On October 4, 2016, Hurricane Matthew made landfall over the Tiburon Peninsula of Haiti as a category 4 hurricane, packing winds of 145 mph and dropping as much as 40 inches of rain in some areas. Every structure that was not made of concrete was leveled. Flash floods swept away every possession, every source of income, and food for over half a million already impoverished Haitians.
Just two days after the storm struck, and before cell phone communications could be restored, the Hotes Foundation team was on the ground witnessing first-hand the severity of the destruction in Jeremie as well as remote and coastal villages. Recognizing the need and usual lack of any help, our team, led by Richard Hotes, went to work, and within just a couple days had delivered weeks' worth of supplies, food, and water to thousands of victims of Hurricane Matthew.
As has been our practice for decades, Hotes Foundation volunteers hand delivered supplies to the poorest and most affected areas. In addition to distributions in remote coastal and mountain villages, the Hotes Foundation team donated more than a month’s supply of food and water to several orphanages in Jeremie.
During the distribution, Richard and the team on the ground had been informed of an ongoing cholera outbreak in the town of Randel. Having received no help 10 days after Hurricane Matthew had struck, and with worsening conditions, Richard and a small team of volunteers chartered a helicopter and flew in enough cholera medicine to treat hundreds of patients.
If you would like to learn more about the Hotes Foundation or apply to volunteer with the Hotes Foundation on future missions, please contact us using our online form.
