Recent Updates and Blog Posts

"Because, Doug, they have nobody else - these are the ones our Lord was talking about - we have no choice." Fr. Tom Hagan's response to Doug Campbell's question as to why we continue to help even after many killings and theft.

Father Tom spends his days in Haiti anchoring the activities at our Hands Together compound in the slum of Cite Soleil and the rural area of Gonaives. He has seen much suffering and trouble, but he has also seen miracles…in the many smiling faces of children who are learning in the only free schools in the slum and are getting fed a hot meal, he has seen miracles in young men who have turned away from lives of crime to caring for their neighbors, and in the elderly who have fellowship and feel valued as they can share their wisdom with the school children and our HT workers. Father Tom lives each day in Haiti by putting everything in God's hands. He says, “I could not last a week without my prayer life – giving everything to Jesus is the only way to find the strength to face each day in this very difficult place.” We will be sharing stories from Haiti from Fr. Tom, Doug and other HT workers who have invested so much of their time and energy to helping the wonderful people of Haiti. We hope you’ll be encouraged, enlightened, and blessed.

Hands Together is extremely saddened to hear about Dr. Paul Farmer's passing. During the many decades of working in Haiti, we have encountered very few people that we would consider colleagues and fellow Haiti humanitarians. However, Dr. Farmer was undoubtedly a person we consider a friend and colleague who shared our mission of helping the very poor.

We saw his footprints all across Haiti and Cité Soleil -- Especially is work with the Haitian Aids Crisis saving thousands of lives. Hands Together saw firsthand in its schools and clinics the life-saving work Dr. Paul Farmer had left behind. He was a man ahead of his time; he truly put the needs of others ahead of his own.

Much of Dr. Farmer's work followed the mission statement of Hands Together, to always get involved with people at a local level. He would live among, eat with and learn from the people he served. As a result, he grew a single-room medical practice in Haiti to 16 medical centers with over 7000 Haitian employees.

We are truly blessed to have known Dr. Farmer and to have worked with him. His loss is devastating to everyone, but his message and work will live on for eternity. We are grateful to God for his life and hope to continue to do some of the work he started. Everyone at Hands Together extends our sympathies and prayers to his wife Didi Bertrand Farmer and their three children.

God Bless,

Hands Together