Friends Empowering Haiti (Friends), originally named Friends of OFCB, was founded as a result of the strong relationships formed between missionaries in the U.S. and local leaders in Bayonnais Haiti intensely focused on improving lives.
We seek to support our brothers and sisters at OFCB Ministries, a local Haitian non-profit in the Bayonnais region. Our mission, alongside OFCB Ministries, is to share God’s love and to support locally-led efforts to create healthy, hopeful and empowered communities throughout Bayonnais.
In addition to providing financial support and investments in OFCB Ministries’ operations and capital projects, Friends offers technical assistance, coaching, and connections to supporters in the U.S. Friends is an all-volunteer North Carolina registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Founded in 1995, the Organization of the Christian Force of Bayonnais (OFCB Ministries) is a local Christian non-profit in the Bayonnais region of Haiti. It was established by Actionnel Fleurisma, a native Haitian, and his friends who all felt a calling to improve life for their family, friends and community living in Bayonnais.
OFCB Ministries’ main goal is to build a self-sustaining Bayonnais community while offering hope and opportunity for all. Today, the ministry is a vital source in Bayonnais.
OFCB Ministries successfully operates a church, a K-13 school, a health clinic, an agronomy program, a mercantile store and a community bank. They also lead infrastructure improvements and aspire to offer vocational training.
Many of the local leaders, teachers, doctors, nurses and agronomists working at OFCB Ministries are former students of the school.
Build Lasting Relationships
Friends was built on a foundation of lasting relationships between partners in the U.S. and partners in Haiti who are intensely focused on providing hope and improving lives.
Support Local Leaders
We are led by the vision of our Haitian partners for developing a healthy, hopeful and empowered community in the Bayonnais region.
Empower Self-Sustaining Communities
Our partnership with OFCB Ministries is not a “quick fix” mission program. It is a program focused on long-term, self-sustaining education, health care, agriculture, infrastructure and spiritual growth.
Fellowship & Discipleship
Through mission trips and prayer, we fellowship and encourage each other as one body in Christ.
Steve Breckenridge
Myers Park United Methodist Church, Charlotte, NC
Robert Brownlee
Sardis Presbyterian Church,
Charlotte, NC
Kent Buzard
First Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC
Philip Cope
Central Church of God,
Charlotte, NC
Amy Hockett
First Presbyterian Church,
Charlotte, NC
Hal Hoffmann
SouthPark Church,
Charlotte, NC
Betsy Liles
First Presbyterian Church,
Concord, NC
David Mashburn
First Baptist Church,
Huntersville, NC
Brenda McKay
Sardis Presbyterian Church,
Charlotte, NC
Brian Moore
First Presbyterian Church,
Concord, NC
Joe Muse
Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Charlotte, NC
Eric Nichols
Charlotte, NC
Judy Nichols
South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC
Dean Sellers
Sardis Presbyterian Church,
Charlotte, NC
Jen Smith
South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC
Kyle Smith
South Mecklenburg Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, NC
Kat Spieler
SouthPark Church,
Charlotte, NC
David Spivey
First Presbyterian Church,
Florence, SC
Financials
Friends gratefully accepts donations from individuals and organizations. Our donors offer hope and opportunity to the communities of the Bayonnais region through the programs of OFCB Ministries. The OFCB school and health clinic are primary beneficiaries, with other funds going to hunger relief, economic empowerment, agriculture programs and capital projects that benefit the community such as the 2019 bridge construction initiative.
Donors may direct gifts for a specific purpose or make unrestricted gifts, and Friends transfers funds to OFCB Ministries accordingly on a monthly basis. As Friends is a registered 501(c)(3) organization, your gift is tax deductible to the extent legally permitted and will be acknowledged with an appropriate form of receipt. Friends is an all-volunteer organization and therefore virtually all funds received are transmitted directly to OFCB Ministries. If you have questions about donating, we would love to hear from you.