Hands On Disaster Response is now All Hands Volunteers

We’re just getting warmed up! After 3 weeks of operations at Project Gonaives, volunteers have mudded out 9 residences allowing 12 families to move from rooftops, shelters, and shared spaces back into their own homes. HODR has nearly finished washing classrooms and desks at a school for street children, and will begin the final stage of repainting the flooded rooms next week. We also continue to support the UN coordination of the cleanup effort in Gonaives by providing GPS training to local Catholic Relief Services and Caritas Haiti staff.

Coordination of local volunteers from Gonaives continues to breathe life into the project. We work daily with local volunteers who also see the value of their hands at work in their home community. Our foreign volunteers find that our work is more effective, our job sites more fun, and our exposure to life in Gonaives more sincere when our efforts are combined with those of our neighbors.

We hope to see you and your boots in Gonaives soon! If you are interested in volunteering, please email info@hodr.org.

Project Gonaives has been open for almost 2 weeks! Our focus is removing mud from homes and public space and to date we have cleared 3 residential properties, allowing 5 families to return to home. HODR has also made strong progress with two ongoing community projects involving the rehabilitation of a school run by the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition and a street cleanup organized by a local radio station. In our first week alone, we shoveled, bucketed, picked, and wheelbarrowed over 20 tons of mud!

The community in Gonaives continues to be incredibly supportive of our work. We have a consistent turnout of dedicated Haitian volunteers who get as muddy, sweaty and excited as we are to help put Gonaives back on its feet.

We anticipate a steady increase in the volunteer numbers and variety of projects here in Gonaives. If you are interested in joining us in Haiti, please email info@hodr.org. We hope to see you soon!