to Haiti with love - the auction - a complete set of fine art prints by Haitian artists of St. Joseph's, as featured in the book 'shine'

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Earthquake Devastates St. Joseph Home in Port au Prince

Broken Wings is the Canadian fundraising organization whose primary mission is to support the vision and ministry of the St. Joseph Family in Haiti, which includes the St. Joseph’s Home for Boys in Port-au Prince, Wings of Hope in Fermathe, and Trinity House in Jacmel.

Orphans caring for orphans: a beautiful story

St. Joseph’s Home for Boys was Michael Geilenfeld’s dream that became a reality in 1985, bringing boys off the streets of Port-au-Prince to provide them with a Christian home and family.

When French missionaries announced they were leaving Haiti and needed to find care for the disabled children under their supervision, Michael took some of the older boys from St. Joseph's to choose a child to bring home and care for. But the boys surprised Michael when they chose to adopt all the children. Wings of Hope had become a thriving home for disabled children, recently rebuilt and expanded to include a day school for disabled community children and lovely guest facilities.

For more on the St. Joseph's family of homes for children, visit the Broken Wings website.

Wednesday

Feb032010

a complete set of fine art prints by Haitian artists of St. Joseph's, as featured in the book 'shine'

This fall, Broken Wings Missions published Shine, written by Peter Eyvindson. The story portrays life on the streets of Port au Prince from the perspective of Didi, a shoeshine boy and Reginald, a one armed child beggar. The illustrations were completed by two young students from St. Joseph’s Community Art Center, which was connected to the now destroyed original home St. Joseph’s.

Walnes Cangas (above, left) joined the St. Joseph’s Family at the age of seven when his family could no longer provide for him. He now provides for his family with his art activities. At an early age, he showed interest and gifts in painting, dancing, drumming and singing. For the past three weeks, Walnes has stayed at the ruins of St. Joseph’s with the hopes of protecting it from looters.

Frandy Jean (above, right) had been painting on his own when, in 2006, Walnes invited him to study with well-known Haitian artist Ralph Allen at the St. Joseph’s Community Art Center. He describes painting as, "Vital to me, like oxygen for my mind." His watercolour portraits are incredibly well rendered with great attention to detail and real emotion. Frandy is discouraged since he lost all of his art in the earthquake.

Peter Eyvindson, founder of Broken Wings Missions and a Canadian children’s author, has dedicated the past twelve years of his life to bettering the lives of children in Haiti through support for St. Joseph’s Family of Homes. Soni’s Mended Wings, his first book dedicated to the well-being of children in Haiti, was first published in 1999. With 36,000 copies sold, a home for disabled children was built called Wings of Hope. Now in ruins, a new printing of Soni’s Mended Wings was published on Friday, January 22, 2010 in order for rebuilding to begin.

All proceeds from items sold on the To Haiti with Love auction go directly to the St. Joseph's Family in Haiti. To make a bid, simply leave a comment with the amount of your bid and your email address. The auction will wrap up on February 8, 2010, and winners will be contacted right away to arrange payment and shipping. Good luck!

A complete set of fourteen (14) fine art prints of the illustrations by Haitian artists featured in the book Shine. (origin: Canada)

Starting bid: $100.00