Sunday, January 30, 2011

Haiti Mission Trip Update


1/29/2011 Haiti Mission Trip Update From Shelly Mannella

We need more time. There is so much to accomplish here and each time we think it will be easy it becomes more complicated. We visited Mother Teresa's orphanage yesterday. The sister's are incredible. It's hard to explain all they do and they never complain or get angry. They hear sick babies crying all day and still smile. When it was time for us to leave the babies started crying and one of the sisters took out crackers. She offered them to the kids but they shook their heads no. She said " Crackers can't replace the human touch".

Today we spent the day at an orphanage. Dr. Sem came to examine the kids. 85% of them need some kind of antibiotic. He saw 38 kids. The rest of us played with the kids while the others were being examined. These kids are so spiritual, they sing like angels and to listen to their prayers, it's unbelievable.

We stopped by an area where the bodies were dumped after the earthquake. It is full of black crosses and it's a very moving spot. We placed some rosaries on some of the crosses and prayed for their souls.

Thank you to everyone for your continous prayer, we have been blessed.

Please continue to pray, on Monday we will go to Mother Teresa's house for the dying. We have never been there and hope our prayers for the people will comfort them.

God Bless
Shelley, Missy, Marie

Friday, January 28, 2011

Haiti Mission Trip Update


1/27/2011 Haiti Mission Trip Update From Shelly Mannella

We went to Reiser Heights today. It is a breathtaking drive up the mountain. The contrast is incredible. We came from cement and dust, up the mountain to fresh air and green land. It's still poverty but I say in the city it's chaotic poverty, in the mountain, it's quite poverty. It was good to visit Mialta, principle at Reiser Heights while school was in session.

The children are beautiful. We had them make bracelets with pipe cleaners and beads. Can you imagine going into our public schools and doing this and having the kids like it? We also had tooth paste and tooth brushes to give them along with school supplies and balls to play with. Two members of our team bought goats for some people in the community around Reiser Heights and we delivered them to the new owners.

There is a lot of need up there for the up keep of the building, adding new class rooms, stocking the shelves at the medical clinic, and keeping up on the salaries of the teachers. They work hard there to provide an education and also to involve the community in the school. The teachers were patient and kind, but the school books are worn.

They will continue on in their silent poverty trying to make a life for the children by providing them with an education.



Reiser Heights by Marie Schrank Hi, it's Marie. We had such a great day today; taking in all the beauty that Haiti truly has to offer. We took a two hour drive up the Mts. of Fort-Jacques /Donte/Lespinasse, which was absolutely breath taking and gave me a whole new perspective of Haiti. The drive took us up to Reiser Heights which is a school for all age children of which over 400 attend. What a wonderful time we had sharing a craft and treats with the kids. The Haitiian children are so kind and grateful. You can see the innocence and love in their eyes. They loved our presence and we loved being with them. It was hard to leave them. We took many wonderful pictures and hope to share them with you all. Many blessings to you all until tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Haiti Mission Trip Update



1/26/2011 Haiti Mission Trip Update From Shelly Mannella

We finally arrived and we are safe. We had to spend the night in Miami last night due to a broken airplane. We arrived at 10:00am today It is so nice to be back. The smells, the sounds, and the people, are what make me always want to come back.

We were able to do runs on the water truck today. The people still need the water desperatly. We were able to treat a few people who had wounds and we made some oral rehydration salts to send back to a very sick baby along with some infant tylenol. There are a few new additions to City Soleil this trip. Cholera clinics. They've set up two large areas with tents for cholera treatment and prevention. We also finally noticed there is some reconstruction going on.

We are going to Reiser Heights tomorrow and really looking forward to it. We plan on buying goats for a few families up there and have a lot of supplies to leave with them.

God Bless
Shelley

Reiser Heights Primary School is up in the mountains of Les Pinasse, Reiser Relief has built a school, kitchen, sanitary block and 30,000 gallon cistern for 300+ children. To travel here you take road that is a very long and bumpy ride up the mountain will allow you to see the beautiful country side and farming communities of Haiti.


The water truck operates six days a week making four deliveries too many neighborhoods in Cite Soleil and reaching numerous impoverished families where the local people carry the water home in 5 gallon buckets.

Local Coon Rapids Groups Still Reaching Out to Haiti Quake Victims

1-14-2011 - Coon Rapids CTN NEWS Video
Watch 7:50 minutes into the video for Reiser Relief news clip on Haiti


Local Groups Still Reaching Out to Haiti Quake Victims
Written by Stephanie Ring
Friday, January 14, 2011 03:43 PM
City of Coon Rapids Minnesota, Cable News Network


COON RAPIDS, Minn. -- This week marks the one year anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti. The natural disaster killed more than 300,000 people and left much of the country in ruins.

