Haiti appeal passes £80,000 mark

Donations to the Church's World Mission Fund have reached morethan £37,000 by this morning. The Fund gave an immediate grant of£20,000 on 13 January, and the money raised through this appealwill allow for continued support. So far, donations to MRDF havereached £46,000. Donations have come from the Methodist Church inIreland and people all over Great Britain and will go directly tothe Church in Haiti, which is distributing aid to those most inneed.

Expressing his gratitude for the initial grant, Revd Gesner PaulDistrict President of the Methodist Church in Haiti, said; "Wethank you for standing near us at this time of severe difficultyand continue to count on your support by any means as we try torecover from this very traumatic disaster."

Revd Tom Quenet, Methodist Partnership Coordinator for the Americasand the Caribbean said; "We continue to be amazed by people'sgenerosity. While Haiti will remain in the news for a little while,we are in it for the long haul. We will continue to work with theMethodist Church in Haiti, helping them to rebuild their lives andcommunities long after the news crews have gone."

In February, Tom hopes to lead a visit by a group of BritishMethodist representatives to the country. This will also includeLord Griffiths of Burry Port, who was ordained in Haiti, andHaitian minister Revd Marcus Torchon, whose family have beenaffected by the disaster.

Donations to MRDF will also support the work being carried out bythe Methodist Church in Haiti, as well as the relief efforts of thecharity's emergency partner, Action by Churches Together (ACT)International. ACT is providing counselling services and water andsanitation engineers, who will construct water purification systemsand latrines that will help in the fight against cholera and otherwater-based diseases. Donations through both ACT and the WorldMission Fund will provide food, water, blankets and tents tothousands of people, as well as other essential support to thoseaffected by the disaster.

Kirsty Smith, MRDF Director, said; "We are deeply grateful toeveryone who has supported our appeal. These gifts will help toreinforce the relief efforts on the ground. The earthquake hascaused major devastation to a country that was already battlingextreme poverty. Key services and institutions have been totallydestroyed. We will continue to do all that we can to make adifference."

People can donate via the Methodist Church by visiting www.justgiving.com/Methodist-Church-Haiti-Appeal,or sending a cheque payable to the World Mission Fund to DaveBennett, Fundraising Coordinator, at Methodist Church House, 25Marylebone Road, London, NW1 5JR. Postal donations should belabelled 'Haiti Appeal'. For further information visit www.methodist.org.uk orcontact Revd Tom Quenet on 020 7467 5160.

To donate via MRDF, visit www.mrdf.org.uk or call 020 72244814 to give by debit or credit card, or send a cheque made payable'MRDF (Haiti emergency)' and to MRDF, 25 Marylebone Road, LondonNW1 5JR.