In 2010, EPIC members were incredibly generous in their support of earthquake relief. We are hoping now that you will consider making a donation to the Quixote Center.

“The Quixote Center is a multi-issue social justice organization founded in 1977. We work alongside partner organizations to bring about lasting systemic change. We stand in solidarity and friendship with those who seek to improve the lives of the very poor, and provide guidance, technical assistance, and funding to support their work and allow their movements and programs to mature and take hold. To accomplish this, we rely on the support of likeminded people who recognize the need for structural changes in an increasingly unequal global society. As we look to the future, we remain committed to developing sustainable programs and social enterprises that address the needs of the very poor.”

The information below details how the funds will be used.
Thank you for your support towards food security in Haiti.

Immediate relief aid to isolated communities and projects in the south
We are focusing resources on small villages where we have a local partner and where the large aid organizations have yet to connect in a meaningful way. Our first priority is to help stabilize the community of Baraderes, where Sister Jacqueline of the Religious of Jesus and Mary operates a school. Baraderes has yet to receive any food aid as the road is still impassable. Bandits have been waiting for aid trucks along the known routes, and Sister Jacqueline worries that a large aid shipment now would become a source of violence without a facility for storage and distribution. We’ve allocated funds for emergency repairs to the school building and grounds with the hope that this can become a safe storage and distribution point for aid as it is received.

Medium term food security
Our partners at the Peasant Movement of Gros-Morne are organizing their farmer members for emergency planting of crops for food and seeds. The additional planting will provide internal food aid and seeds for direct distribution to the affected areas during the coming months. We are working hard to be a buffer against shortages as international aid is reduced and larger organizations turn to the next disaster zone.

Only a few short years after the 2010 earthquake, Haiti is once again on the brink. I am asking that you consider a special donation to help us confront this new challenge and to support our Haitian friends and partners during this time of anguish. All gifts, whether $5 or $500, will make a difference for our Haitian friends.

With Shared Hope,
Andrew Hochhalter