Several local organizations have helped in Haiti over the past year but volunteers say progress is slow. Still, that hasn't dampened their spirits to keep helping.


"I didn't see a whole lot of clean up going on."

Shelley Mannella has travelled to Haiti two times since the earthquake as a volunteer for Reiser Relief, a non-profit organization that helps the country's poor.

"It was bad before but now it's bad on top of bad."

Mannella says much of the rubble remains in the country. She's headed to Haiti again in just over a week again.

"I don't expect to see anything different."

Estimates are at least one million people have been displaced from their homes because of the quake.

Mannella says, "I know people are afraid to go back inside, even if they have a house, they're afraid to sleep inside."

Thousands of people are living in tents and organizations like Reiser Relief and others are bringing in fresh water for people to drink. And Coon Rapids based Feed My Starving Children provided 58 million pre-packaged meals to Haiti last year. That's double what it normally sends.

FMSC Executive Director Mark Crea says, "The need is still great. We can't this coming year send less food to Haiti than we did last year. We need to send as much or more actually so we need your help again."

The non-profit hopes that Americans will keep their hearts and their wallets open as they continue to send food to the country. And for Carole Stufflebeam, a nurse from Prior Lake who is working in an orphanage and clinic in Haiti, she says food shipped from the U.S. is helping to fill a void for people who simply can't provide for themselves.

Stufflebeam says, "The amount of people that are still left in camps, there is no way these people can make money and there's no way they can do a garden and so what direction do they go? And that is for a long period of time, we're going to have to see what we can do to meet those needs until we can get these people independent."

Along with a government in transition, removing the rubble is the other largest barrier right now. There's not enough heavy equipment in Haiti and the cost is staggering.

For more information on the Haiti earthquake or to help the victims, check out the following links:

Reiser Relief

Feed My Starving Children

American Red Cross

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Fr. Bernard Reiser on Kare 11 TV - Eleven Who Care


Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN – January 25, 2011 - , we are pleased to announce that President and Founder of Reiser Relief Inc., Father Bernard Reiser is the recipient of the 2011 Eleven Who Care program.

KARE 11 Television of Minneapolis and Saint Paul Minnesota created The Eleven Who Care program that started 27 years ago to recognize the outstanding volunteers that serve our community with overall spirit of community volunteerism.

Each year hundreds of volunteers are nominated for the award and the Eleven Who Care Board of Governors select the eleven to be honored. The honorees represent the variety of opportunities available in our community. They truly exemplify the belief that one person can make a difference.

Fr. Reiser is a long-time resident of Coon Rapids, MN and has been a priest 61 years, Ordained in 1949, attended St. Paul Seminary. Fr. Reiser was an associate Pastor of Saint Mary of the Lake, White Bear Lake for 15 years; Founding Pastor of Epiphany Parish in Coon Rapids for 46 years. In 1964, Father Bernard Reiser founded the Church of the Epiphany in Coon Rapids, Minnesota. He bought 70 acres of farm land and it grew from 150 to 5000 families and adding grade school for kindergarten through eighth grade. Epiphany church is one of the largest parishes in the archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

Father Reiser’s many years of service have reached far beyond the bounds of the parish into all surrounding communities touching lives. Literally thousands and thousands of individuals and families have been pulled from the depths of despair because of Father Reiser’s devotion of time, energy, money and with values of love and respect for every single person. His compassion and humanity has been an inspiration many all over the world. Everyone counts, to this excellent shepherd. The rich, the poor, the sinner, the winner. He is the face of God, to all he meets.

Reiser Relief Inc. was formed by Fr. Reiser and since its beginnings; Reiser Relief is committed to providing essential services to aid in day-to-day survival to the impoverished people of the Caribbean country of Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The services Reiser Relief provides include: fresh water, food centers, education, and eldercare facilities. Many outreach projects are in or near Cité Soleil; the suburb of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince.




You can see Father Reiser’s Eleven Who Care story on Kare 11 TV on the following days.

January Thursday 27th Kare 11 News at 10pm
January Friday 28th Kare 11 Sunrise News between 5am to 7am
January Saturday 29th Kare 11 Saturday News between 8am to 10am
January Monday 31st Kare 11 Today News between 11am to Noon

See more on Kare 11 - Article and Video

http://www.kare11.com/life/community/11whocare/11whocare_article.aspx?storyid=904117


Everyone who meets Fr. Reiser can easily see a kind and compassionate man focused on a principle, to serve others. Working on worthwhile projects and a commitment to making a difference with his spirited leadership and trust in God, that creates an atmosphere that many others will join in to help. He is the personification of the good shepherd and his contributions provide inspiration to everyone who crosses his path.

