Naples man who founded Haiti orphanage says kids are now living outside

Published: Updated:
Kids sleep outside after an earthquake damages the orphanage they live in. (Credit: Place of Hope for Haiti)

The death toll in Haiti after last weekend’s earthquake is now more than 1,900. On top of that, countless homes and businesses are destroyed.

One of the buildings damaged was an orphanage with ties to Southwest Florida.

The Place of Hope in Haiti orphanage was founded by Andre Forges. He grew up in Haiti and now lives in Naples.

Forges lost friends in the quake and told WINK News the orphanage cares for 60 kids.

The two-story building is not structurally sound after the quake, so everyone is living outside.

“We saw that there’s a lot of big buildings and offices collapsed and my heart was my heart left me,” Forges explained. “There’s a lot of kids in the street right now. You know, who lost their family. You know, so what’s the going to do? We really, really need help for those families in the south, they need help.”

Forges plans to fly to Haiti on Sunday to bring supplies.

LINK: Click here if you’d like to donate to the orphanage

Copyright ©2024 Fort Myers Broadcasting. All rights reserved.

This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without prior written consent.