The Ladies of Charity of Arkansas membership, in collaboration with volunteers from the community, collect and ship monthly donations of powdered milk to their Vincentian Family members, the Daughters of Charity, in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The goal of the “Hugs for Haiti” program is to assist and support the Daughters in their mission to bring comfort, nourishment, and evangelization to the poor ravaged by the earthquake that devastated the region earlier this year.
The Daughters of Charity mission work in Haiti began in 1973 and reaches nearly 100,000 poor through the efforts of only 33 Daughters in 11 diverse mission works. The Daughters focus on providing not only basic needs and health care but also training and education to promote empowerment and better living among the individuals of this community.
The “Hugs for Haiti” effort, to continue for one year, is being funded by the Kathleen Hager Grant from the Ladies of Charity of the United States, Ladies of Charity of Arkansas membership, and private donations. The Ladies of Charity was started in 1617 by St. Vincent de Paul and their work continues worldwide today to aid the poor and vulnerable both corporally and spiritually. If you are interested in assisting with the “Hugs for Haiti” Earthquake Relief Initiative, please contact Nancy Thomas, Chairperson at Netinlr@att.net . For more information and to learn more about this Vincentian Family organization, the Ladies of Charity of Arkansas, please visit online at www.lcark.org .