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Haiti – February 26, 2010. Witnessing reports of the immeasurable suffering of Haitian children after the Jan. 12 earthquake, Chickasha’s Rob Curtis asked himself what he could do to help.
The answer was closer than he expected.
A life-long member of Hope Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, Curtis visited his church’s Web site for help. There, he came across an organization known as Compassion Services International, a Christian faith-based organization that provides disaster relief around the world.
He filled out an online application and applied for a spot on one of the teams going to Haiti.
Upon further investigation of the organization, Curtis discovered one of its board members was a childhood friend.
“He called me on Feb. 13 and said I had been accepted to go. That felt good,” Curtis said.
Curtis asked his friend, “What is going on right now? What are the needs now?”
Because the food and water needs of the populace have already been met, the answer was easy.
Vitamins.
“Well, I’ll take that on and do as much as I can,” Curtis said. “I feel it’s really worth it.”
Curtis got on the phone and called local pharmacies to ask for donations. Although they agreed to participate, one store went a step further and gave Curtis the names of several vitamin manufacturers.
“I searched the Internet and found a company in Vermont that agreed to let us buy vitamins at cost,” Curtis said. “With that kind of savings, we will be able to buy more than twice as many.”
Curtis ordered 250 bottles, the company’s entire inventory, which will provide 250 Haitian children with vitamins for 90 days. He plans to order an additional 250 bottles next week and to continue to place orders.
“The goal is to provide 1,000 children with vitamins. My personal goal is to provide 10,000 children with a daily vitamin,” Curtis said.
Curtis will leave for Haiti on Saturday, March 6 with a five-person team of doctors and doctors’ assistants. Teams are rotated about every two weeks.
“I am so thankful to my family, friends, church family and my co-workers for their financial support and their prayers,” Curtis said. “I’m grateful they put their trust in me.”
After experiencing life without electricity during this month’s winter storm, Curtis felt blessed. Despite the hardships power outages cause, Curtis always knew he could go elsewhere for water and food — something the Haitian people could not do after a powerful earthquake rocked their small island country.
“Adults can fend for themselves, but the children are helpless,” Curtis said. “I just wanted to give them some food and water and to give them a chance. With some healthy food, hot meals and vitamins, they can hopefully gain their health back.”
Said Billy Adams, pastor of Hope Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church, “Robbie has always been active and involved with the church and he always tries to help other people. The Haitian disaster really moved him. He wept — it had such an impact on him. He felt like he needed to do something that would make an impact, make a change. He’ll work all day from sun up to sun down and he will never complain. He’s a very good guy.”
Curtis, son of Vera Boggess and father to three daughters, is a 1981 Chickasha High School graduate and is a regional sales manager for Tower Tech Inc. in Oklahoma City.
Tower Tech Inc. is providing Curtis with round-trip airfare to Haiti and is also giving him leave from his job.
If you would like to make a monetary donation, or donate vitamins, you may contact Curtis at 405-409-7080, or Pastor Billy Adams at 405-824-0901.
You may also contact Curtis through e-mail at rcurtis@towertechinc.
Donations may also be sent to the church at 1706 S. 12th St., Chickasha, OK 73018.
Donations by check may be made out to Hope Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church and are tax deductible. Receipts for donations are available on request.
Only chewable vitamins may be distributed and must have an expiration date good for one year.
THE EXPRESS-STAR
