Haitian Orphanage Announces Expansion Plans in Wake of Recent Earthquakes

CHESAPEAKE, Va., Jan. 23 /PRNewswire/ — Maison Fortune Orphanage, located near the city of Hinche in the central plateau region of Haiti, announced today plans for an expansion effort to better accommodate growing need after the recent devastating earthquakes. This planned expansion will increase capacity to support displaced children and will also provide employment opportunities for area citizens.

 The main goals of this announced expansion are to provide food, shelter, clothing and other needs to children from the Port-au-Prince area. Maison Fortune has witnessed a large growth in the number of children migrating to the Hinche area following the loss of their homes and families due to the recent earthquakes. By offering employment to local residents, the orphanage also hopes to increase economic stabilization in the region.

 Specific strategic goals include:

• Increasing facility capacity and identifying additional buildings to lease.
• Identifying and hiring appropriate staff to support additional children.
• Developing and executing a sub-plan, in coordination with the Orphanage Director and Board, to feed, house and educate additional children for up to a year.
• Secure funding to continue the above into future years.

 Cosmas Rubencamp, Foundation Secretary, provided the following comment based from his recent trip to the effected region, “The situation is desperate. We need to move quickly to find shelter for these displaced children.”

 About Maison Fortune Orphanage

 The Maison Orphanage Foundation, Inc. is a Chesapeake, VA based, recognized IRS 501(c) (3) charity established in 2000. Administrative costs of the organization equal 1.1 cents per each dollar contributed. The Director of the Foundation is a Haitian, Virginia Tech graduate, who began with a dream of starting and growing the orphanage to help aid the homeless children in the impoverished region. He began with 2 boys and now has over 150 residents at the center’s complex in Hinche. In addition, over 100 students from the surrounding community attend classes and receive hot meals daily from the orphanage.

 To make a donation in the expansion effort of the Maison Fortune Orphanage:

 Mail checks to: Treasurer, Maison Fortune Orphanage Foundation

P O Box 3092

Chesapeake, VA 23327-3092

 For credit cards and on line giving, visit the web site, http://www.mfofoundation.org

 Right column under News Briefs, click on “Assist in Disaster Relief”.