Haiti On The Rise Transforms Shipping Container into Two-Story St Joseph Community Center, Summer 2017

During the summer of 2017, members of the St Joseph community of Croix-des-Bossales in Port-au-Prince were pleased to be a part of the inauguration of their new rectory & community center.  This structure will help serve thousands of people who reside in the area, in addition to the masses of people who visit the nearby marketplace. After the 2010 Earthquake, the vicinity of St. Joseph was left without a church or community center. So dire were the conditions that the community was forced to use a shipping container to conduct its affairs. Haiti’s tropical climate made the shipping container nearly uninhabitable.  Nevertheless, the shipping container became the home for those assigned to serve the community. When Jacqueline Oriscar Lee (Jackie) learned about the region’s plight, she vowed to help them to rebuild.  She consequently founded Haiti on the Rise in 2015, and within a year or so, was able to provide the funding necessary to build a brand-new two story-building. Although Haiti On The Rise was the main contributor, the St Joseph parishioners also contributed what they could.  Since then, the new building has breathed new life into the neighborhood by allowing the leadership of St Joseph to continue serving the community.  Another major benefit of Haiti On The Rise’s construction projects is that it creates local employment opportunities and the use of local materials.