Ongoing trips have been made to Port-au-Prince, Haiti to provide executive mentoring and financial direction to St. Francis de Sole Hospital, a Catholic hospital sponsored by the Catholic Diocese in Port-au-Prince. These services are being provided in partnership with the Catholic Hospital Association based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Our primary focus to date has been beekeeping. Approximately 24 months ago, we began our journey in Haiti. On our first trip, we were able to partner with Edward Bernard from Marksville, Louisiana. Edward has a commercial beekeeping enterprise, Cajun Gold Honey Farm, LLC, and has been professionally working in the field for over 15 years. Through Edward’s leadership, we were able to purchase, ship, and construct over 150 starter kits. These boxes can be used as starter kits for large hives, as splitters, and much more. During our initial visit, we were able to work with the beekeepers in and around the Kobonal mission in Hinche, Haiti. The time we spent with them gave us the opportunity to share our beekeeping skills and techniques and supply them with updated boxes, frames, and other such items to multiply their hives and increase honey production.
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One of the first activities we began after the creation of Coastal Connection was the collection of medical supplies and equipment. Most healthcare institutions in the United States have supplies and equipment that are unused, still of value to others, and need to be disposed of in some way. That is where we come in. Through the generous support of CHRISTUS Health and other healthcare organizations, we have begun to collect these excess supplies and equipment and earmarked them for local and international ministries. We have successfully shared with local ministries and ministries in Haiti as well.
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The Ona Ville Community Clinic is located about an hour outside of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It officially opened in September 2015. Prior to opening a permanent site, mobile clinic services were offered. The clinic resides in the townships of Onaville, Canaan, Jerusalem, and Corail. Before the earthquake in 2010, the population in Port-au-Prince was about 20,000. Post-earthquake, it has risen to 200,000. Most of the patients walk to the clinic in order to receive care. Some walk from the mountain region of Bouzie, about 6 hours away. When they arrive, they not only need treatment, but they often need water and food.
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Kobonal is more than a mission—it is an active ministry affecting the lives of children and adults alike in a part of Haiti that continues to be one of the poorest regions in the world. This area was once thought to be heavily filled with adults practicing voodoo. Through the great work of Father Glenn Meaux, his team, and Cross Catholic Outreach, the Catholic faith is alive, strong, and crushing out the old voodoo practices. Father Meaux began this ministry 30 years ago as he chose to leave his home in Abbeville, Louisiana and commit his religious life to the Haitian community. It is impossible to try and explain the impact the ministry has had on the local community. Water systems, schools, jobs, housing, healthcare, and Catholic formation are but a few of the examples of life changes brought about through the mission.
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Our commitment to education is rooted in Mona’s history as a special education teacher, an administrator, and as parents. We are working to ensure that children across Louisiana have access to the food and nutrition they need to be productive in their classes to reach their full potential. To this end, we have partnered with other organizations to fund school backpack programs. This program identifies children who receive free breakfast and lunch at schools and seeks to ensure that they have food to eat over the weekend throughout the school year. Each child identified receives a backpack with food for his/her to take home. Most items are easily heated or made by the child themselves because many of them are left alone. A pack of food for the weekend costs approximately $7.95.
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