Mission Group Brings Hope to Haiti Quake Victims

By Jon Jordan, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- While hundreds of organizations are pledging help to quake victims in Haiti, one group has been committed to helping the people of Haiti for years, and now the group is working harder than ever.

Mission of Hope Haiti has such a foot hold in Haiti that the State Department has already been in contact with them so they can utilize their resources on the ground.

However, one of the mission's leaders said their resources will likely run dry by next week if help doesn't come and soon.

Mission of Hope Haiti provides everything from food to schooling for numerous of people in Haiti. Mission Hope Haiti U.S. Director Otis Garrison said their cafeteria feeds about 55 schools in Haiti.

Journey Church in Norman recently went on mission trip and met up with workers from Mission of Hope Haiti.

"They have a school where they educate 1,200 students and feed around 1,500 people a day," said Clark Mitchell, Journey Church Senior Pastor.

Numbers of those in need have grown to three and four times as many as the mission tries desperately to help the people of Haiti recover from their devastating earthquake. But Garrison said without help, the mission's efforts will fall short.

"Water, food, medical supplies and fuel is just major. We've got to replenish that or we are gonna be in trouble, and Haiti is gonna be in trouble," Garrison said.

Since the earthquake, Garrison said he has been working around the clock trying to gather donations, focusing on the relief effort and not the devastation. He said the aid the country receives in the days ahead will make the difference of whether Haiti survives.

"If we can rally together help to bring the proper help, direction and leadership back in that country and enhance their political system this could end up a good thing. In the mean time, you're gonna have half a major city that will bulldozed out and started over," Garrison said.

Garrison said while his organization is focused on helping those in Haiti, a third of the mission's staff on the ground is currently unaccounted for.

Donate to Mission of Hope Haiti to help Haiti earthquake victims