It was two years ago today that earthquake hit island nation
By Lea Kahn and Ruth Luse, The Packet Group
Two years ago today (Jan. 12), an earthquake struck Haiti.
The 2010 Haiti quake was catastrophic. Its epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, approximately 16 miles west of Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital. It killed nearly 200,000 people.
One of its victims was 22-year-old Hopewell Township resident Christine Gianacaci, who was on a Journey of Hope Food for the Poor trip with fellow students of Lynn University, Boca Raton, Florida, when the earthquake hit. Ms. Gianacaci was staying in Port-au-Prince’s Hotel Montana, which was destroyed.
Since that day, many have made efforts to help the people of Haiti.
And, if things go as planned, more help is on the way. Some Pennington School students are getting ready to spend spring break in the island nation, along with a group of volunteers —including medical and health care professionals — from the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville. Their goal is to help with rebuilding efforts.
The students, who will be accompanied by two teachers from the private, co-educational boarding school, will spend the time repairing schools damaged by the earthquake, and assisting in providing medical and dental care. They also will help to distribute food and water to families.
The service trip is planned for March 13-18, said Aaron Twitchell, a chaplain at The Pennington School and one of the two adults from the private school who will accompany the 10th- to 12th-grade students on the trip.
”(The trip) is also aimed at supporting the Haitian people’s rights to live healthy and satisfying lives through education, proper nutrition and other basic needs,” Mr. Twitchell said. “Each of the students selected to participate has demonstrated significant maturity and self-awareness about the risks and rewards of such a trip.”
”The group has experience traveling abroad, as well as participating in service projects ranging from after-school tutoring to manual labor. Our goal is to learn from this experience as much as possible, while connecting with the Haitian people in a profound way,” he said.
While the students are paying their own way, they hope to raise $10,000 to purchase construction material and the food they expect to distribute, said Robyn Campbell. She is the liaison between the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville, The Pennington School and Harmony Ministries, with whom the church has had an ongoing relationship.
Thus far, the students have raised $6,000 toward their $10,000 goal, Ms. Campbell said. They are planning to hold a community-wide event — which is open to the public — on Jan. 28 at The Pennington School’s swimming pool, for a suggested donation of $3, to help raise more money.
In the meantime, the students are seeking donations of travel-sized containers of toothpaste and soap, reading glasses, eye drops, toothbrushes and other personal hygiene items, to take with them to Haiti. Drop-off containers have been set up at The Pennington School, as well as the Presbyterian Church of Lawrenceville.
The church, which is located on Main Street in the historic village of Lawrenceville, is open Sunday through Friday, between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m., for those who want to drop off the personal hygiene items in the containers at the church, Ms. Campbell said.
In addition, persons wishing to make a financial contribution toward the trip may write a check, payable to The Pennington School. The word, “Haiti,” should be in the memo line on the check. The checks may be mailed to The Pennington School, 112 W. Delaware Ave., Pennington, 08534.
AS A RESULT OF THE TRAGEDY in Haiti two years ago, Ms. Gianacaci’s parents, Jean and John, and family set up a foundation — Christine’s Hope for Kids. The mission of the foundation is: “To continue Christine Gianacaci’s mission of helping underprivileged kids and to put a smile (like Christine’s big smile) on the faces of those less fortunate than us.” For more about it, visit: www.christineshope.org.
On that website, Mrs. Gianacaci says: “As we come upon the second anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti, John and I have again this year come to Florida and Lynn University to honor our daughter Christine and the others.Over the next several days we will be posting various events and donations we will be making to continue our mission to help kids with Christine’s Hope for Kids Foundation. We are here to honor Christine, and our hearts are with, as they always are, the Crispinelli family, the Gengel family, the Hayes family, the Bruno family, and the Hartwick family, and all those lost at the Hotel Montana and in Haiti. Please check our posts daily and thank you for your constant love and support during this difficult time.”