Pinckney residents Adam and Jessica Carlile share a passion for helping others. It is that passion that has led them to become missionaries and dedicate their young lives to helping desperately poor people along the border of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Through their organization, Building Bridges of Hope, the couple assembled 25 Pinckney-area volunteers on April 27 in Grass Lake, Mich. to hand-load a 40’ tall shipping container that will arrive in the Dominican Republic at the end of May. The container is packed with clothing, children's vitamins, formula, furniture, toys and playground equipment, and miscellaneous hospital supplies. These items will be used in a mobile medical clinic and Children's Nutrition Center.
The Carliles collected donations for a year and stored many of the supplies in their own home before moving them to storage facility in Grass Lake.
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Jessica Carlile is grateful for the community support. “We’re so thankful for the volunteers, churches and individuals that provided the supplies,” Carlile said. “It’s taken a year to collect the supplies and raise the money to ship them, and knowing the container will arrive next month in the Dominican Republic is thrilling. The supplies will help so many people.”
Building Bridges of Hope (BBOH) was founded in 2002 by missionary Rosemarie Smilie and is the American arm of Fundacion Mariana San Isidro Labrador (FUMSIL). FUMSIL is a Catholic community foundation serving people in the east Haitian border area. It provides mobile medical clinics, elementary and technical schools, reforestation projects, clean water initiatives, and a comprehensive children’s nutrition program.
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Seven years ago BBOH began a partnership with Aquinas College in Grand Rapids. Aquinas sends groups of students to the border area three times each year as part of its Service Learning Program. More recently, BBOH has begun new partnerships with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri.
BBOH recently held its first auction fundraiser on April 20 at Aquinas College. BBOH is always seeking additional donations, volunteers, and financial support. Those interested in helping can contact Jessica Carlile at bbohdr@gmail.com. More information is available at buildingbridgesofhope.com.