The Youth Ministry of the Church of Christ in Peachtree City put faith into action recently when members chose to serve needy youth in Haiti by cleaning and packing donated tools for Haitian vocational school graduates.
The group arrived early at the “Tools For Empowerment” tool recycling center in Peachtree City. They worked together and accomplished much for needy youth in Haiti.
At “Tools For Empowerment,” donated tools are refurbished and packed into tool kits for trades such as auto repair, carpentry, masonry, electrical and plumbing. Graduates of the six vocational schools in Haiti, operated by the Salesians Missions of Don Bosco, will receive the tools.
The unwanted hand tools and equipment of Americans can make life-changing differences to a family in Haiti where poverty is the norm and basic tools can transform lives.
With their own tools, skilled graduates of vocational schools are able to find work or even start their own enterprise, filling local needs as they help rebuild Haiti.
Providing tools for Haiti is only the beginning. The Salesians operate training schools in over 130 developing countries. It is a Christian order that has been offering vocational training to the poor since 1857.
The “Tools For Empowerment” effort is “A Self-help Assistance Program (ASAP)” begun by Peachtree City residents Elizabeth Bara and Tom Arsenault. The couple, who met and married as Peace Corps volunteers in Swaziland, created ASAP in 1992 to foster cross-cultural understanding and self-reliance.
“Tools For Empowerment” offers many volunteer opportunities like collecting, repairing, cleaning and packing donated tools for shipment, as well as remote opportunities to help improve ASAP’s web site (www.asapempowers.org) and social media presence.
Call 770-632-7451 with volunteer inquiries.
