Development and Peace have sent a letter and resources to their Catholic partners. It is reproduced here as well as links to their curriculum resources and donation form.

1425 René-Lévesque Blvd. W., 3rd Floor, Montréal (Québec) H3G 1T7
Tel: 514 257-8711 Fax: 514 257-8497 Toll Free: 1 888 234-8533
E-mail: info@devp.org Website: www.devp.org
October 12, 2016

Dear friends,
As you are aware, Hurricane Matthew battered Haiti on October 4, 2016 causing widespread damage, flooding, and landslides. The storm destroyed both crops and food reserves, many homes and schools, even entire villages. As of today, more than 1.4 million people are in need of assistance, with 750,000 people identified as in serious need. More than 1,000 people have been reported dead so far, while the risk of cholera and other disease is growing. Development and Peace – Caritas Canada and the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops (CCCB) have launched a joint emergency appeal to all Catholics and all Canadians, asking them to be in solidarity with those affected by Hurricane Matthew and contributing towards DEVELOPMENT AND PEACE’s response to this humanitarian crisis. We need your help to ensure adequate care is given both in short and long-term recovery from this hurricane. Please consider collecting funds in your school or board to support our most vulnerable sisters and brothers in Haiti.

On October 5th, 2016, we committed $50,000 to the work of our partner Caritas Haiti, which immediately began to assist with providing supplies for those who lost everything and to reduce the risk of spreading preventable disease. We also began working with our US sister organization, Catholic Relief Services, to provide basic supplies to those whose homes were destroyed, as well as with our other local partners who are distributing food, sanitation and supply kits, and are collaborating with the Ministry of Agriculture to conduct an inventory of agricultural losses.

In keeping with our core values of Catholic Social Justice, we favour localized and long-term interventions to ensure that communities get back on their feet. We have well-established partnerships in Haiti, as we have been active there for nearly 45 years. We recently completed a major five-year reconstruction program following the January 12, 2010 earthquake that addressed the following areas: humanitarian aid, reconstruction of infrastructure, food, citizen participation and democracy, equality between men and women, human rights, and strengthening the social and solidarity economy. Our community-centered approach ensures greater sustainability and reduces vulnerability, and 400 houses we constructed with one of our partners withstood heavy winds from the hurricane, suffering only minor damage. We are currently working with all of our partners to determine the best long-term approaches in this situation.

As we are committed to education here in Canada, as well as supporting our partners in Haiti, we ask that you consider discussing with your students the situation in Haiti and how our faith influences our approaches in preparation for fundraising. To assist in this endeavour, please see the attached Humanitarian Aid Lesson Plans, which can also be found at www.devp.org/curricular.
The donation submission forms are attached to this message. Please ensure all donations clearly marked with both ‘Haiti Relief’ and your school’s or board’s name. For tax receipts for donations of $10 or more, please use the attached donation forms. If you have any questions, please contact us. Thank you for your continuing support to our mission.

Sincerely,
Tara Hurford Kathleen Ladouceur
Catholic Schools Program Officer Catholic Schools Program Officer
Toronto, Ontario Edmonton, Alberta
thurford@devp.org kladouceur@devp.org
1-416-922-1592 ext 229 1-844-480-3387

Development and Peace Relief Hurricane Matthew

• Emergency Donation Form
• K-Grade 3 When Environmental Disaster Strikes
• Grade 4 to 6 How to Help in an Emergency
• Grade 7 Solidarity in Emergency
• Grade 11 and 12 Solidarity in Global Emergencies