ORLANDO, Fla. — Right now the entire country of Haiti is under a one month national state of emergency following Saturday’s earthquake.
That quake killed more than 700 people, injured nearly 3,000 people and destroyed more than 700 buildings, which includes some hospitals.
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Now, people in Central Florida are working to figure out how they can help.
Here in Central Florida, St Margaret Mary Church is trying to figure out exactly what the needs are for people in Haiti.
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The Catholic Church has worked at parishes on the island for more than two decades, lending a hand with economic development, agriculture training and education.
“Telecommunications and infrastructure in Haiti is ok on a good day, not when there’s an earthquake, so it has been challenging to talk to anyone but our key people. They have been able to take motorcycles around town there. But yes we do see it becoming challenging,” said ministry co-director Joe Rife.
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Rife says they’re now trying to gather information about where the needs are.
“Now it’s really a wait and see which roads have been damaged, waiting to see what’s next from our friends on the ground there,” Rife said.
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Rife recognizes getting aid there may not be the easiest task, between transportation risks and the already dire situation before this earthquake struck.
But they want to do whatever they can to help people struggling there.
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“Being well supplied on anything in Haiti is difficult on a good day. It could siphon away supplies on our area since supplies are so limited but I know in coming days we will be able to quickly see what is missing from the shelves,” Rife added.
If you’d like to help people in Haiti through the ministry, click here.
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