Partners
Project Neighbors
Project Neighbors does a lot more than just building affordable housing. The history of Project Neighbors follows a long list of needs discovered and opportunities taken. Their mission is to strengthen the Valparaiso community by addressing issues of race, class and poverty, they strive to create healthy families and neighborhoods, where diversity of all kinds is welcomed and cherished, has allowed Project Neighbors to engage in a wide rage of actions: housing, healthcare, daycare, public discourse, education, economic development and human relations. Nearly 50 years ago, Project Neighbors was started by a few Valparaiso University faculty and it has now grown to build affordable housing every Saturday, year-round.
Indiana Dunes National Park
Indiana Dunes National Park is a United States national park located in northwestern Indiana managed by the National Park Service. The park offers projects that vary by date and season, but can include working with invasive species, land and building restoration, a litter cleanup program, or preparing for special events.
Mennonite Central Committee
Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), a worldwide ministry of Anabaptist churches, shares God’s love and compassion for all in the name of Christ by responding to basic human needs and working for peace and justice. MCC envisions communities worldwide in right relationship with God, one another and creation. Their areas of focus include: increasing the capacity of partners to help uprooted and vulnerable people, increasing peacebuilding and justice work, and caring for God’s creation and supporting communities harmed by climate change. With MCC, WAVES has packed relief kits which provide valuable supplies to families whose lives have been disrupted by war or disaster.
Pwoje Espwa Sud
(Free the Kids – USA funding arm): “Pwoje Espwa Sud” means Project Hope South in Creole, and it is located in Les Cayes. It is an orphanage, school, and medical facility. They have approximately 250 boys and 100 girls that live on the grounds, and approximately 500 more that come for schooling. We installed their only solar panel system, upgraded some wiring, monitor and shock their water storage tanks, upgraded lights to LEDs to minimize energy usage, installed power monitoring equipment to determine the loads on their campus, and led numerous science based activities to peak student’s interest in STEM.
Consolation Center Haiti
(GoServ Global – USA funding arm): Consolation Center Haiti was founded in 2008 by Edouard Constant, a graduate of Pwoje Espwa. They are located in Torbeck, and they have approximately 130 girls, 60 boys, and 28 babies. The group also educates a further 300 children from the local area. Consolation Center Haiti has a medical clinic that serves the local community, and they hold church on site. We recently installed 3.6 kW of solar panels on their energy building, replaced their aged batteries with 24 new Trojan batteries, troubleshooted a problem with their power distribution, delivered baby formula for the orphaned babies, and held STEM lessons for the children that included making mini recycled solar ovens. We are working on developing a vocational training center to help their graduating students to have marketable skills when they leave the center.
Alpha Omega Medical Missions
(aka ALOM): Started by Dr. Vladimyr Roseau and his wife Dr. Merline Roseau the organization has seen 200,000 patients in the last 10 years. They are located in the northern part of Port-au-Prince. Originally trained by Dr. Daniel Blood’s father, Vlad and Merline were integral in helping Haitians rebuild after the earthquake, and have been responsible for saving thousands of lives. Valpo works with ALOM to help repair the electrical systems at their clinic, fixed their mobile clinic vehicle, repaired their water system so that patients are able to shower at the clinic before/after surgeries, monitor and shock their water storage system, designed and manufactured a portable power pack for their mobile clinic’s medical equipment, and we are actively working to provide a portable solar panel system to their mobile clinic as well.
Sustainable Action International
Partially founded by a Valpo Alumni, Aaron Moy, SAI is located in La Victoires and they educate approximately 150 children. Valpo has guided SAI to have 2 wells drilled, designed and installed a solar powered water pumping system, designed and installed a water distribution station, improved the wiring of the compound, designed and delivered an upgraded portable power pack for their daily activities, and we are working with the organization to install a solar power system to allow night classes and to help power their on-site church.