Verse of the Month

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.”

2 Corinthians 4:8-9

This verse takes on a whole new meaning when your Haitian friends share it with you, despite the fact that they are living through unprecedented, unspeakable challenges. Yet, they remain faithful and hopeful through it all.

Anyone working in Haiti is used to thinking outside the box and navigating challenges. However, the current situation in Haiti, that continues to worsen, is truly becoming an impossible problem with no painless solution in sight. Watching this humanitarian crisis unfold is absolutely terrifying and we must remain hopeful and focus on what can be done. The list of what we can’t do is very long, but this month we’ve been focusing on what we can do. The Dalton Foundation Support of The Haiti Health Network is unwavering and there is power in the voice of the healthcare sector and because of this our advocacy efforts are continuing. We feel very strongly that healthcare professionals represent an extremely valuable part of every society, and their voices need to be heard. They are on the front lines treating victims of gang violence, dealing with supply chain shutdowns, no electricity, and staff members who cannot safely navigate to and from healthcare facilities. And now, as if that wasn’t enough, cholera has emerged to challenge a healthcare system that is already on life-support. Our advocacy efforts have focused on creating awareness of the realities health care workers are facing; we are speaking with Congressional leaders, State Department officials, and UN leaders. We’ve surveyed our members to understand how they have been affected operationally and to hear their thoughts on solutions to this ongoing crisis. Click here to view responses directly from healthcare providers in Haiti.

In addition, we are working to assist healthcare facilities in preparing for cholera patients. The reality is that most facilities are depleted of vital medications and supplies to effectively combat cholera so we are working regionally to understand the current assets on the ground and see how we can aggregate and collaborate to provide treatment. Shipping into Haiti is not a viable option right now with ports being blockaded or closed and fuel to move containers is blocked. Cholera moves fast and a person can go from health to death in 12-18 hours, so maximizing what is available is vital. We are so thankful for our Haitian team and their heart and passion for serving. They long for the time when things return to “normal” and they can continue to work, strengthening the healthcare system in Haiti.

With COVID restrictions lifting and travel opening up, organizations that supported hospitals abroad have been able to resume travel and support. Late this summer a small team from Northeast Ohio was able to travel to Ganta Hospital in Liberia to reassess the needs and work with the local medical team. The Dalton Foundation was pleased to work with Campbell University medical student and NE Ohio native, Sophie Hockeran to provide some much-needed basic diagnostic supplies that they were able to utilize on mobile clinics in rural areas. For The Dalton Foundation, this was a great way to support the local church as they serve and see the Equipping the Caregivers project help in Africa as well as Haiti.

Addiction Recovery & Reentry 

Relink.org Gets a New Look

After several months of planning and design we are very excited to announce the new landing page for relink.org. The new site is designed to be even easier for people to use and offers more opportunities to follow relink.org activities in the community and our educational events. Click here to see the new relink.org look and click here to start searching for community resources for addiction recovery, reentry, anti-human trafficking efforts and basic needs!

Relink.org Receives $20,000 Grant from Akron Community Foundation 

Relink.org is proud to announce that we were the recipient of a generous $20,000 from the Summit County Opioid Healing Fund of Akron Community Foundation. As a result of this gift, we will launch a new pilot project whereby we will use technology and data powered by relink.org to bring together addiction recovery leaders throughout Summit County to measure collective impact, identify any service gaps, and share best practices. We are planning a robust community engagement program coupled with data collection that we will overlay with overdose deaths in the county. It is our goal to launch and refine this pilot program thanks to this grant and then expand to other counties throughout the state later in 2023. We know the battle to end the opioid epidemic took a few steps back due to the COVID-19 pandemic and we are all eager to do all we can to see overdose deaths plummet and more and more individuals access long-term effective treatment. Thank you, Akron Community Foundation for your support and confidence in our work!

Building Bridges Community Experience Reentry Conference- Success!

On October 12 and 13 relink.org cohosted the Northeast Ohio regional portion of the Building Bridges of Opportunity Community Experience. Attendees were able to have the best of both worlds by taking advantage of the excellent online plenary sessions followed by in-person networking and onsite workshops and speakers. The Coming HOME event highlighted the top two challenges that individuals face after leaving incarceration: Finding housing and finding meaningful employment. Some of the organizations present like True Freedom Ministries, Prospera Reentry, and Truly Reaching You did an incredible job sharing the obstacles they have faced and the ways they have overcome to offer affordable high-quality transition housing to those leaving incarceration. There is no doubt that the keys to reducing recidivism and keeping our communities safe is to truly invest and support those reentering by offering housing options and meaningful employment. A special thank you to the team at The Western Ohio Conference of United Methodist Churches for leading and organizing this great two-day event!

Women & Children 

Ultrasound Donation Supporting Save and Health Pregnancies in Haiti

Earlier in 2022 The Dalton Foundation donated an ultrasound machine to Haiti Health Network member, Saint Rock Haiti Foundation in Carrefour Haiti. We were very happy to hear from President & CEO Jocelyn Bresnahan that the machine arrived safely and has been put into action saving lives of women and babies in this region of Haiti. With travel being so dangerous, having high-quality obstetric care close to home is absolutely vital. We were blessed to be able to provide this unit to this valuable partner. 

Unfortunately the current level of violence in Haiti is preventing most women from being able to reach vital prenatal appointments like this one and many clinics are being forced to reduce their hours or close entirely. We pray a solution to this humanitarian crisis will be reached quickly!