###


CONTACT
Reiser Relief Inc.
Father Bernard Reiser
1800 - 111th Avenue NW #320
Coon Rapids, MN 55433 USA
http://ReiserRelief.org/

Monday, January 24, 2011

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Haiti Fresh Water Truck

Father Bernard Reiser - 2011 Eleven Who Care Recipient



Father Bernard Reiser - 2011 Eleven Who Care Recipient

KARE 11 honors volunteers who help make our community special.

1/21/2011 - Eleven Who Care is a televised program honoring the volunteer contributions of eleven outstanding, grassroots volunteers and promoting the spirit of volunteerism in our communities. The eleven honorees are selected in May by the Board of Governors from nominations submitted by individuals and service organizations throughout KARE 11's viewing area.

Their individual stories are told during the televised program each year. In 1984, Eleven Who Care program was created and in 2011 Father Bernard Reiser has received the Eleven Who Care award for his priestly contribution and support of Haiti projects. Father's story will air in
January and we will annouce what day this coming week.

This Kare 11 link should be updated this week for they are working on
putting together Father's Story

http://www.kare11.com/life/community/11whocare/default.aspx

There will also be updates on Reiser Relief website
http://www.ReiserRelief.org

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Fr. Bernard Reiser - Reiser Relief Events


Fr. Reiser will be on Relevant Radio "City Winds" hosted by Paul Sadeck that will air on January 21 at 9 a.m. January 22 at 6 p.m. and January 23rd at 9:00 a.m.
1330am WLOL


Fr. Reiser book signing Feb 5th and Feb 13

Feb 5th Sponsored by Heaven Bound Catholic Books & Gifts
Time Saturday, February 5 • 12:00pm - 2:00pm
Location: Old Parish Center 22 Main St. N. St. Michael, MN

Feb 13th Sponsored by Epiphany Gift Store
Time Sunday, February 13 • 12:00pm - 1:30pm
Location: 1900 111th Ave NW Coon Rapids MN

Reiser Relief 2011 Annual Haiti Fundraiser
Keep The Wheel Turning ~ Bringing Hope to Haiti
Tuesday, April 26, 2011 6:30 pm - 9:30 pm




For information at http://reiserrelief.org/


Reiser Relief Fundraising Store

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Kevin McClellan's Haiti Water Delivery Story


Remebering Back Feb 2010

Kevin McClellan's Haiti Story -
Called to quench a slum's thirst
JIM SPENCER, Star Tribune.


They ran for blocks when they saw the big truck with the Minnesota license plate roll by. Little girls and old women, little boys and young men, all chasing the shiny silver tanker down streets of Cite Soleil, one of the world’s worst slums. Past fly-infested garbage piles, by canals reeking of raw sewage, they carried buckets, pans, pots, tubs — anything that could hold what has become gold in the ruins of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake: clean water.

Behind the wheel of the semi-cab pulling the tanker, a short, wiry Minneapolis man with a badly sunburned face grinned. The dirty wool Greek seaman's cap perched on his head didn't really fit the tropical surroundings. But then, many things about Kevin McClellan don't fit.

-- To continue this story in color and see sculptural tribute to Kevin McClellan who brings fresh water to Haitians by Artist Angie Heida. Also view Pictures and Videos by Photographer Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune

The Haiti water truck operates six days a week making four deliveries too many neighborhoods in Cite Soleil and reaching numerous impoverished families where the local people carry the water home in 5 gallon buckets.With your help, we can affect thousands of lives!

Yearly delivery of over 4 million gallons of clean water to the poor in the slum of Cité Soleil. Delivering four 3,500 gallon loads of water, 6 days a week, 52 weeks per year to thousands of people. That is the equivalent of 800,000 five gallon buckets of water each year. Your funds support local Haiti driver salaries, fuel and maintenance.

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Haiti One Year Later



Reiser Relief Inc. is one of the Haiti non-profits selected by Razoo, a leader in organizing online giving, in remembering Haiti one year after the Jan 12, 2010 earthquake that devastated this little Caribbean island.

Donate to Reiser Relief to Help Haiti

This anniversary of the disaster is a reminder to the world community that Haiti must not be forgotten and is a call to redouble efforts to support the Haitian people.

Reiser Relief is compelled to provide the essential services to aid in day-to-day survival. The services Reiser Relief provides include: fresh water, food centers, education, and eldercare facilities. Many outreach projects are in or near Cité Soleil; the suburb of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Reiser Relief provides assistance to Haiti focused on the basic necessities of life: Food, Water, Education, and Building Facilities.

