Kay Lasante Clinic to Close

Dear Friends,

We write with sad news.

In collaboration with the medical director and the administrator in Haiti, we have made the very difficult, but necessary decision to close the Kay Lasante Clinic after eighteen years. As of November 29, the Haitian staff will no longer be providing health care services in the Ti Plaz Kazo community of Port au Prince.

Our heartbreaking decision is based on our dwindling funds, the very tragic situation of continued violence in the country, and the inability of the U.S. board members to continue our relational presence on the ground in Haiti. We have not been able to travel to Haiti since May 2019, due to the pandemic and the ongoing political strife.

The current violence is beginning to disrupt the work of the clinic. Our medical director was forced to leave the country over threats to his life and will not be returning to Haiti in the near future.

In addition, the partnership with the What if Foundation has been unable to offer the fundraising support we had hoped for and desperately needed. We remain deeply grateful to What If Foundation for their support as our fiscal sponsor this past year, and for our collaborative friendship over these eighteen years.

This decision did not come easily. We mourn the loss of such important work in an area of tremendous need. Yet, we are immensely grateful. Through the grace of God and with your unwavering and generous support of the people of Haiti, the clinic provided many necessary resources to its community and essential experiences to its staff.

Since its founding in 2006, the Kay Lasante Clinic has served this community through traumatic and tumultuous events–including the death of their parish priest and founder, Fr. Gerard Jean Juste, destructive storms and hurricanes, the devastating earthquake of 2010, and ongoing crises of political upheaval and unrest.

What began as a small community health outreach project grew to become a free-standing clinic providing services four days each week. It was an anchor of safety and care. We have supported thousands of patients and families with free primary health care services, medications, immunizations, nutrition supports, cervical cancer screenings, home visits, and acupuncture for stress management. The staff performed all this with respect, dignity and dedication. During a recent meeting, our medical director said, “many lives have been saved because of Kay Lasante.”

In addition, through your generosity, we have provided for the training of the nurses and other healthcare workers. Every staff member will leave Kay Lasante with education, skills, and experience they would otherwise not have had. It is our fervent prayer that these experiences will carry them into the future.

One of our and their proudest accomplishments was establishing Kay Lasante clinic with a 100% Haitian staff that was not dependent on foreign health care workers to operate.

You have made all this possible with your consistent concern and generosity. The impact has been enormous.

We have planned the closure with care. We have made connections with some of the few remaining clinics so that our patients can continue to receive health care services.

If you feel moved to offer support to help with the closure of the clinic, funds will go directly to provide extra medicines, nutrition support, and additional funds for a few chronically ill patients, and severance pay for staff members during this huge transition in their lives.

We would like to invite all friends and supporters to a zoom conversation Monday, December 2nd at 7:30PM Eastern. We wish to share stories, answer any questions you may have, and offer our heartfelt gratitude for your partnership in this beautiful work.

With Peace and Deep Gratitude,

Mary Beth Appel, Johanna Berrigan, Katie Huynh

Kay Lasante Board Members
House of Grace Catholic Worker