Farm & Home Energy Employees Support Local Haiti Relief Project
On January 12th, 2010 the Republic of Haiti experienced an event that has changed the lives of millions. Not since Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf basin in 2006 has a tragedy brought such an outpouring of support and effort from the United States.
Keeping with the core values of the company, Farm & Home Energy has taken steps to support and sustain the tremendous efforts of a local missionary group.
On January 9th, 2010, a group of 27 people from Souderton Mennonite Church travelled to Haiti to help build wells and other infrastructure as they have done for the past 20 years. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit just three days after they arrived. Jim Frankenfield, a local truck driver, was with them.
"Eleven of us were at the dinner table in a second story cinderblock house in Pass Bois D'homme when we heard the roar and the structure began to shake,", Jim recalled. "Seconds later we were stumbling down the skinny concrete steps outside that were swaying back and forth."
The house across the street collapsed into a cloud of dust before their eyes. The entire group organized and headed for the nearby hills upon learning of a Tsunami warning via radio. The continuing tremors forced everyone to sleep outside; a condition that many residents of Pass Bois D'homme continue to endure over a month after the quake.
In the hills above Cotes de Fer, just 35 miles southeast of the earthquake's epicenter, residents watched as nearly every home in the municipality was destroyed.
A group of missionaries appeared just two days after the devastation, shuttling hundreds of 4-pound bags of rice, cooking oil, medical supplies and doctors over 20 miles round trip to devastated villages nearby. This group included Jim and many others from the church. Hundreds of people were saved from extreme hunger, thirst and life-threatening disease by the efforts of the Americans.
On January 19th, the group returned home to Souderton to a warm reception from the community. Although many of them were shaken by the tragedy, they remained committed and eager to return to Haiti as soon as possible to help rebuild the lives of many friends.
The group returned to Codes de Fer on March 18th with 15 tons of aid, including 400 tents, hundreds of clean water buckets, hygiene products, blankets and food.
Jim Frankenfield is leading the efforts, along with his daughters, plus many other dedicated members of the church. Jim's parents, Grace and Sam, began supporting missionary work early in their lives and the Frankenfields have travelled to Haiti annually since 1987, shortly after Sam retired from 25 years as a driver for Farm & Home Energy. Sam passed away in 2004.
On February 15th, Janeen Cardona and 110 volunteers from Souderton Mennonite Church organized an amazing event at the church to raise funds for the return trip. Keeping with a fond Pennsylvania-Dutch tradition, 5,377 Fastnachts were handmade and sold in a day.
"People gave so much of their time, talents and treasures that day," said Janeen. "Many had a great time learning to make the donuts and others worked to maintain power for the fryers."
In the weeks following the tragedy, Farm & Home Energy collected donations from employees, combined the sum with a company match and gave $850 to the Souderton Mennonite 'Tents For Haiti' Project.
"Farm & Home Energy is a community and being a community means helping our friends and neighbors," said Cory Longacre, Vice President of Retail Services. "When we saw the devastation that the Earthquake caused in Haiti, we knew we needed to do something. Although I have never gone to Haiti, I am moved by the lives that get transformed by serving other people. This was our small way of serving people."
