Who We Are
Our History
Our organization grew out of our founding directors’ involvement through the Ministry to Haiti of Sacred Heart Church in Southbury, CT. After a delegation of parishioners visited several parishes in Haiti, Sacred Heart Church prayerfully decided to twin with the parish of Our Lady of Sorrows in Grand Boulage. In 2009 a covenant was entered into between the two parishes. After the earthquake in 2010, realizing the great needs of the people of Haiti, and in particular the needs of this rural community, the inaugural Hoof it for Haiti 5K Road Race became the first fundraiser for this supportive relationship. In the fall of 2011, the Seeds of Hope Dinner Gala was added. Since then, these two fundraisers have been the principal sources of financial support for doing the work we wish to accomplish in the village of Grand Boulage.
In 2014 a tragic event occurred which drove our ministry to improve the health of this remote village. The principal of the village primary school died needlessly and prematurely due to complications from an abscessed tooth; due in large part to the lack of healthcare in the village. So, in 2015 plans began to form to bring some kind of access to health care in the village. Meetings with Food for the Poor, Partners in Health and Dr. Wilkens Gilbert, a partner with Medical Aid to Haiti, resulted in the first ever mobile medical clinic coming to Grand Boulage on October 10, 2016. This mobile clinic was delayed by one week due to Hurricane Matthew. On that first day, over 100 patients were seen by the 4 Haitian physicians who traveled up the rocky mountain road; some patients having walked hours to be seen.
On Monday, February 4, 2019, in partnership with Medicines for Humanity, the permanent clinic built by Food for The Poor was re-opened by Seeds of Hope for Haiti, with a permanent on-site doctor and three nurses. They saw over 40 patients that first day. Through the generous on going support of donors to Seeds of Hope for Haiti, we are able to run a fixed site clinic 5 days a week now.
2025-2026 Board of Directors
David Rohlfing, Chairman, Director
Mark DePalma, Vice Chairman, Director
Mark Bialobrzeski, Treasurer, Director
Linda Cocchiola, Secretary, Director
Susan Cassidy, Director
Christine Granja, Director
Yanick Thomas, Director
Peter Valentino, Director
Susan Weaving, Director
Christian Galasso, Director
Peter Galasso, Director
Richard Beebe, Director
Fr. Jaime Maldonado, Ex-officio Director
Policies and Financials
Seeds of Hope for Haiti 2024 IRS 990 Form
Seeds of Hope for Haiti Whistleblower Policy
