The Montgomery Rescue Mission and partners from Tuskegee, Birmingham, Chilton County, and Prattville joined for the first Haiti Recovery meeting on Tuesday, January 19, 2010 at 5:45 p.m. Also in attendance members from the mission’s board of directors, military personnel, foster care providers, a native Haitian couple, and a veterinarian student, former Iraqi soldier along with doctors, nurses and pharmacists answered the clarion call to serve the people of Haiti. 

Staff members from the mission set up a mock recovery village equipped with 2 room tents capable of accommodating 3-6 people, cots, and the mission’s mobile kitchen was also on display for viewing. The meeting began with a brief overview of the Montgomery Rescue Mission’s ongoing services with a video presentation showing children from Haiti requesting help from the mission.

An email from Bishop Andre was read aloud stating “the situation is very bad.” The email asked for food, clothes, shoes, nurses, medicine, vehicles’, doctors and money. He also asked us to come to Haiti and informed us that the children and his family were safe.

Chaplain Curtis Browder discussed the three R’s of this mission, Rescue, Recovery, and Rebuild. He stressed the importance of having a long range plan to aid the children of Faith Crusades Haiti. Chaplain Browder encouraged the audience to view floor plans depicting a 60×160 steel building. This building will serve as a shelter for over 150 children, faculty members, school and worship center.

Buena Browder asked military personnel to consult with the 908 Fighter Wing from Maxwell for a domestic drop

Phase One

• Montgomery Rescue Mission to Haiti plan is to find land in Haiti to erect this steel facility.

• Request temporary visas from Alabama’s Governor Riley to the United States for the children in the orphanage;

• Raise $100,000 to cover building supplies, airfare, shipping and land cost by March 2010.

Members of this recovery effort were asked to get shots from the Montgomery Health Department and adequate passports for volunteers willing to travel to Haiti.

Finally the meeting convened with a verbal commitment from each participant to help raise the $100,000 for the mission’s orphanage in Haiti. Several friends and family from other states have formed fundraising teams for the Mission’s Phase One project.

Fund Raising Teams for Montgomery Rescue Mission to Haiti divided $100,000 between 4 states Fundraising Goal $25,000

1. Team Illinois: Lucille Redmond and Loretta Ankum

2. Team Atlanta: Tommy Phifer and Tracey Browder 

3. Team Alabama: Montgomery Rescue Mission to Haiti

4. Team California: Ray Stoney and Stephen Browder 

Supplies: money, water, hand sanitizer, wash cloths, tooth brushes, flash lights, batteries, shoes, summer clothes, tooth paste, combs, non perishables, rice beans, pillows, covers