(Feb 2022) - A very generous man, Anthony Michael (Tony) Iannelli, had accumulated approximately $100,000 worth of medical equipment and supplies for the Bataille Ministry in Haiti when he unexpectedly passed away from COVID complications in August 2021. His wife passed away a month later with the same COVID complications. 

  

Tony's obituary:   HERE

Tony's wife's obituary:   HERE

  

Pastor Bataille’s daughter reached out to me to see if I could fundraise the money needed for shipping. (I first met the Bataille family on my visit to Haiti in 2010.) I agreed thinking 'how hard could this be?!

    

I was referred to the shipper Tony worked with in his business. We set the fundraising goal at $12,000, because the lowest shipping bid came in for just under $11,000.  |  CLICK to read more
  
(Mar 2022) - We launched a GoFundMe page for donations. 

   

(Jul 2022) - We received $4,000 from Dr. Stephen Hansen (in Idaho), who had many connections in Haiti and frequently provided medical supplies to Haitian areas in need. Included in his donation was a trailer load of supplies to accompany our other load. It was scheduled to be taken to Oklahoma on July 16.

   

(Aug 2022) - Dr. Hansen's son drove the 8x12 trailer loaded with clothing, medical equipment, leg braces, water filters and more to Oklahoma. I firmly believe the Lord wanted these supplies there and that's why we encountered so much resistance.

    

Pam, a special friend we met in Germany years ago, lived an hour from Okmulgee, Oklahoma. She provided me with contacts from the LDS Church. A ward in the Tulsa Stake was looking for a 9/11 anniversary service project and their leader, Bishop Nick, "just happened" to have experience in packing and said he had all the needed supplies and equipment. He said they’d take care of everything. Their group provided the manpower that packed and loaded the 53’ box truck that went to Florida on September 24.

   

I remember thinking how amazed I was at how the Lord had orchestrated the coming together of these different individuals. The receiving communities had no access to medical care and were eagerly awaiting this shipment.

    

There had been $1,500 raised by a ministry in Oklahoma (and set aside) that was used to purchase additional items to fill the container -- things such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, etc. Other groups gathered clothes, shoes, toys, etc. for a nearby orphanage in need. We wanted to fill every empty spot in the shipping container.  |  CLICK to read more

 

(Aug 2022) - Upon arrival to Florida, we were informed that the shipping lanes in Haiti were closed late summer due to gang violence. We were required to put our container shipment in storage; fees were fortunately waived.

   

(Dec 2022) - We launched a new website with a secure payment portal for donations .... www.tobuildavillage.org .... We also became a registered 501(c)3 organization with the State of Idaho and established and/or reestablished our presence in social media. We could be found on Facebook,  Instagram,  Twitter,  YouTube and Pinterest. 

  

(Dec 2022) - The shipping lanes in Haiti reopened mid-December and we were able to take everything out of storage and load a shipping container. Took two full days! We attempted to fundraise an additional $8K for the container to enter the shipping lanes. We were told that once there, the shipment would take another 3-4 days to arrive in Haiti, and then be transported to the area where Pastor Bataille and his family lived.

  
(Dec 31, 2022) - However, the container shipment unexpectedly left the shipping lanes in Florida at the end of December and arrived in Port-au-Prince on this day. We had understood that the container wouldn't ship until the bill was paid in full. We were informed that the shipment would sit in Haiti's ports until the bill was paid. More efforts were made to fundraise the needed money. 

       

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