Wal-Mart helps church members serve souls in Haiti

A Wal-Mart trailer gets loaded with Haiti relief supplies at Global Samaritan Resources in Texas. (Photo provided by David Catalina)

New on The Christian Chronicle’s website is an update on the cholera epidemic in Haiti, which has claimed the lives of members of at least three Churches of Christ, according to a Haitian minister.
And the death toll is expected to increase.
A shipment of relief supplies traveled from Abilene, Texas to Miami recently. From there, it will be shipped to Haiti. The shipment represents “a new collaboration between numerous Churches of Christ,” said Dave Heath, onsite coordinator
for World Radio Gospel Broadcasting and WFR Relief Ministries, both ministries of the White’s Ferry Road Church of Christ in West Monroe, La. Ben Adkins is the director of the ministries.
Appropriately enough, the effort is called Haitian Collaboration.
“We are coordinating between churches so that we do not miss areas that need help and do not duplicate areas,” Heath said.
Church members who put the shipment together got a helping hand from Wal-Mart, which shipped the relief materials for free from Texas to Florida.
“This is the second time they have done this for us,” Heath said. “The first time, they did seven trailers to Ocala, Fla., all for free.”
The relief supplies were donated by Global Samaritan Resources, an international relief ministry based in Abilene and supported by Churches of Christ.
“Wal-Mart has stepped forward and is supplying both the trucks and transportation to enable some 30,000 pounds of goods to be delivered to Miami for delivery to the needy in Haiti” said David Catalina, warehouse manager for Global Samaritan. “Trans Haiti Corporation of Miami is moving the goods from Miami to Cap-Haitien. We very grateful for organizations like these who step forward and assist us in the delivery of aid across the globe.”
Workers with Global Samaritan hope to combat the cholera epidemic at its source — contaminated drinking water, according to a recent news release from the ministry:

GSR has embarked on shipping and installing Newlife Water purification systems; each system has the capability of cleansing pond, creek, and stagnant water, laden with filth and bacteria, into clean, potable water, effectively eradicating the threat of cholera. The systems are able to even cleanse raw sewage water, the only source for many Haitians, tragically. The unit operates utilizing simple household items, such as table salt, and can be be powered by a car battery, solar panel (included with each unit), or hand-pump.

Global Samaritan has installed about 30 of these units in Haiti so far, said Larry Musick, Global Samaritan’s new CEO.
“Our efforts have borne great fruit, but the battle to help Haiti recover continues,” Musick said. “We need the extended support of our donors, partners, and friends to assist our water purification efforts in Haiti, or thousands more lives may be lost.”
In case you missed it, here’s a video I shot in Haiti about a month after the January earthquake:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDv5Jd9qtfQ

• Feedback
  I admire David Heath for his hard work and dedication to Haiti. I also appreciate Walnart stepping up to help such an important cause.

  Franceen

  November, 4 2010

  I live in Elkhart ,Tx and the WalMart in Palestine is very involved in helping with funds for projects that benefit the community in our area.

  Don Burke

  November, 5 2010