September Missions Spotlight:

Soaring Unlimited-Haiti: Celebrating 30 Years of Basic Life Services in Northeast Haiti

by Zeke Fleet

Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.

    Psalm 82:3

According to Kathy Gray, Central’s Mission Committee liaison for Soaring Unlimited, civil unrest and violence have been reduced in Haiti’s Port-au-Prince area. The Cap Haitian area, where the Soaring Unlimited is located, remains mostly unscathed since United Nations troops and peace-keeping supporters have occupied Haiti’s capital region and have increased protection. News of this positive development has opened doors for those in need and their caregivers, allowing increased accessibility for Soaring Unlimited services.

Much of the support for Soaring Unlimited comes from faith-based organizations, including United Methodist Churches such as Central. Funding and hands-on help also comes from local Haitians and other non-profit organizations in the U.S.  Rev. Dr. Laura Elliott, is an ordained United Methodist deacon and missionary and serves as Soaring Unlimited’s executive director.

Sustaining Critical Services provided through Soaring Unlimited:

• Medical Clinic – Now celebrating 15 years of service, this initiative has become a self-sustaining program that is fully supported through patient funding.  Services include medical care that improves the lives of 100 to 150 patients each day.  The clinic is staffed by three physicians, a registered nurse, and two pharmaceutical technicians.  Quality care and the clinic’s reputation are surging!

A special thanks to Central’s Staton Lorenz for his help in raising funds for clinic improvements, including a new, covered cement porch that is complete with benches and tables.

• Women’s Birth and Education Center – Since its opening in 2022, this program and facility is facilitated by local midwives and has greatly reduced infant and maternal mortality, problem pregnancies, and delivery complications. Services at the birth and education center include screening and treatment of cervical cancer, prenatal and parental classes, vaccinations for women and children, and family planning. Since opening, more than 200 babies have been born at the center. 
• Child Education Programs – Great strides have been made through established partnerships with area elementary and secondary Haitian schools thanks to support sponsorships and partner programs. Seventy-five children participate in the program; the cost of a sponsorship is $250 per student per year.
• Food procurement and distribution program – This program helps those in need by providing healthy food and combating malnutrition. Each week more than 200 families are given access to food staples include rice, beans, cooking oil, flour, and sugar.
• Soaring Women’s Empowerment Micro-Loan Program – This initiative now includes 23 women who have established and operate small businesses in Pistere Village in Haiti. The program provides financial help for women and their families and helps support the community’s economy. Business start-up loans are re-paid annually by the participants.
• A new Electronic Medical Record System is now connected to the Starlink Satellite Broadband Internet Network. These state-of-the-art digital services have increased internet connectivity and greatly bolstered the ability to gather and disseminate health records, even in hard-to-reach rural areas.

Needs for basic human services in Haiti are great. We urge you to consider financial support through Central’s Mission program.

All are welcome to attend the luncheon and annual meeting of Soaring Unlimited-Haiti, on Saturday, October 5 in the CUMC lounge. 

– Executive Director Rev. Laura Elliott and the Soaring Unlimited board of directors will be in attendance.

– Soaring Unlimited founder, Dorothy Fredrickson, has been a regular attendee.

– Please plan to join us at this informative session to learn more about the current and future initiatives of Soaring Unlimited-Haiti.

– Lunch will be served at noon and the meeting will begin at 1 p.m.

Make an impact by selecting “Missions” as your designation when you make a gift at Central.