Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction returns to Mt. Hope with aid for Haiti missions
The 40th annual benefit auction Sept. 4-5 will support 21 Haiti missions through sales, meals and volunteer donations
The people of Haiti have gone through many struggles as they try to survive tough conditions, but two facts remain as they go through daily life.
One, the people of Haiti continue to wear smiles on their faces, embracing life regardless of how hard it hits back, and two, they’ve got some beautiful support by way of the Ohio Haiti Auction, which will take place Sept. 4-5 at the Mt. Hope Auction Event Center.
The 40th annual auction, one of the county’s first major benefit auctions, will showcase plenty of activity, a massive auction that is supported by the community and plenty of goodwill centered around the 21 different Haiti missions that have invested in the lives of the people of Haiti.
While providing food, water, education, housing and more is critical, the singular purpose of the auction and the mission teams is building faith.
“We are focused on benefiting the people of Haiti through medical, physical and spiritual blessings,” board member Devon Miller said. “We are here doing the Lord’s work in reaching out to the people of Haiti. There is a strong need for the Lord there, and we want to help provide for their needs and, most importantly, spread the Gospel of Christ throughout the nation. With the poverty level they are facing, this gives us a chance to show the love of Christ to them, and our ultimate goal is to see them experience salvation.”
He said John 3:16 perfectly sums up what the OHBA hopes to achieve through its efforts.
Miller said the OHBA and the six other national auctions that focus on Haiti all work toward painting a picture of the need in Haiti, along with the beauty of the people there.
“It’s inspiring to see the incredible joy in their lives in the face of everything they are facing,” Miller said.
The 40th annual Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction is a cooperative effort of many churches and individuals set on bringing relief to the hungry, sick, naked and homeless of Haiti, with a goal of winning them to Christ.
The event will kick off Sept. 4 with a music performance by the Canadian group Surrendered, followed by special guest speaker Darwin Hochstetler of the mission group Gospel to Haiti.
“Darwin just returned recently from a trip to Haiti, and he will present a vivid portrayal of what life was like growing up in Haiti,” Miller said. “It is one of the many beautiful and inspiring stories from the Haiti mission groups working to improve life in Haiti.”
Hochstetler will present a picture of both the hardships the people face and the people who have retained hope and positive attitudes, a commonality of most hard-working people of Haiti.
For those wishing to get a leg up on some great buys on handcrafted furniture or locating that ideal quilt, all quilts and furniture for the auction Sept. 5 will be on display for patrons to peruse from 4-9 p.m. Not long after, the food lines will open for a supper consisting of authentic Haitian rice and beans, barbecued chicken, Mississippi catfish, seafood, dressing and noodles, and pie, ice cream and other delectables.
On Sept. 5 the day will begin at 6 a.m. featuring a pancake and sausage buffet. The auction in the event center will kick off at 8 a.m. with furniture and specialty items hitting the auction block. At 8:30 a.m. the tool auction will begin in the main event center, and the quilt auction will begin at 10 a.m. There also will be firewood and various outdoor items auctioned off at 10 a.m.
Every penny of what is raised at the auction will go directly toward the 21 missions that are providing for the people of Haiti, aiding their schools, empowering food programs, aiding orphanages, creating fresh well-drilling operations and developing Christian literature for the people of Haiti.
The event will feature representatives from the 21 missions supported by OHBA, each devoted to their own specific mission fields.
Miller said they encourage everyone who visits to stop in and chat with the representatives to get a true picture of everything taking place in Haiti.
Last year OHBA provided between $34,000 and $75,000 to each organization, depending on need.
“They provide a fascinating look into the world in Haiti,” Miller said.
The Saturday auction is impressive because of the way the community gives from the heart.
Among the highlighted auction items will be a 32-by-50-foot garage, a 10-by-20-foot cabin with a 4-foot porch, storage barns, buggies and carts, e-bikes, a hunting blind, a 70-inch-by-10-foot Hillsboro aluminum utility trailer, many handmade quilts, firewood, a Gravely 52-inch stand-on mower, lawn mowers, a barbecue grill, poly furniture, an OHBA collectors gun and crossbow, a Ventrac with a mower, hardwood furniture, a playset, a Jura E6 coffee machine, tools and more.
In addition, there are plenty of silent auction items.
David Yoder, OHBA board member in charge of publicity, said all of what is taking place is because of the many people who give and work behind the scenes as volunteers.
“We can’t ever thank all of those people enough for their compassionate and giving hearts in support of the people of Haiti,” Yoder said. “The needs are great, but we are making an impact.”
There is still time to donate to the cause or to volunteer. Those wishing to do so may call Lavern Miller at 330-231-9509, Dennis Byler at 330-466-0692 or Devon Miller at 330-763-4204. Monetary donations may be sent to Ohio Haiti Benefit Auction, P.O. Box 98, Walnut Creek, OH 44687.
From providing support to creating self-sustaining opportunities and ultimately bringing the Gospel of Christ to the masses, OHBA is touching lives in Haiti.
For more information visit OHBA at ohiohaitiauction.com.