Haiti Mission Connection began as a small social justice effort at St. Mark parish in Peoria, in the early 1980's. Through the years we have expanded to become Haiti Mission Connection with people of many faiths and from beyond the Peoria area. Teams of people traveled to Haiti to a sister parish in Chauffard and then to Sts. James and Philip parish in Jacmel. In 1998 Bishop Poulard requested we begin a mission to an impoverished rural area in the mountains of Southeast Haiti, the town of Bodarie.
In our first mission we asked the community leaders what needs they saw in their community that we might help with. Their answer was clean water, education, and medical care. Since then we have kept these needs in mind. We have introduced a water purification program to be used by individual homes, which has been helpful in decresing the amount of sickness from water borne pathogens.
We held medical missions in Bodarie for several years but decided to sponsor a nurse to be present in the village for ongoing medical care and follow up of chronic disease. She can refer patients to the dispensary in Thiotte, with which we have established a connection. We continue to go on medical missions each year.