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

The responsibility for helping children at the Love Haiti’s Children orphanage (LVH) is shared by many here in the Lehigh Valley, including the members of Bishop Jim McIver’s Revolution Church in Catasauqua.

McIver’s daughter Debbie and her husband, Patrick Beck, turned their love and concern into action by adopting three young Haitian girls.

Twins Esperancia and Esperanta and oldest, Ethecie, arrived in the United States in 2010, following the devastating Jan. 12 earthquake that killed hundreds of thousands and left 1.5 million homeless. The adoptions were finalized in 2011. The Becks have two other adopted daughters, Felicia and Elizabeth, who are not from Haiti. Ethecie was 9 years old when she arrived; she is now 16. Esperancia and Esperanta were 6 years old when they arrived and are now 12.

While not everyone can take on the challenge of adoption as the Becks have, local residents can help in their own way by supporting the LHC orphanage, founded by McIver following the earthquake.

Currently located in Port-au-Prince, LHC is home to 12 children 7-15 years old. At a new site in a more rural location, a new facility will be built where another 10-12 children can reside with them, once construction is complete.

According to Debbie Beck, the need to provide a home for more children is always present in Haiti. Hurricane Matthew destroyed housing as well as crops in October, making living conditions even worse on the already poverty-stricken island.

The cost for running the orphanage monthly, McIver told The Press, is $3,500.

The Catasauqua church, located at the corner of Race and Lehigh streets, raises money for the orphanage in a number of ways.

The church also holds a number of fundraisers and sends the proceeds to LHC.

In September 2012, a walkathon was held at the Lehigh Parkway in Allentown.

This year, the church hosted a chicken dinner in March, a soul food dinner in May, a yard sale in June, a car wash in August, a dinner and game night in October and a Christmas bazaar in November.

Church members also contribute through a missions offering and an ongoing “change for change” campaign during which spare pocket change is dropped into a jar located in the lounge area of the church.

McIver said his family circle has been supportive on an ongoing basis as well.

The current two-story cement facility in Port-au-Prince houses six boys and six girls. It consists of a kitchen, living room area, boys’ and girls’ dorms, bathrooms, extra rooms for teams that travel and missionaries.

There is an outside cement play area with a large mango tree in front of the orphanage. Cement walls provide protection and ensure the children are kept safe and secure on the property. The facility also is gated and secured at all times.

With enough support, the foundation for a new facility will be laid in early 2017. The new orphanage compound will offer additional opportunities for the children.

“It is safer and has more space to care for more children and provide work and life-skill training to them,” McIver said.

In addition, development of the new site will provide water to the nearby community, which currently has no access to well water.

Area residents can get involved by attending a chicken dinner, car wash or other fundraiser this year or making a donation online at gofundme.com/lovehaitischildren, sending a check to Love Haiti’s Children, P.O. Box 8773, Allentown, 18105 or through the website lovehaitischildren.com.

“LHC and the children are close to our heart and are a part of our assignment that God has called us to,” McIver told The Press. “For some, we’re the only papa and mama these children will ever know. We’re making their tomorrow better than their today.”