake City, MD 21915

Employer Identification Number (EIN) for Centre de St. Jean Bosco: 464357263