Haiti devastation hits home in Drain, Ore.
DRAIN, Ore - The Haiti earthquake disaster hits close to home for a family in Drain, Ore. Shane Mattenley is planning a trip to the region to help out with rescue efforts.
Twelve-year-old Naomi Mattenley has a few details about the earthquake that has torn apart her native city Port-Au-Prince.
She and 9-year-old Noelle were adopted from Haiti and brought to America.
Their parents Shane and Kristie Mattenley lived in Haiti for 3 years. They said they became a part of the culture as much as they could and even learned the Creole language.
Shane is the director of Mercy League, an international faith based humanitarian organization. The group currently has a team in Haiti which includes a doctor. He’s planning to head back to Haiti to get in contact with people and help out with rescue efforts.
Now that Port-Au-Prince has nearly crumbled after a massive 7.0 earthquake, the Mattenley's said they can only imagine how people are struggling. They said the region had very few resources before the earthquake.
“You turn on your tap and usually there was no water. For a lot of people up the hill from you they might get water but by the time pipes got to your house you may not have any water or electricity. It seemed to me that the people in Haiti or Port au Prince especially they are just barely hanging on,” said Shane Mattenley.
“They are a very strong group of people because they have been through so much and they are survivors truly. But it’s just like how much can people really take,” said Kristie Mattenley.
Shane hopes revisting Haiti will make a difference in people's lives and he can find his daughter Naomi's biological family.
