Shine Your Light Wednesdays: LemonAid For Haiti/Elsie Lherisson

Welcome to the first installment of Shine Your Light Wednesdays!

This week, I chose to highlight a ministry out of both Brooklyn, New York and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Lemonaid for Haiti was started by Paige Strackman's children. Paige is a Christian recording artist, who used to sing with the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, and she is married to Billy Strackman, who was born in Haiti. This ministry is very dear to this family's hearts. Their kids, Chedera, Christopher, and Conner, have been working all summer to sell lemonade, raising money for Elsie Lherisson's ministry in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. They had a goal this summer to raise enough money to send 1,000 pounds of food to Elsie's ministry; they were actually able to purchase 1,785 pounds of food! It is amazing how God works. They plan to have a Gospel Benefit Concert at Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall in New York City this coming February.

I actually had the privilege of hearing Elsie speak at the Brooklyn Tabernacle the summer before last (where I also first heard Paige sing). (Elsie is on the left). To listen to Elsie's story of how God saved her and called her to go to Haiti was just an experience I will never forget. Elsie worked to start the Caribbean Grace Children's Feeding Program in 1996 and feeds 600-700 hungry children twice a week in her ministry in Haiti. Elsie has said that when she doesn't have enough food for all of the children, she has to pick which ones are fed that day.....I can't imagine not being able to feed my children; even here in the States there are programs to help those less fortunate, but in Haiti, these programs are non-existent, according to Elsie in a report that the New York Daily News did on the kids' fund-raising.
Here are a few facts to think about:
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.
Over 50% of Haitians live on less than $1 a day.
Fewer than 75% of children attend school.
It only takes $5,000 a month to feed 600-700 children and provide them with a nutritious meal.
Not only does the Caribbean Grace Children's Feeding Program feed these kids, but it also has a scholarship program in place to help pay for uniforms, school supplies, and tuition, so that children can attend school. It helps not only those entering their first years of school, but those entering universities and trade schools, as well.
If you feel God tugging on your heart, seek Him out; get involved! You can pray for this ministry, or you can donate to try and provide the funds that Elsie needs to give these kids good meals. You can click on the Donate button, and it will take you to the donation page that Paige has set up for this program.

You can also help spread the word about this ministry by taking the Lemonade for Haiti button code below and posting it on your blog. Let others know, so that together, we can shine our light! (Matthew 5:14-16)
<a href="http://www.lemonaidforhaiti.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Lemonaid For Haiti" src="http://www.mamabzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/lemonadeforhaiti.jpg" /></a><br /> Shine your light by highlighting a specific ministry or volunteer opportunity that is dear to your heart or one that you've just learned about; or even share ideas on how to support those in ministry/volunteers....link up with Mr. Linky below! Please be sure to only put your authentic link to your Shine Your Light post in Mr. Linky, though....and be sure to grab the button for this meme (located on my sidebar). Also make sure to link back to Real Heart Prints in your post.