Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series about the Love Haiti’s Children orphanage.

Revolution Church Bishop Jim McIver felt he had to do something to address the plight of children living without homes and in poverty on the island of Haiti.

The sight of children wandering around the streets, hopeless, starving and barely clothed, after the 2011 earthquake, ultimately led McIver to take action.

With a heavy heart, McIver, with the help of Catasauqua’s Revolution Church, opened up Love Haiti’s Children (LHC), an orphanage in Port-au-Prince, in 2011.

“These children are important to us because we love children, and we want to do our part,” McIver told The Press. “This was our opportunity, and it is our privilege to help them and be a part of their lives.”

As many as 35 members of all ages from Revolution Church have gone on mission trips to help at the orphanage. Churches from other states have sent teams to LHC as well, he says.

“Every team that travels to LHC is encouraged first and foremost to love up on the children and be their friend,” McIver said. “Spending quality time with the children from the time they awaken in the morning until bedtime is encouraged as top priority.

“Teams that have traveled to LHC have painted, fixed cabinet doors, toilets, showers, generators, stocked and organized supplies, worked on the van and gone on grocery store runs,” he said. “There are always maintenance projects.”

The plight of Haitian orphans also heavily burdened McIver’s daughter, Debbie Beck. She and her husband, Patrick, adopted three girls from Haiti.

McIver, Beck noted, considers it a great privilege to be called “Pop-Pop” by these children.

Beck said the orphanage is currently staffed by a paid Haitian staff member who is in constant communication with Revolution Church.

In a Facebook post after Hurricane Matthew devastated the island in October, an orphanage spokesperson wrote, “We thank God for His protection over our children from beginning to end. We are also thankful that our building was able to withstand the 145-mph winds and deadly flooding.”

They also were grateful that a shipment of four barrels of clothing, shoes and food from Revolution Church arrived just before the storm struck.

“Hurricane Matthew hit a week later and, during these events, there aren’t any shipments being sent into Haiti. It is a miracle! Our children have had food, clothing and hygiene kits to carry them through this time!”

The orphanage is a nonprofit organization, and its administration is conducted in the United States.

“The members of the church are generous supporters and are very involved in the orphanage through child sponsorships and missions trips,” Beck said.

“The children have regular devotion times and with singing and scripture reading,” Beck said. “Faith is of great importance to many of the people of Haiti, as they look to God for comfort and help in the midst of the great trials of their country.”

Plans in the future include laying the foundation for a new building near the rural village of Vigner, Beck said.

McIver commented on the new site.

“It is safer and has more space to care for more children and provide work and life skill training to them for life in Haiti after being an orphan,” he said. “Once the project is finished, we will provide water to the community that has no well and no water. We will also have a fish farm. The next phase of this project is to lay the foundation of the building.”

Twelve children currently reside in the Port-au-Prince orphanage. The new site will have room for more.

“The new compound will be an amazing new place for our children, but to make it even more special, it will be amazing for the community there as well,” Beck said.

Next week, see the final installment of the series and learn how to help support the orphanage.