For most of 2018, Perry Lutheran Homes has been working on a new facility, and it’s in a place you may not have expected.
PLH Director of Development Wanda Pritzel says they are getting ready to open up an elder care facility in Jacmel, Haiti. Pritzel explains, Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere, and those who make it to an advanced age are generally neglected because people can’t afford to care for them. With that in mind, PLH has supported the creation of what’s being christened the Jacmel Lutheran Home. Pritzel says the facility was spearheaded by a different care facility, and members of the PLH staff will be heading there soon to help with the finishing touches.
“We are partnering with a group that already has an orphanage in Jacmel, Haiti, and has had care of orphans for the past 10 years. Next door to the orphanage is being built the Jacmel Elder Home. We are going to be there January 9th through 16th to receive the first residents into that home. It’s a concept that’s not familiar in Haiti, either. There are no elder homes in Haiti like there are here in the United States. So it’s very much a brand new concept.”
Pritzel adds, the proximity of the elder home and the orphanage was by design, as they plan to emulate the successful Acorns and Oaks intergenerational daycare currently operating at Perry Lutheran Homes. She says they’ve seen first hand how well kids and elders help each other, so they’re hopeful the program will be able to enrich the lives of both the orphans and residents. To learn more about Perry Lutheran Homes’ ministries in Haiti, listen to today’s Perry Fareway Let’s Talk Dallas County program on air and at RaccoonValleyRadio.com.