Haiti “Hope for Soap” Initiative – A Huge Success

The Division of Hospital Medicine teamed up in March 2017 with Haiti-Puits and Initiatives, an organization that works locally with Haiti communities to fix local water wells as well as assistance with food, clothing, and toiletry supplies. Even though the last devastating hurricane Matthew was in 2016, still nearly 70% of Haitians lack direct access to potable water and only 55% have indirect access to an improved water source. As part of the Haiti clean water and better health initiative, the hospitalist division had fun collecting a total of 1176 bars of Irish Spring soap which was piled to make an “Empire Soap Building.” The soap was then packed and shipped to Haiti in a container with the help of Sharon Morgan from the Division of Medical Education. The soap arrived safely in Haiti in June. Mr. Pitterson Berry, Director of Operations for Haiti-Puits and Initiatives stated, “We don’t have the correct words to thank you! The only words that we think we have is God bless you, because all of you worked like GIANTS to make this possible!”