RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. — South Florida's Haitian American community continues to organize and help those struggling in Haiti through recent flooding, an earthquake, violence and economic uncertainty.
In Riviera Beach, Valley of Love Ministries is helping to organize relief to the country with a drive for water, clothing and monetary donations.
Valley of Love is a nonprofit organization that aids in resource efforts for area military veterans and homeless community members in Palm Beach County for the past 20 years. However, recently it has included help to Haiti as they saw a need for help.
"We help the homeless, less fortunate, almost everybody but now we're really concerned about Haiti and we're the only pantry that's open seven days a week," the group's organizer, Queen Bmazazhi Karu, told WPTV's Joel Lopez.
She said what is needed most is drinking water and clothing.
"Everything is destroyed, because whole homes are flooded," she said.
Karu said she hopes to fill a shipping container with donations and has partnered with a church in Haiti to help distribute supplies.
"Haiti right now is in a crisis situation," she said. "Haiti right now, people are dying. They don't have food to eat, nowhere to stay. It's just terrible over there so if another storm hit again, I don't know what they're going to do.
Helping collect supplies is Gary Donet, who lost his own niece in Haiti during the earthquake in 2010.
"After school when the side of the house collapsed, I think she was sitting on the back of the house and that thing fell on her," Donet said. "You don't have to be from the island, Black or white. We are humans do what you can, if you can help, help."
Haiti has dealt with several bad situations.
"Haiti is in what you call a recovery process," Donet said. "We are still healing from back-to-back earthquakes, storm and I know my people don't have nothing.
"If we have steady rain for like five days, Haiti will be wiped out."
To donate, call Valley of Love Ministries at 561-502-8757 or email valleyofloveministries.org.
