PLEASANT HILL/OHIO — Pleasant Hill, Ohio (north of Dayton) residents Heath and Betsy Peters are no strangers to Haiti.
In February of 2008 — led by their faith — the couple traveled to Haiti and helped build a church. It was there that they met fellow Americans Jody and Shawn Bowser and learned about an adoption service and medical program based out of Lima, OH.
Less than four months later, Heath and Betsy adopted two biological sisters from an orphanage near the newly built church (Videline, age 8 and Barbara, age 7) and brought them home to the United States.
The adoption was coordinated through an organization known as H.I.S. Home For Children. Based Lima, the organization helps United States citizens adopt children not only from Haiti, but also other Third World countries.
More recently, the couple got involved with another organization known as Children's Medical Missions, which also is based in Lima. This organization brings children to the United States from Third World countries to receive medical treatments that otherwise would not be available to them.
Through Children's Medical Missions, Heath and Betsy currently are the "host parents" of a young Haitian girl named Daphka. She is in the United States receiving help for a medical condition in her leg. The Peters are her host family while she receives treatment and, medically, Heath said things are going well. This is the good news.
The bad news is that after last week's earthquake, there is no way of knowing whether Daphka's parents are alive or dead, and, if they are alive, where and how they might be located and reunited with their daughter.
Committed to H.I.S. Home For Children and Children's Medical Missions, as well as their faith, Heath and Betsy, along with two other men and one woman, left for Haiti yesterday and by tomorrow will be delivering about 5,000 pounds of food and medical supplies to the orphanage — the same orphanage where the couple adopted their daughters in 2008.
Heath said there are about 115 orphans at the orphanage and that more than 100 of them already have adoptive parents waiting for their arrival in the United States. All that remains between the orphans and their new parents is government red tape, which Heath said could be sped up through citizen action.
"The goal is to get these children out the country on Humanitarian Aid Visas. The riots are getting bad and (the children) are in danger. They're sleeping outside at the church because the orphanage they lived in has been damaged," he said.
Heath said the adopted children waiting to come to the United States need to be evacuated not only for safety reasons, but also because new orphans
need to take their place — including many that became orphans due to the recent earthquake.
"Sadly, and it seems harsh to say, but the orphanage is turning down kids because they can't take care of them. (Getting the adopted children out of the country) comes down to dealing with Homeland Security," he said.
Heath said one of the actions local people can take is to write or call their Senators and Congressmen and ask for their help in speeding up the Visa process.
"They can get out of the country quickly by being issued a Humanitarian Aid Visa," he said. "The best thing is to get these children out so new orphans can have a home."
Heath said his wife and the other people going to Haiti on Tuesday are first acting on the most important needs of the orphanage — food, water and supplies.
"We're going down strictly to deliver the aid so they have food. These people have no place to get food and they need it bad," he said.
The 5,000 pounds of food and medical supplies (including many canned goods and non-perishable foods, as well as basic medical supplies) will be flown into Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic. From there, the Peters and their friends will meet up with the orphanage's directors, Hal and Chris Nungester, and travel via road (about six hours) to the church to deliver the food.
Heath said he is well aware of the dangers he and his associates will face while delivering the food and supplies.
"I've been to Haiti a lot in the past two years. Haiti is not a safe place on a good day, and right now, they haven't had food or water since last Tuesday, so it's even worse," he said.
Heath said he and his group hope to have military escorts for the trip from the airport to the orphanage, but there is no guarantee this can be arranged.
Overall, Heath said people interested in helping the Haitian orphanage can get involved by donating money to H.I.S. Home for Children (or better yet, adopting children from the orphanage) or by supporting Children's Medical Missions. "There are going to be a lot kids who need medical work," he said of the aftermath in Haiti.
To learn more about these organizations, or to donate or get involved, visit www.hishomeforchildren.com and www.cmmwest.com.
H.I.S. Home for Children can be reached at (419) 999-1255. The mailing address is H.I.S. Home for Children, 3172 W. Breese Road, Lima, 45806. Children's Medical Missions can be reached at (419) 568-2893.