About Us

In the immediate aftermath of the four devastating hurricanes which battered the impoverished island nation of Haiti in September 2008, the City of Miami in partnership with World Vision and community leaders provided critical relief and aid through Operation Hope for Haiti.  The outpouring of support from the community was overwhelming as we united quickly in support of our poor neighbors.

Recognizing the need to transition from immediate aid to a sustained response supporting  the hurricane recovery efforts, Operation Hope for Haiti, chaired by Julie Grimes, Owner Representative Doubletree Grand and Hilton Bentley Hotels and Nitin Motwani, Principal Miami World Center, was working to make an intentional, strategic difference in one of the deeply impacted rural areas, setting a model for others to follow. The focus was to enable community sustainability by stemming the risk of future flooding and supporting World Vision’s holistic interventions around food, agriculture, economic development, education and health.  Almost $300,000 had been raised by OHH towards this goal.

Since the catastrophic earthquake OHH has re-directing all its efforts towards relief and recovery. As of January 31st 2010, OHH has raised an additional $500,000 for World Vision Haiti Relief through direct appeals, mobilizing the community of Miami to run for Haiti with Team World Vision, special events and in-kind donations.  

Mission of Operation Hope for Haiti:

To connect the community of South Florida to provide life saving relief supplies and support sustained, structured recovery efforts to help Haitian children and families devastated by the earthquake. As Haiti’s closest neighbor, we must demonstrate leadership in the long term response and stand in solidarity to ensure Haiti is kept on the radar screen for years.

The Operation Hope for Haiti Advisory Council is a coalition of community leaders who are unified in their commitment and passion to help Haiti.  This group seeks to keep the community of South Florida engaged over the long-term in a structured and targeted way. 

Who is World Vision?

World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

World Vision provides hope and assistance to approximately 100 million people in nearly 100 countries and is a first responder to global disasters. In communities around the world, we join with local people to find lasting ways to improve the lives of poor children and families.

In 1959, World Vision began working in Haiti with child sponsorship.  Today, the organization partners with 20 communities focusing on agriculture and economic development, integrated education, and vulnerability reduction for families and communities.  With 19 Area Development Programs (ADPs), 800 local Haitian staff, and over 52,000 sponsored children, World Vision interventions are based on a holistic, sustainable model built to promote long-term sustainability.

OHH partnered with World Vision because of their long-term experience and expertise in Haiti; holistic model for sustainability; and unwavering commitment to improve the lives of those living in poverty.