The Haiti Ministry at Church of the Redeemer, Mechanicsville, is celebrating the construction of its 50th house in Haiti. In September 2024, Philomene and her three children were selected to receive the 50th house in their community of Lascahobas, Haiti. The home was completed in December.
Members of the Haiti Ministry said Philomene’s original house was a small, storm-battered and structurally unsafe home. Philomene spent many nights worrying, especially during the rainy seasons, when holes in the roof turned the dirt floors into a muddy mess inside the house.
Philomene is a member of the Association of Female Activists of Lascahobas, Haiti (AFAL) – an organization that works to improve their community for future generations. AFAL has been twinned with Church of the Redeemer since 1996. Back in 2004, AFAL approached Redeemer with a list of 50 members who were in need of a home. It seemed like an unreachable goal, but in 2008, the first home was built for an AFAL housing recipient.
The first home built was $4,800, funded by a private donation. The parish’s biggest fundraiser for homes in Haiti is No Room at the Inn, an annual gala and exhibit of nativity sets. Half of the funds raised are designated for Haiti housing. The other 50% supports local non-profits that work to end homelessness. The current cost to build a home in Lascahobas is $6,600. No Room at the Inn has raised funds for 35 homes. Private donations funded the building of the other homes.
Each safe and sturdy home built is approximately 400 square feet: two rooms with a front porch, solid cement foundation, cinderblock and stucco walls, a tin roof, and a door that locks. And for privacy, security and hygiene, latrines are also built on the property. All 50 homes have been built by Haitians using Haitian materials – another way that this Haiti Ministry is supporting the Lascahobas community.
Member of the Haiti Ministry shared with the parish community that Philomene is rejoicing in the love of God, who answered her prayers for a safe and secure home for her family. The work of the ministry continues and construction on a 51st home began in January. The foundation is already up, and the hope is that the home will be completed by the end of this month.
Diane Atkins, from Church of the Redeemer, contributed to this report.