January 25, 2010
Dear Friend of ACSI:
In the days following the earthquakes in Haiti, we at ACSI have been developing our strategy for responding to the monumental needs of Christian schools in that needy land. We now announce our plan and encourage your continued involvement.
First, a reminder. ACSI seeks to bless Christian schools by helping them recover and become operational. Most Christian schools in Haiti are church schools, so if we rebuild schools, we further the ministry of these churches as well. Our association does not offer immediate food, housing, or medical relief. There are many agencies through which people can give toward relief efforts. For this reason, we direct our members and friends to the ECFA Servant Matchservice for a list of Christian relief agencies that are ECFA accredited as trustworthy ministries active in Haiti.
ACSI is receiving funds for the reconstruction of Christian schools in Haiti. Many were destroyed, some with students inside. We will be partnering with two organizations that together directly serve about 800 Christian schools. These organizations have a history of promoting Christ-honoring education, and ACSI has known them for a long time. We have worked with these groups through our ACSI Eastern Canada Regional Office to provide teacher conferences and advanced teacher training.
The two organizations with which we will partner are the Haiti Baptist Mission and the Union of Evangelical Baptists in Haiti. Many of their schools are located in Port-au-Prince—and many there have been destroyed. We may consider other partnerships in the future as we are assured that the funds will be used for reconstructing Christian schools. We will post updates on www.acsi.org as news becomes available so that donors and website visitors will see the impact of gifts given through ACSI.
You can make a donation now, knowing ACSI will ensure your gift is properly applied for Christian school reconstruction in Haiti. Select “Relief” in the Giving Opportunities drop-down box.
ACSI’s strong involvement in supporting Christian schooling and educators in Haiti has been led by Mr. Mark Kennedy and Connie Mycroft from the ACSI Eastern Canada Region. Their involvement will continue, and their ongoing relationship with our Haitian partners will provide the means for verifying that funds provided through ACSI will be properly used. This long-term relationship will also promote future efforts in Haitian teacher training and curriculum development.
All Canadian donors are advised to contribute to the ACSI Eastern Canada Office. Your contribution may be eligible for a Canadian government matching grant through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Funds from all other countries will be received at ACSI Headquarters in Colorado Springs.
We know that Christ is the hope for every nation. In Haiti, about 60 percent of all students (over one million boys and girls) attend evangelical Christian schools, and about 50 percent of the population is under the age of 20. These statistics evidence the pivotal role Christian schools could play in Haiti’s future by bringing a living hope to a devastated nation. But a Christian school can’t exist without a building, and a Christian school building can’t exist without money for its construction, or in this case, reconstruction.
So I am writing to ask for your financial support in this important project. Gifts given through ACSI will not only rebuild schools—they will provide the venue to transform Haitian lives, the Haitian church, and potentially the entire nation!
May the Lord be glorified in how we respond.
Sincerely,
Brian Simmons, President
Haiti Response Letter
Haiti Relief Updates
ACSI's Work in Haiti