Clearwater School Adopts 4 Haitian Children

Online, January 30, 2010 (Newswire.com) - For Immediate Release

Local School Sponsors Four Children from Haiti

January 28, 2010

Contact: Laurie Miller
Director of Community Activities
Clearwater Academy International
727-446-1722
[email protected]

Clearwater School takes in Four Haitian children

Clearwater - Clearwater Academy International sponsors four children from Haiti.

This week Clearwater Academy International welcomed Marie Lyonel 14,
Phiteas 12 and twins Anais and Anabelle 9, from the Island of Haiti.

The children and their father survived the massive earthquake that hit Haiti about two weeks ago. Their father, Reggie Jean, brought the children to the U.S., after the devastating earthquake to provide them with a safe home and to continue their education. Mr. Jean was at work and the children were home when the quake hit. Mr. Jean escaped his building, and when it was over he said, "My country was gone."

After three hours of struggling to get in touch with his children he got word from a neighbor that his children were safe.

Reggie quickly got to work with the disaster response teams that arrived in Haiti with the first wave of international disaster relief. Through his work with a local humanitarian group prior to the earthquake, Reggie had already established many friends here in Clearwater; and with the safety of his children foremost in his mind, a plan was formed to bring them here.

Clearwater Academy, upon hearing of their story, promptly agreed to sponsor the childrens' education. "As an international school Clearwater Academy has a number of staff and students that speak French and an excellent English as a Second Language program. As a group we knew we could really take care of these children and make the change much easier for them." said Jim Zwers, Executive Director.

Their father will soon go back to Haiti where he plans to continue the relief effort and to build an orphanage and school for many displaced and orphaned children.

Clearwater Academy has been collecting relief supplies since the earthquake hit. "Boxes of Hope for Haiti" are being shipped directly to the very orphanage that Reggie is helping to build. It is both the school's hope and Reggie's hope that united, we can bring help, change and hope to the children of Haiti.

Please take the opportunity to help with our "Boxes of Hope for Haiti". Donations of canned food, toiletries, blankets, sheets, diapers, baby supplies, children's clothing, medical supplies and water are being accepted at 801 Drew St., Clearwater, Fl 33755 from the hours of 10:00 am to 3:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The school has targeted February 10th to have 900 boxes collected for shipment.

Clearwater Academy is a non-profit school licensed to use Applied Scholastics™ educational services and materials.