(4 min read)
Did you know that May is Haitian Heritage Month?
Did you also know that the FIRST Haitian Heritage Month was celebrated here in Boston back in 1998? Tele Kreyol, a local Haitian Access Television program celebrated the whole month of May as an expansion of Haiti’s annual May 18th Flag Day.
Unfortunately this year’s Haitian Heritage month is being celebrated under the cloud of continued turmoil in the Caribbean nation.
Since 2018 the nation has been in a perpetual state of crisis, beginning with mass protests over fuel prices and eventually the assassination of President Jovenel Moise in 2021. Gang violence has spread throughout the capital of Port-au-Prince and as of this writing, gangs control over 80% of the capital city of over 2 million people.
In the midst of these crises, many Haitians have been forced to flee the country to seek refuge elsewhere, with many arriving here in the United States and here in the Greater Boston Area.
Grace Chapel has been working with our missions partners as well as Community Engagement volunteers to help support migrant Haitians as they arrive here and adapt to life in the U.S.
Welcoming the Refugee
Back in 2021, following the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan citizens fled the country and sought refuge in the U.S.
Led by Pastor Richard Rhodes and our Community Engagement volunteers, Grace Chapel partnered with the Emmanuel Gospel Center, World Relief, and LexRAP (Lexington Refugee Assistance Program) to help resettle 20 Afghan families who had arrived in the Greater Boston Area.
At that time, Dinna Louissaint, who was born two hours from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and currently resides in Burlington, reached out to Pastor Rhodes to see how she could assist with the Afghan families arriving in the area.
Dinna worked to help set up apartments for the arriving families, procuring furniture and ensuring the families had everything they needed in their new homes.
When an influx of Haitian migrants arrived in August of 2023, Pastor Rhodes reached out to Dinna to see if she would once again be willing to help migrants arriving in the area to adjust to life here in New England.
Once again partnering with LexRAP, Dinna helped Haitian families to get settled in the local community.
Dinna met with town officials to make sure communications were translated properly and helped families get their children into local schools. She met with the school superintendent and faculty in Bedford to help ease the transition. With support she was able to get computers and bicycles for about 100 people to help them find work and basic transportation. She also helped with medical appointments and connecting with lawyers to resolve immigration questions.
Feeding 500
As 2023 drew towards a close, Dinna observed that many of the families were missing some of their Haitian culture, particularly their native Creole cuisine. Many had not had real Haitian food in nearly six months.
Dinna planned to work with a couple of friends to host a holiday dinner for the Haitian families. She planned to pull money from her retirement account to help pay for it. When Pastor Richard caught wind, plans changed.
“Richard said ‘you are not doing that yourself!’” laughed Dinna when we spoke recently.
After an announcement during Sunday services over 190 volunteers stepped forward to help Dinna host the holiday dinner.
Hosted at the Bedford Plaza Hotel, over 500 Haitian migrants came for a Haitian Creole meal and holiday festivities. Teens from Milton Academy came to play games with the kids, while other volunteers worked on games and activities with teens.
The event was attended by local town officials and included a guest appearance by Santa. The Bedford Citizen reported on the event ahead of time.
Preserving Culture
Dinna continues to work and keep in touch with the Haitian migrants as well as the Afghan families she helped over three years ago. She says she wants them to feel that they aren’t lost, and haven’t been forgotten. She wishes she had had the support the community is providing now when she arrived from Haiti in the mid-80s.
As this Haitian Heritage Month draws to an end, Dinna reflected on the importance of keeping up with Haitian culture and passing it on to the next generation. She feels it’s important to continue teaching the culture, the traditions, and the Haitian Creole language to her children and “the new kids on the block.” And that includes Dinna’s favorite Haitian dish - kala lou - a mixture of okra, spinach, watercress and all kinds of meat and seafood.
Continued Support
Grace Chapel supports missions work all over the globe, including in Haiti with our partner Hope for the Children of Haiti, an organization that also has stepped up to provide donations and meals for Haitian families that have immigrated to our communities.
If you would like to get involved or volunteer, check out some of the resources here on our website:
- Information for all of our Community Engagement initiatives can be found on our Community Engagement page.
- Looking for a place to volunteer? Check out the Volunteer Finder.
- Want more information about Grace Chapel missions partners? Check out the Missions page!
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