Our Mission

It’s no secret the most effective way to raise a country out of poverty and disparity is through education.

Haiti is the poorest country in the northern hemisphere. Approximately 80% of the population lives on under $2.00 USD per day. Only 50% of the children attend school. 39% percent of the population can neither read nor write. There is no government support for schools.

Haitian Outreach is working to change these statistics by providing children the gift of an education through our Child Sponsorship Program. We support children in 6 schools in and around Port-au-Prince and the surrounding regions. We have over 300 students from kindergarten through high school. Many have graduated to become bankers, diplomacy professionals, teachers and doctors. Things most children never even dream of becoming. With your help, these children will grow and contribute to further the quality of life in Haiti.

Our History

Haitian Outreach is an all-volunteer organization and was founded by Lorrie and Norman Charpentier of Leominster, MA in 1998. How Haitian Outreach was founded goes back many years when Lorrie and Norman met Sister Elda Saint Louis (Mother Monique) of Haiti.

Mother Monique was born in 1916. By the time she was thirteen she lost both her parents. But she persevered, entered the novitiate, and taught school for 20 years. In 1971, along with Sister Gibbs, she started the DAUGHTERS of MARY QUEEN IMMACULATE of HAITI, Sisters of St. Joseph. Disturbed by the young girls living on the street they started an orphanage and taught the girls skills to get good, decent jobs. Their lives were dedicated to improving children’s lives through education.

On her deathbed, Mother Monique asked Lorrie and Norman to take care of the Sisters of St. Joseph, so they may continue providing Haiti with its most important goal; Keep Educating the Children. Only then will they have a chance to rise out of poverty and have an impact on improving the lives of their fellow Haitians. As a result of her request, Lorrie and Norman founded Haitian Outreach.

Haitian Outreach Today

School is not free in Haiti and only 50% are educated. Haitian Outreach’s program recruit’s sponsors to pay for a child’s tuition and school supplies. We now support between 300-320 Students in 6 schools, who otherwise would not have the opportunity to better their lives. Because of our success, Haitian Outreach was featured as one of the more successful organizations providing help to Haiti.

Donations help Haitian Outreach to provide essential items to our student’s families by giving them food, clothing and shoes. Many families are in great need and have people living in a one-room structure with limited food and clean water. After the earthquake of 2010 thousands of children were left without any families. They lived in make-shift orphanages operated by larger organizations such as the United Nations and the Red Cross as well as independent people who felt it was their obligation to take care of these children. Haitian Outreach filled large bins of food, clothing, etc. providing orphanages with necessary items and offering hope that Haiti would be rebuilt. This provided them with the opportunity to go to school and reach their dreams of becoming whatever they were meant to be. Education gives Hope!