Adults at Elim Christian Services have been helping their friends in Haiti for some time, but since the Jan. 12 earthquake, they have been hard at work assembling Elim HOPE Packs, kits filled with relief supplies that will be distributed to needy children in Haiti through local relief agency Convoy of Hope.
Now, through the generosity of an anonymous donor, any funds raised to support this project will be doubled up to $50,000.
Through Elim HOPE Packs, hundreds of thousands of food, hygiene, and school supply kits have already been distributed in Chicago, throughout the U.S. and worldwide. Through their assembly work, Elim’s adults are provided with much-needed meaningful work in which they earn a paycheck.
A gift of just $15 provides a nutrient-rich Elim food pack that will feed a hungry child for a full month or 10 people for three days.
Last summer, two of Elim’s adults with disabilities, their families, and Elim staff members traveled to Haiti to witness the impact of Elim HOPE Packs firsthand.
Bob Hillegonds, of Crown Point, an Elim adult with disabilities, took part in this trip. He was so moved by the poverty there that he now uses the money he earns assembling Elim HOPE Packs to support two orphans in Haiti.
Hillegonds was happy to hear that Tamara and Watson, the two children he sponsors in Haiti, survived the earthquake. He was also pleased to hear that Pastor Jean-Claude is doing well, and that despite significant damage to the church and other buildings Hillegonds visited, the children the pastor cares for are also well.
However, Hillegonds worries about the hundreds of thousands of people in Haiti who have been affected by the earthquake. He’s seen the poverty in which the Haitian people lived before the earthquake, and knows that many of their homes have been destroyed.
He has been hard at work assembling food packs to feed his new friends in their darkest hour.
"We have recently confirmed with ministry partner Convoy of Hope that they are ready to distribute these food and hygiene packs wherever they’re needed most," said Bill Lodewyk, president of Elim Christian Services, located in Palos Heights, Ill. "And not just today, but for the weeks and months ahead."
Funds are needed to continue sending food and relief supplies to Haiti. At this time, all gifts up to $50,000 for Elim HOPE Packs will be doubled through the generosity of an anonymous donor. Contact Dan Vander Plaats at (708) 212-0555 for additional information or to donate. Gifts can also be given through Elim’s website at elimcs.org.
The mission of Elim Christian Services is to equip children and adults with disabilities to achieve their highest God-given potential. Elim pursues this mission by providing educational, vocational, therapeutic, and residential service to more than 800 persons with special needs, from learning disabilities to severe disabilities.
