Melissa's Hope

I met Pascal, who runs an orphanage for mentally and disabled children. Born in Haiti, he grew up in Brooklyn. When he came back to Haiti he met the priest who founded the orphanage and was hired as an assistant. One day the priest and his wife decided to visit the Dominican Republic and then never came back. Since then, Pascal and his wife have run the orphanage.

Pascal is smart and enterprising. Sister Mary says that he has done an amazing job keeping the kids healthy and well cared for. He gets some assistance from several sponsors but is unsure of the orphanage’s future because he does not control the property.

I am drawn to this enterprise for various reasons, not the least of which is that he is working on a possible affiliation with another orphanage group called Melissa’s Hope.

-More from Haiti,

Jerry Shelly