Winter Park church raises money for Haiti relief

WINTER PARK, Fla. - Haiti is a nation in crisis, with chaos in the capital, Port-au-Prince. 

Violent gangs roamed the city, and ordinary citizens were terrified to leave their homes. "It saddens me to see that it has gotten worse. I had a gun to my head multiple times, and now it's worse," said Tessa Petit, from the Florida Immigrant Coalition.

Saint Margaret Mary Church in Winter Park was one of the congregations working to help this country, in its time of need. They were collecting donations for Haitians, to buy badly needed food and supplies. Church member Anne McQuiggan and her sister together donated $1,500. "I've been to Haiti a number of times with the parish. And seeing the people there, they need so much and today it's even worse," McQuiggan said.

Amid the violence, Haiti’s embattled prime minister announced that he would step down. Meanwhile, Haitians were suffering from a worsening lack of food and water. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis had ordered state personnel to guard against a potential wave of Haitian migrants.

Saint Margaret Mary Church has a longstanding relationship with a parish in Haiti. Their priest expressed his gratitude to the Winter Park congregation. "Thank you for extending your hands in solidarity, ensuring that we, your brothers and sisters in Haiti, receive the sustenance and hope we desperately need," he said in an online video.

Observers said this crisis was the worst catastrophe to hit Haiti since the devastating earthquake there, in 2010. Lisa Meier, Saint Margaret Mary Haiti Help Coordinator, couldn't say exactly how much they hoped to raise for Haiti, but they were grateful for every penny. "We would love to raise thousands and thousands of dollars, but every amount helps. If we could raise $20,000, that would make a huge difference in this community."