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Cash-for-Relief
in Haiti

Locals work through the night to
prepare the distribution.
Photo: Mike Tang

In the disaster area, we worked closely with After Cash-for-Relief was completed, we
Father Valon, a local Catholic priest. In Father planned a distribution for residents of the
Valon’s parish, only 5 percent of the people are Shada area on December 22, 2014. This turned
employed. In Cash-for-Relief, we offered people out to be a great test of our capabilities. We
about eight U.S. dollars per day, and they in turn chose a soccer stadium in Cap-Haïtien as the
cleared garbage to improve the local drainage site, because we needed space for a thousand
situation. At the end of each day, they all came people, but Cap-Haïtien Mayor Yvon Alteon was
back to the church to receive their cash. Tzu Chi shocked when he heard our plan, because the
volunteers greeted them and thanked them for stadium is in the most dangerous part of the
their work, and Father Valon led prayers. city—an area full of gangs. We asked him to
supply police protection for the event, and he
After the last day of the project, Tzu Chi understood that we were sincere.
volunteers faced the crowd at the front of the
sanctuary, as usual. Father Valon surprised us In the early evening of December 21,
by asking everyone to stand up, raise their five cargo containers arrived at the football
hands, and sing hymns to show their gratitude stadium for the distribution. Our original plan
to the volunteers. He held out his hands and was to drive the containers into the stadium
asked everyone to pray for us. Over six hundred
people joined in; their voices filled the church.

I shed tears for the first time in a long time,
and others on the team also wept. Living in
such a wealthy country as the United States,
how much money will truly satisfy us? This
eight dollars was a tiny amount of money, but
these people thanked us with sincere gratitude.
Who am I? If not for Master's love, how could
I have had the chance to embrace these
suffering people? And how could I have had the
opportunity to receive their gratitude? We cried Father Valon addresses Cash-for-Relief
as we heard these beautiful hymns in a country participants in the church sanctuary.
which has been abandoned by so many, yet is Photo: Mike Tang
still in such need of love.

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