The massive food distributions that followed the earthquake in Haiti slowly subsided, but Samaritan’s Purse is still helping the most vulnerable victims of the disaster.

More than 62,000 households that include infants and small children, the elderly, and the disabled have received supplemental rations of lentils, corn, soybeans, rice, and cooking oil in the hardest-hit communities across the earthquake zone. The food is provided by the United States Agency for International Development, and Samaritan’s Purse coordinates and provides staff for the distributions.

People from 535 households gathered recently at a food distribution site in Petit Goave, a town of about 12,000 people located 22 miles south of the earthquake’s epicenter.

Petit Goave became a close-knit community of survivors after the quake. People helped each other dig out from under the rubble and are struggling together through the slow process of rebuilding and renewal, often with the assistance of Samaritan’s Purse.

A young mother named Ketthline was thrilled when she saw Julie, the Samaritan’s Purse coordinator of the local Maternal and Child Health program. Ketthline, who had been one of Julie’s students, was full of smiles as she ran over to give her former teacher a hug.

“Thanks to God, my baby is doing well!” Ketthline said. “The classes taught me how to care for my baby. He and my daughter are doing fine, and this food helps me keep them fed.”

A 90-year-old woman named Rosana stood in line, nervously clutching her treasured ration card against her chest to keep it safe. Two of Rosana’s great-grandsons stood beside her to help carry the supplies.

An exhausted looking woman named Marie had a matter-of-fact view of the food program. “Without the food, my kids would go hungry because I don’t have a job,” she said.

Samaritan’s Purse has coordinated food distributions, water and sanitation projects, rubble removal, agricultural programs, and medical outreaches in many earthquake-raved communities. We have also hired hundreds of Haitians to work on construction and debris removal projects, and created food-for-work and vocational training programs.

A 70-year-old woman named Rose helped divide measures of corn and rice into smaller bags for her daughter and three grandchildren to carry home. “It doesn’t fill me head to toe,” she said. “But it’s something. It’s a blessing from God.”

Samaritan's Purse , Haiti , Help for Haiti , Daily Bread