Nashville Haitian Community Gives Thanks For Support
By Nicole Ferguson
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A week after a 7.0 magnitude earthquake wrecked the island nation of Haiti, members of Nashville's Haitian community gathered to thank the world for their support and plea for continued support.
"We have all been touched by the efforts of the international community on behalf of the Haitian people," said minister Mario Clerjuene. "Haiti still needs your help and will continue to need it in the months and years ahead."
"We need your help. The Haitian community in Tennessee needs your help," pleaded Marie Alvarez, a staff member with the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition. "The people of Haiti need your help."
The gathering was held at one of Music City's four Haitian churches, The Nashville First Church of the Nazarene. The church saw one of their Haitian ministers off last week, when he returned home to provide medical relief.
Dr. Maromy Samuel reported to the church this week, saying conditions in Haiti are far worst than any image on television, and the country is in dire need of medical supplies, food and water.
The Alvarez family is trying to bring their parents home from Delmas, a town just outside of Port-au-Prince. Their father, Florentin, is diabetic, and splitting the last of his diabetes medication.
"We just want to get him here so he is not one of these victims that could of been saved [but wasn't] due to lack of medicine," said Hudson Alvarez of his father.
Meanwhile the Tennessee National Guard departed Nashville in the early hours Tuesday. Their first stop was to Pope Air Force base near Fayetteville, NC where they picked up aid supplies. They're expected to drop off the supplies, pick up Americans in Haiti and return to Tennessee by Wednesday.
A prayer service in Creole and English is being sponsored by the Haitian community on Saturday, January 30. It will be held at The Nashville First Church of the Nazarene at 6:00 p.m.
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