When the massive 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck Haiti last January, Jacques Wilkens’ 2-year-old son became a prisoner of his own home.

Using a sledgehammer and his bare hands, Jacques was able to free his frightened son, found lying next to his grandparents — both killed when the house caved in.

In the span of a minute, the quake affected not only the Wilkens’ family, but three million people — destroying homes, cutting off food supplies and safe water and shutting down hospitals and other public services.

Fortunately, the outpouring of public support for relief and recovery efforts was immense, and CARE is proud to be a part of a response that has helped alleviate suffering for hundreds of thousands of people.

But even before the quake, the people of Haiti were among the poorest people in the world. For so many Haitians, every day is a struggle to survive.

The earthquake in Haiti reminds us all of the challenges that poor people all over the world face with hunger, job security, health care and schooling.

CARE works to help empower poor families to build better lives for themselves. This is no easy task — especially in a country as poor as Haiti. Today, one of the most pressing needs is to help families secure a sturdy roof over their heads as the hurricane season is upon them. At the same time, we are looking ahead to the future — reopening schools, helping children traumatized by the disaster, creating jobs and supporting the health of expectant and new mothers.

The forces of nature are out of our control, but we hold the power to strike at the causes of poverty that amplify disasters like the one in Haiti. When you make a gift today, we can help people all over the world get a basic education, earn an income to support their family, prevent gender-based violence, access quality health care and so much more. CARE partners with local families and communities to help them create sustainable solutions to poverty.

While we can’t stop disasters like the Haiti earthquake from happening again, we can join together to help build a brighter future for all. Today, you can make a world of difference with your gift to CARE.

Sincerely,

Melanie Brooks
Emergency Communications Coordinator