Members of Quincy University’s Haiti Connection group will be taking a mission trip to Haiti over the winter break. The main goal of this mission trip is to help members of the Haiti community in wake of hurricane Matthew and give money to the members of the community that are in need. QU Haiti Connection sponsors different fundraisers throughout the year in order to raise money that goes directly to help members of the Haiti community.

During the trip, QU students will take part in a program called The English Connection, which helps members of the Haiti community learn the English language as well as experience the English culture. Students will be doing service projects such as painting a school, visiting an orphanage, as well as interacting with the Haiti community and experiencing the culture hands-on.

“I have experienced a deep level of cultural understanding in a new way. I’ve read and learned about it by getting to experience it,” said Jessica Howell, president of Haiti Connection. “It’s beautiful to recognize that all humans are deeply equal and wanting the same values and longing.”

QU Haiti Connection offers many programs for the Haiti community, made possible through fundraising efforts. Programs include Hope for Tomorrow, which is a program for single women in Haiti with children but have no source of income. QU helps to establish a home for them as well as train them in literature, starting a business, and providing them eight months of food security. Haiti Connection also offers the Educational Sponsorship Program, which allows people to sponsor a child’s education for $45 a month. QU will also help maintain a soccer field and has hopes of starting a program called Natural Family Planning Training.