PEABODY — Faith and Concern, Inc. has extended a helping hand to the people of Haiti for nearly half a century.
The nonprofit organization is asking the citizens of Peabody to continue its amazing work at the 48th Walk for Haiti on the outdoor track at the Peter Torigian Senior Center, 79 Central St. in Peabody on Good Friday, April 7.
The walk begins at 9 a.m. Walkers are encouraged to drop in at any time and walk as many laps as they wish.
Faith and Concern board member Robert P. Cavanaugh said the purpose of the walk is to “raise awareness of the situation in Haiti and provide concrete assistance primarily to the children of Haiti.”
Cavanaugh, a retired Peabody Veterans Memorial High School teacher, said that while the last three years have been greatly disrupted in the United States by the pandemic, the situation is most dire in Haiti. Cavanaugh said Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and that pre-pandemic, 80 percent of Haitians were living below the poverty level and only 50 percent of the children were able to attend elementary school.
“Imagine how much worse it has been for the people of Haiti,” Cavanaugh said. “Today the conditions are even worse. There is widespread poverty and political instability throughout the entire country. The capital Port-au-Prince has become very dangerous where even students are being killed by street gangs. We fear for those who must go into the city regularly to obtain money from the bank to provide necessities for those in the backcountry.”
Cavanaugh noted that Haiti was in a lock-down for several weeks in the fall of 2022 with schools shuttered and banks, businesses, and grocery stores closed. Much of the water was contaminated and unsafe to drink, yet people were unable to purchase clean water because gangs blocked the roads, preventing truckers from entering cities and towns and thereby cutting off delivery of necessary food and “precious” water.
Faith and Concern’s contributions help provide education and breakfast programs for approximately 250 children per day. One hundred percent of every dollar donated to Faith and Concern, Inc. is donated to the cause.
“Our organization continues to support as many children and their families as contributions allow,” said Cavanaugh. “In Haiti, education is seen as the one way to break the cycle of poverty. It is a source of great pride to the children and their hope for the future. We are always grateful for the support given in the past.”
Faith and Concern’s work in Haiti dates back to the 1970s, when the late Ruth Barber and Peabody resident Micheline Vareila traveled to the island. Barber, a World War II nurse, brought medical supplies and instruments along with school supplies and carpentry tools on her trips, according to a biography provided by Faith and Concern. Barber expanded her efforts to include working with Catholic nuns and Episcopal sisters in Port-au-Prince.
“Please gather with us and consider asking a friend to join you as together we can make an important difference in the lives of many people,” said Cavanaugh.
For more information about the walk, please contact Gail Bowlds at 978-535-1431 or Edith Burns at 781-598-1838. Donations may be sent to Faith and Concern, Inc., 6 Wildwood Drive, Peabody, MA 01960.
