Sarasota residents provide aid to nearly 700 Haitian households

Last month, a team of Sarasota residents embarked on a six-day trip to Haiti to provide food staples to almost 700 households in three villages in the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.

On Monday, Nov. 7, a team of seven men set out on the mission to Haiti’s Grand Cayemittes Island, a remote area only accessible by boat. Armed with $15,000 raised by the Sarasota Baptist Church, the group visited the villages of Au bord de Letan, Pointe Sable and Anse du Nord. The over 15,000 residents in the area had not received any assistance since the Oct. 4 hurricane.

The group included Maurice Victor, a Sarasota Baptist Church deacon and Haiti native; Dr. Mike Landry, Sarasota Baptist Church’s head pastor; Pastor Rod Boatwright, Sarasota Baptist Church’s associate pastor of missions and his son Rodney Boatright; Rev. Michael Moore, Sarasota Baptist Church’s head of music ministry; Rev. Jared Windham, Sarasota Baptist Church’s associate pastor of student ministries; and fellow church member Alan Dorrill.

“I have been blessed since coming to the United States, and I felt compelled to do something for those in desperate need,” says Victor, who arrived in the United States in 1992 and has built a successful independent insurance agency.

Victor enlisted his extensive family in Haiti to assist with the effort. His brother-in-law, Emmanuel Henry, provided his ferry to bring the supplies to the island. Victor’s sister, Nadeige Victor, a policewoman, enlisted members of the local police force to provide security during the food distribution.

When the boat landed at each village, the local residents formed a human chain to pass the food from the dock to the designated distribution location. Some of the Sarasota team members brought and left soccer balls. The local children, many of whom had never played before, were occupied while the adults worked. Afterwards, a church service was then held.

“We were pleased with the outcome of the trip,” Victor says. “By partnering with the local community leaders, the distribution was orderly and successful. In addition, 100 percent of the donated funds were spent on assisting those in desperate need. “People don’t understand just how far a few dollars can go to help these desperate people.”

Each household received one 25-pound sack of rice, a one-pound bag of beans, two 3-pound bags of pasta and one quart of cooking oil. The team also provided water-purifications systems to two villages and gave out t-shirts donated by the Riverview High Football program in Sarasota, where Pastor Boatwright is the school chaplain.

Victor hopes to organize another relief trip to Haiti to address crucial housing needs. The hurricane’s destruction was so widespread that it is estimated that only 25 percent of homes are still standing.