Reiser Relief funds a water truck that operates six days a week making four deliveries too many poor neighborhoods/tent cities/clinics in Cite Soleil and provides water free of charge, reaching numerous impoverished families where the local people carry the water home in 5 gallon buckets. The little red truck got a lot more use in 2010, for having water is critical for life, it was a life line for the many in need. Your help is needed to keep this truck on the road.

We support the transportation of the food we ship which is provided through Feed My Starving Children. Each the three shipping contains 500,000 highly nutritious packets of food, with each packet keeping one person alive for one day.

With the help of our donors, Reiser Relief can continue to save the lives of these extremely impoverished people! We live among abundance; the Haitians live in extreme poverty. They await your generous response and we pray for God’s abundant blessings upon you. With deep gratitude, we thank you for helping us to "Keep the Wheel Turning!" Together, we make a difference in touching the lives of thousands of people!

We are reminded that giving drink to the thirsty is one of the seven corporal works of Mercy. "Amen I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers or sisters of mine, you did for Me" (Matthew 25:40). May God bless you most abundantly!

Sincerely in Christ,
Father Bernard Reiser, Reiser Relief Inc.



Donate to Reiser Relief to Help Haiti

Saturday, January 1, 2011

2010 January Haiti Earthquake





My thoughts often go to Haiti and the 2010 January earthquake in which thousands died. With churches, schools and homes demolished, people have been living in camps and sleeping under makeshift tents surrounded by rubble and sewage. I think of these people often when I go to bed, which is clean and warm, because the conditions they are surviving under are truly unbelievable. And now, they face the scourge of cholera.

With the help of our donors, Reiser Relief can continue to save the lives of these extremely impoverished people! We live among abundance; the Haitians live in extreme poverty. They await your generous response and we pray for God’s abundant blessings upon you. With deep gratitude, we thank you for helping us to "Keep the Wheel Turning!" Together, we make a difference in touching the lives of thousands of people!

We are compelled to provide the essential services to aid in day-to-day survival. The services Reiser Relief provides include: fresh water, food centers, education, and eldercare facilities. Many outreach projects are in or near Cité Soleil; the suburb of the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince. Reiser Relief provides assistance to Haiti focused on the basic necessities of life: Food, Water, Education, and Building Facilities.

In 2010, Reiser Relief provided aid to thousands of people suffering after the earthquake made possible by hundreds of generous donations. We continue to provide monthly education, food and clean water various area in Port-au-Prince. We support the transportation of the food we ship which is provided through Feed My Starving Children. Each the three shipping contains 500,000 highly nutritious packets of food, with each packet keeping one person alive for one day.

Reiser Relief funds a water truck that operates six days a week making four deliveries too many poor neighborhoods/tent cities/clinics in Cite Soleil and provides water free of charge, reaching numerous impoverished families where the local people carry the water home in 5 gallon buckets. The little red truck got a lot more use in 2010, for having water is critical for life, it was a life line for the many in need. Your help is needed to keep this truck on the road.

Some reconstruction was needed for Terre Promise Primary School in Cité Soleil, which was left standing and still solid, but needed various repairs to some walls and damaged plumbing and a new expansion for classrooms. Three other non-profits and Reiser Relief funded this project which is now complete.

Grace Village buildings took some damages after the earthquake but now the new concrete walls are complete and roof sheathing is installed two dormitories and a central feeding center. Plumbing including cistern and septic tanks are roughed in and capped. We are also excited for the street children and elderly and the impact that the new Feeding Center will have on their lives. Bringing food to those that often go hungry will provide us with the opportunity to share God's loving touch to those in need. As we look to building completion, we are now pressed to provide site cleanup, and a security wall around the property. The security wall must be build to protect those who come for food as well as those who live there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB3d2sQRLj8

My past visits with poor Haitians convinced me that I always need to advocate for them and remember their needs and I ask you to share with our brothers and sisters in Haiti. The Lord will bless you for your gift.

http://www.razoo.com/story/Haiti-Earthquake-Relief

A very blessed New Year to you and your loved ones. I shall include you in my daily Mass and prayers.

Father Bernard Reiser
December 2010
One Page At-A-Glance Haiti Projects

Donations can be mailed to:
Reiser Relief Inc.
c/o Father Bernard Reiser
1800 - 111th Avenue NW #320
Coon Rapids, MN 55433 USA

Donate Online to Reiser Relief Haiti Projects



Reiser Heights School in Lespinasse, Haiti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FopBZ5ioCqQ

Terre Promise Primary School in Cite Soleil, Haiti
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmYeyeyiS3U

Haiti Water Delivery Truck
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELOIqkwJCN8