Funds dry up for Haiti houses

An area effort to help provide shelter for earthquake survivors in Haiti has been hurtby a lack of funds.

It was full steam ahead in February when Ed Jackson, local leader for the Shelter Haiti project, rallied area churches, businesses, schools and civic groups to help. The goal was to build 1,001 structures that would be shipped to Haiti, where many have been living in the open since a devastating earthquake displaced residents in January.

The project has had support from volunteers, including 750 Coastal Carolina University students and faculty who showed up for a special build. But while there are plenty of willing bodies to do the work, Jackson said the coffers are empty and lack of supplies has halted the project mid-stream.

"We've just run out of funds, and we've got all those walls and things that are just waiting on the next batch of funds," Jackson said. "We just don't have the money to buy materials."

The project is focused on building small homes that are eight feet wide and 12 feet long, each with a pair of 4-foot-wide, 12-foot-long bunk beds, which accommodate six to 10 people. Each home costs about $500, and the plan is to take them to Haiti by boat, which already is carrying some made by volunteers in Virginia.

Jackson said the boat will hold about 300 homes.

"Forty-eight are finished, but in order for us to fill the boat up, we have to finish 130," he said. "Every time we get about $500, we can do some more stuff. Two-hundred are sitting in Virginia ready to go."

Jackson expects his effort to get some help during the Blessing of the Inlet, hosted by Belin Memorial United Methodist Church on the waterfront in Murrells Inlet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Willie Lee, a member of the event committee, said Grace Circle, a women's group at the church, is teaming up with Jackson to raise the project's profile and funds for Shelter Haiti. He said the event usually attracts 7,000 to 10,000, a lot of people who can give a shot in the arm to a great concept.

"We wanted to do something for Haiti," said Mary Wynne Kellett of Grace Circle. "We're excited to bring one of the shelters to Belin, put it up and leave it up for about three weeks, so people driving by can be exposed to what they look like."

Lee said a love offering will be taken for the project.

"It all sort of fell together nicely," he said.

"Hopefully, we'll raise funds and awareness."