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ABOUT US
The Community Advancement Ministry Project is a 501(c)(3) IRS approved, non-profit Community Center ministering in Cayes-Jacmel, Haiti.
Why a Community Center?
The desire to open The C.A.M.P. grew out of an immediate and apparent need for a safe and encouraging place for Haitian youth to go after school and on the weekends. In Haiti, community and activity centers, clubs, parks, and libraries, are nearly nonexistent, particularly for children living outside of larger cities like Port-Au-Prince. Along with providing a safe and encouraging place for Haitian youth, the C.A.M.P. offers a variety of recreational, educational, and spiritual programs.
Our Team
Matthew & Laura Smith
The Founders
Matthew is from New York. Laura is from New Brunswick, Canada. But they met, fell in love and were married in Haiti. Fulfilling God's calling to open a community center, they left their teaching and youth pastoral jobs in Port-Au-Prince and moved to rural Cayes-Jacmel in 2019, establishing The C.A.M.P. Haiti, Inc. The couple enjoys hiking, the ocean, cooking, coffee, movies, and of course Gideon, their 6 year old Haitian son.
Roossevelt Jeudy
The Right-Hand Man
The C.A.M.P. would not be what it is without the amazing help of this young leader. A jack of all trades, Roossevelt teaches art classes, works as our translator, helps with every C.A.M.P. program, and is a key member of our prison ministry team. Roossevelt was born and raised in Cayes-Jacmel, Haiti, and when he is not chasing after God, or participating in C.A.M.P. activities, he is relentlessly pursuing a career as a professional artist.
Pascal Frantz (Ti Ton)
The Muscle
Ti Ton was born and raised in Cayes-Jacmel, Haiti, and came to know Christ through the C.A.M.P.'s community Bible study. He works crowd control and facilitates setup and cleanup of all community center events. He ensures the safety of everyone and is quick to reinforce C.A.M.P. rules. Ti Ton is one of the best surfers in all of Haiti and when he isn't catching waves you can find him in the kitchen because this boy can cook!
Josette, Manny, Jocelyn & Soman
The Glue That Holds It All Together
This group of 4 part-time employees works tirelessly to make sure the C.A.M.P. facility is spotless and ready for all programs, everyday of the week. They handle trash disposal and fallen trees, they handle huge meals for community center events, they even handle broken toilets and leaking faucets. You name it, they can handle it! The C.A.M.P. functions properly because of the dependable upkeep of this group. ​
Fils Blanco
The Guru
Blanco was born in the nearby community of Ti Mouillage. As a kid, he perfected the skill of jewelry making and used his talents to help support his family, including his Mom and 6 sisters. He is now the official CAMP computer lab Manager and is responsible for the security as well as everything technical that goes on in the lab. He's learning to perfect a new set of technology skills that he hopes to one day use as an engineer.
Selby Smith Jr.
The Bodyguard
Named after Matthew's grandfather, Selby came to the C.A.M.P. as rescue dog from the mountain village of Kenscoff. Part Great Dane, part Mastiff, he's much bigger than most dogs you'll find in Haiti, and it's usually his size that scares away the bad guys. When he's not protecting the community center, Selby has grown to love the water, sneaking naps where he shouldn't (like on beds and couches), and enjoying his favorite snack, hotdogs!
The Board of Directors
Joseph Crawford - Joe lives in Melbourne, FL. with his wife Karen and their two sons. He is a practicing attorney at Dean Mead and holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Central Florida, and a Juris Doctorate from the University of Florida.
Joshua Banks - Josh lives in Port-Au-Prince, Haiti, with his wife Paige and Haitian son Israel. The couple are an integral part of Raising Hope Ministries. Josh is also the Vice Principal at Quisqueya Christian School. Josh holds a Bachelor's in History & Education from Bluffton University.
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