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January 12 marks the fifth anniversary of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010 from an epicenter just 10 miles southwest of the capital, Port-au-Prince. An estimated 3 million people were affected by the quake, more than 2.6 million people were displaced from their homes and more than 200,000 lives were claimed.
On that day, Rev. Tom and Rev. Wendy Vencuss of the New York Annual Conference were in Haiti for partnership meetings. Tom became the coordinator for United Methodist Volunteers in Mission (UMVIM) in Haiti and his wife, Wendy, worked with health and education projects of the Methodist Church of Haiti. Wendy now serves as an emotional and spiritual care consultant with the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).
The disaster touched the hearts of many and ignited their desire to give and act. The needs of survivors inspired partnerships to form, including the Haiti Response Plan, a three-year partnership between UMCOR, EMH (Methodist Church of Haiti) and UMVIM to coordinate recovery efforts.
In the years following the earthquake, UMCOR established other key partnerships which helped cement livelihood opportunities through construction training,improve food security, promote agriculture production , provide new homes, and much more.
Read more about Tom and Wendy’s journey with the Haitian people, the unique collaboration of UMVIM, UMCOR and EMH staff, and the outpouring of volunteer support over the last five years.
