We express our personal condolences to the Haitian people and, at the same time, we take great comfort and pride in witnessing once again, how the human spirit of sharing and giving can help surmount even the most desperate tragedies.

The dimensions of the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti are still not known, but it is certain that many thousands people were killed or injured, and untold more left without food or shelter.  The good news arising from this calamity is the world’s outpouring of support for the Haitian people.  Food, medicines, and essential supplies are already in transit, and rescue crews and emergency personnel from the United States and other nations are already on the scene.

Like many other organizations, the Freedom Center wants to contribute to alleviate the suffering.  On Monday, January 18 — the national celebration of the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King — we will offer free admission to everyone, as we have ever since we opened five years ago.  This time, however, we’re asking everyone to bring with them an item of children’s clothing, such as shoes, shorts, pants, t-shirts, or a shelter item such as a pillow or blanket.  These will be collected by 1-800-Got Junk throughout the day, and then transported to Matthew 25 Ministries, which will ship the collected items directly to Haiti.  The logistics for this collection were arranged through the Cincinnati Reds.

Why children’s clothes?  As is often the case in major catastrophes, children are separated from their families and must fend for themselves.  Ominously, they become immediately vulnerable to not just physical harm, but also to being kidnapped by human traffickers and sold into forced labor and sex trafficking rings.  Shipments of items for children will help relief workers focus on finding and protecting these young victims.

Please join us in your own way in supporting efforts to protect the children of Haiti and in praying for the recovery of all the people of Haiti from this tragedy.