Community Corner
Former Journalist Turned Pastor Puts Words Into Action
Adam Bowles created a charity to help earthquake victims in Haiti.
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This story was written and reported by Lisa Lenkiewicz and posted by Eileen McNamara.
As a longtime reporter for the Norwich Bulletin, Adam Bowles became familiar with the Haitian community that had settled in eastern Connecticut after finding work at the two area casinos. When a devastating earthquake struck in Haiti in January 2010, Bowles was on the story, writing about the impact of the devastation on the local Haitians.
More than 316,000 people died in the earthquake, about 70 percent of the buildings in Port-au-Prince were destroyed and 1.5 million people were left homeless, according to Bowles.
When an opportunity arose for Bowles, a devout Christian and longtime pastor at the Peniel Church in Norwich, to go on a church relief mission to Haiti with the local First Haitian Baptist Church, he jumped at the chance.
Funds raised for the mission were used for several purposes. Some went for food for families in Petit-Goave and Fond Doux. Other funds provided temporary shelter for people in Port-au-Prince. Still others helped feed patients at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, and provided medical supplies to the Hospital Notre Dame in Petit-Goave.
The trip changed his life.
The 39-year-old married father of two young daughters returned to his home in Jewett City, quit his job at the newspaper and started a charity to help the victims of the earthquake. The charity, which was launched as a mission of the Haitian church, is called “35 Seconds for Haiti,” because that’s how long the earthquake took to rock the nation, said Bowles. In addition, it’s the number of miles from Port-au-Prince to Petit Goave, the seaside village where many of the 5,000 Haitian immigrants to Norwich came from. Plus, Petit Goave is marking its 350th anniversary this year, according to Bowles.
Thus far, the charity has contributed $5,000 to a partner charity, Community2Community, which is helping to build a water system to provide clean water for more than 16,000 people in Haiti. Also “35 Seconds” is raising money to rebuild a house for a family displaced in the earthquake.
Bowles said he is inspired by the resilience of the Haitian people and urges other church and civic groups to get involved.
“All the challenges my family and I faced launching 35 Seconds for Haiti have been worth it. I didn’t do it to be ‘successful.’ I believe that one person can make a big difference in this world,” noted Bowles.
Visit www.35secondsforhaiti.org for more information.
We’re dedicating the months of April and May to telling the stories of people locally and statewide who have overcome the impossible, affecting positive change in their own lives, or in communities. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.
This story was written and reported by Lisa Lenkiewicz and posted by Eileen McNamara.
As a longtime reporter for the Norwich Bulletin, Adam Bowles became familiar with the Haitian community that had settled in eastern Connecticut after finding work at the two area casinos. When a devastating earthquake struck in Haiti in January 2010, Bowles was on the story, writing about the impact of the devastation on the local Haitians.
More than 316,000 people died in the earthquake, about 70 percent of the buildings in Port-au-Prince were destroyed and 1.5 million people were left homeless, according to Bowles.
When an opportunity arose for Bowles, a devout Christian and longtime pastor at the Peniel Church in Norwich, to go on a church relief mission to Haiti with the local First Haitian Baptist Church, he jumped at the chance.
Funds raised for the mission were used for several purposes. Some went for food for families in Petit-Goave and Fond Doux. Other funds provided temporary shelter for people in Port-au-Prince. Still others helped feed patients at the General Hospital in Port-au-Prince, and provided medical supplies to the Hospital Notre Dame in Petit-Goave.
The trip changed his life.
The 39-year-old married father of two young daughters returned to his home in Jewett City, quit his job at the newspaper and started a charity to help the victims of the earthquake. The charity, which was launched as a mission of the Haitian church, is called “35 Seconds for Haiti,” because that’s how long the earthquake took to rock the nation, said Bowles. In addition, it’s the number of miles from Port-au-Prince to Petit Goave, the seaside village where many of the 5,000 Haitian immigrants to Norwich came from. Plus, Petit Goave is marking its 350th anniversary this year, according to Bowles.
Thus far, the charity has contributed $5,000 to a partner charity, Community2Community, which is helping to build a water system to provide clean water for more than 16,000 people in Haiti. Also “35 Seconds” is raising money to rebuild a house for a family displaced in the earthquake.
Bowles said he is inspired by the resilience of the Haitian people and urges other church and civic groups to get involved.
“All the challenges my family and I faced launching 35 Seconds for Haiti have been worth it. I didn’t do it to be ‘successful.’ I believe that one person can make a big difference in this world,” noted Bowles.
Visit www.35secondsforhaiti.org for more information.
We’re dedicating the months of April and May to telling the stories of people locally and statewide who have overcome the impossible, affecting positive change in their own lives, or in communities. Sponsored by Grape-Nuts.
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