Dear Friends-
This is our Spring Appeal letter, a time to for us to highlight Lamp’s accomplishments, to ask for your continued support of our work in Haiti, and to invite you to reflect on the impact that Lamp for Haiti has had on your own journey towards deepening community.
2026 is a special one for us at Lamp for Haiti, as we mark 20 years of committed work, fulfilling goals set two decades ago.
The Mission and Vision statements we crafted ( https://lampforhaiti.org/our-story/our-mission-and-vision/ ) at Lamp’s founding reflect what we do, and where we aim to go. In addition to directly reducing morbidity and mortality, we speak of becoming an anchor and catalyst for local community development. It is certainly the case that we have grown into that role both in Cité Soleil and at our newer site in nearby Clercine; we’ll see about 15,000 patients this year. Over 40% of these are children. The number of patients in our women’s health program has doubled, and our child nutrition program has more than tripled — all this in an area with no reliable electricity, no running water, no police presence.
In other words, you and I are helping to relieve a lot of suffering. I hope that you’ll savor that reality, reflect on it, let it soak in. In the past we have discussed the “overflow effect” of Lamp’s mission, which impacts our communities here in the US too. One of my favorite events of the year is our upcoming 5K Run (go to RunSignUp.com/race/NJ/bloomfield/lampforhaiti5K). We anticipate close to 300 participants, coming together for a great cause, often “meeting friends they hadn’t previously known”.
At this moment in Lamp’s history, I sense an even more profound transition occurring, involving a more intentional “bending” of the concept of boundaries. Lamp’s being an anchor and catalyst for community invokes a posture that embraces a much broader understanding of where that community lies. It’s a movement that affirms real concern with the marginalized, not only because of their economic plight, but because of our shared humanity, and through recognition of that commonness, authentic solidarity that readily permeates geographic and cultural lines. Lamp, then, provides an effective conduit for us to operationalize such solidarity. It saves lives, yes, but Lamp also is an avenue through which we surely commune with one another physically and metaphysically, as we envisioned and hoped for two decades ago.
And so, at this beautiful time of year, I hope that you’ll reflect on the journey of Lamp for Haiti and celebrate with us 20 years of walking and working together. Once again, I’ll ask your consideration of continued support of this important work. Let’s keep communing.
With deep gratitude and sincere friendship-
Jim
