What we Americans take for granted, many in Haiti consider a luxury. For instance, a solid roof, instead of one made of thatched grass.

Recently, the Rotary Club and Youngs Chapel Christian Church joined forces in helping 27 Haitians get metal roofing materials to fix their leaky roofs. They spent about $10,000 to ship the metal pieces to Haiti and to hire local contractors to help install the roofs.

The metal was dropped off at a Catholic center, then the residents drug it three miles to their homes. Each one had to make about 20 round trips to get all this metal to their home.

Having a roof is something that we take for granted, but it is vital for the health and well-being of the families in Haiti. Families in the town can expect to live longer and have fewer health problems just with better housing.

This is the first time that the Rotary Club has provided roofs, but the club has installed over one hundred concrete floors in the town. There was a greater need for floors because there were more dirt floors in the town than thatched roofs. However, having both a roof and floor is a great step forward for community health.

It extends the life of the family and children. Even if you have a concrete floor, that’s not enough. Having a dry environment is important. It makes their whole quality of life better.

The Club and Church consider that simply providing the materials is good, because it allows the Haitians to appreciate the gift even more and meet the gift givers half way.