Bus, supplies go to people in Haiti

Light of Christ United Methodist Church in Ballantyne has an old school bus headed for Haiti, and they need help stocking it with select food items and other supplies.

The church on Bryant Farms Road bought the retired bus for $4,000 a few weeks ago to send to Bayonnais, Haiti, a farming community on the small island country. The bus will be used to transport teachers to and from the school there, a part of Organization Force de la Christian Bayonnais, a nondenominational church, school, and medical clinic under the direction of Pastor Actionnel Fleurisma.

A native Haitian, Fleurisma has ties to Charlotte. He lived with a family here and attended Central Piedmont Community College. Now, some churches here support him through Friends of OFCB (Organization of the Christian Force of Bayonnais.)

Light of Christ member Tom Harmon, who has made several trips to Haiti, is heading the project at the church. He visited the country the first time about 12 years ago. He knows first-hand the need that is there.

“Every time there is a calamity, Bayonnais is affected,” said Harmon. “It’s a farming community in the mountains and they depend on their crops. Last fall Hurricane Sandy wiped out all the crops and that’s why sending this food is so important.”

The bus is badly needed as well because both of the organization’s buses, which had been purchased and donated in the past, are now beyond repair.

Once the bus is full, Harmon and another church member will drive it to West Palm Beach, Fla., where it will then be shipped to Haiti. He’s made the trip to Florida with another donated bus and says it’s a straight shot, but slow going because the bus won’t go faster than 52 miles per hour.

“We just get on the interstate, get in the right hand lane, and stay there until we get to West Palm Beach,” said Harmon.

The two will then fly back to Charlotte.

Light of Christ is paying the $4,125 shipping fee and other churches in the area, including Sardis Presbyterian, South Mecklenburg Presbyterian and others are chipping in to pay for it to get through customs.

Light of Christ pastor Marianne Romanat says it’s an opportunity for the community to help meet a pressing need.

“Americans have especially been aware of the needs of our friends in Haiti since the earthquake in January of 2010,” Romanat said. “But sometimes we are not as aware that natural disasters which regularly impact Haiti, such as Hurricane Sandy, create more crises of food security in that country. We are grateful for the community’s support for this effort.”