A LiveBeyond Haiti & Israel Update

We are thrilled to give you an update on LiveBeyond operations in both Haiti and Israel. Our teams have been hard at work in both locations, and David and Laurie just recently returned from an extended stay in Israel. 

We could not be happier with the progress we are making in Isreal from the local partnerships, our new staff hires, and the families we are able to serve. We have also recently renewed a partnership with a large foundation. This partnership allows LiveBeyond to continue expanding our reach to those most in need outside of the Jerusalem area.

Since we sent the last update, the Johnny’s Kids day center in Israel is now open and serving children with disabilities in need. We are providing therapy services and educational teaching time, and lots of love is spread to each child. We are continuing to search for more children with the greatest needs in the community to enroll them in the Johnny’s Kids day center. The goal is to have a total of 30 children we will serve daily.  

In Haiti, there are also many events taking place. We recently had to hire a new third grade teacher, and she is doing a wonderful job with the students. Throughout the country, many schools are shut down due to unrest, and in Thomazeau, LiveBeyond is the only school in operation. We are pleased to continue providing our students with a safe environment for them to continue learning and for them to receive nutritious meals at both breakfast and lunch. 

Food insecurity has been a concern for many months throughout the times of gang violence and unrest, and we are starting to see the stark reality of food insecurity setting in. At the LiveBeyond school, breakfast is optional for the students to show up early for. In the past, many students wouldn’t come for breakfast as they had plenty at home & didn’t want to arrive early. During the current school year, 100% of our students have been arriving early to receive breakfast. This shows us how much food insecurity is showing up in the local community. 

For the country as a whole, there is a large uptick in a Cholera outbreak. We are also witnessing this at the LiveBeyond hospital. If not resolved quickly, this can become devastating for the country. It has yet to be fully determined why or how this outbreak started, but there are a handful of theories. One of those theories is the rise in food insecurity. Mothers are starting to feed their children and families mud pies as they have no other option for food sources. Dirt is a source of Cholera and could potentially be a reason for the rise in cases. 

LiveBeyond is working hard to get Haiti the security resources they need. This will help to bring order to some of the gang violence and chaos they have been experiencing. Dr. Vanderpool is taking meetings with those at the highest level in Washington DC to advocate for Haiti to receive national security resources. We will not stop fighting for Haiti and for those who are in the greatest need. 

Thank you for your continued and unwavering support of LiveBeyond. We are grateful for your prayers and encouragement. We wish you and your family a happy and joyful holiday season.