Message from our Founder
Dear Donors,
After an incredibly challenging year for many, I truly hope this letter finds you and your loved ones in good spirits and health.
I am pleased to share with you the accomplishments that our organization, Off-The-Grid Missions, has been able to make over the past year as a result of your generous contributions. Your donations supported our efforts to alleviate the suffering of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in crisis, and it carried our cause through one of our most challenging years thus far. Here is our 2021 year in review – made possible because of you.
***Please read with caution, the following events (and links) include graphic detail related to human and natural disasters.***
2021 kicked off in Haïti
We sponsored a “Safe Haven” program for the second year in a row in Haïti. This is a secure and undisclosed location where deaf people come to connect, learn, work, and thrive. Here, deaf women are the priority with access to computer technologies and Deaf mentors; they attend educational/empowerment workshops, learn new skills, and earn income. The Safe Haven is staffed 100% by Deaf Haitians, and consists of Deaf-friendly neighbors too! Our goal was to sponsor the Safe Haven program for one year in which we impacted 12 deaf people, then your donations this year helped us sponsor it a second time and we were able to impact over 24 deaf people. Our new goal is to be able to sponsor it again with an increase in attendance come 2022.
Then, Texas was Hit with a Devastating Snowstorm
The Texas snowstorm of 2021 exposed the vulnerabilities of the electrical grid, as well as other alarming realities regarding the government’s infrastructure. Deaf and hard-of-hearing people were immediately cut-off from vital information and resources, so we responded in a two-part mission:
First, we built an online hub, or a central location via our website with access to life-saving resources on the ground. This included “real-time” listings of warm shelter locations, free transportation, free meals, water stations, and more.
Then, we executed a ground mission throughout Texas providing workshops on disaster preparedness/relief where we implemented clean water filtration systems and distributed solar lights with mobile charging units. Deaf organizations were also provided with sustainable resources in order to respond to those affected within their respective region.
What Happened This Year In Haiti
In April, a Deaf Woman in Haïti was Shot in the Stomach
Djana was caught in a crossfire and shot in the stomach. She was forced between hospitals, bleeding internally as medical professionals neglected her. Our team fought for her communication access while urging doctors to admit her into surgery. 18 hours later, she was finally admitted into surgery and we used donations to cover her medical and postoperative costs.
In May, a Fourth Deaf Haitian Woman was Brutally Murdered
Her name was Majorie, and these are the details behind what happened.
In June, Police Attacked a Deaf Village and Burned Down Dozens of Homes
In June, over 65 deaf people in Haiti were left homeless when police raided their homes with gunfire and intentionally set their entire village on fire. They were forced into a refuge and were sleeping on cement together in a single room. We used donations to provide air mattresses, reusable period pads, clothes, shoes, solar lights with mobile chargers, and food. Two other deaf people had been wounded by gunfire during the attack, so we also used donations to cover their medical treatments.
Off-The-Grid Missions Takes Action in Haiti
As a result of the ongoing violence targeting deaf people in Haiti, and in conjunction with our team working on the frontlines of these emergencies, we responded by developing a petition to help end human rights violations against deaf people in Haiti. Despite all of our efforts to bring light to this issue, it was not enough and we could not continue to do this kind of work (respond to the increasing number of attacks) alone. So we made the difficult decision to release a video that exposed the graphic details of these events, and have since received over 32,000 signatures on the petition. Although we have not yet reached our goal of 100k signatures, nor have we yet to receive a response from any of the 12 entities/individuals addressed on the petition, we did succeed in reaching over 5 million people around the world. This was achieved through individuals who created artworks, news, and translated the information from our petition into a myriad of Sign Languages around the world; as well as Deaf-led protests at Haitian embassies in Germany, India, Mozambique, Austria, London, and Switzerland. More information on this effort can be found using the hashtag "#offthegridHAITI".
In August, a 7.2 Earthquake Struck Haïti
In August, a 7.2 earthquake struck Les Cayes, Haiti. Deaf people lost their homes and for those who did not, sleeping inside was still not an option due to the ongoing aftershocks.
We responded by executing a ground mission into Les Cayes to distribute tents, reusable period pads, solar lights with mobile chargers, and food relief. This was an incredibly difficult mission for our team as we had to navigate the risks associated with a surge in gang violence (a kidnapping epidemic with the threat of humanitarian aid being sieged).
Again, in August, Hurricane Ida (cat 4) Struck the United States
A category 4 hurricane devastated various regions of the United States. In response, we built another online hub that included real-time listings of shelter locations, free transportation, free meals and groceries, and instruction (in ASL) on how to apply for homeowner/renter grants, and more.
In November, Access to Food was Cut Off in Haïti
Civil unrest and political violence in Haiti forced the cost of gas and food to surge. As a result, access to food was cut-off. Our team used donations to purchase food, create relief packages, and distribute them to deaf people and their families. Elders with disabilities were included in these efforts.
Other ways in which our organization has used donations this year is to provide deaf people in Haiti with access to non-emergency medical care and educational resources.
With the impending climate crisis and humanitarian vulnerabilities, disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, and no region in the world is exempt. These events are most challenging for anyone deaf or hard-of-hearing –to be the first to get cut-off from vital information and the last to receive disaster relief. Although no one disaster is ever the same, how we respond to each uses careful coordination and strategy to ensure funds and resources donated are directly impacting those in need. We greatly appreciate you taking the time to read this and to know how you have made it possible for our organization to continue to provide life-saving resources to deaf and hard-of-hearing people and their families throughout 2021.
Thank you again, it was an honor to receive your support!
Respectfully Yours,
Angela Maria Nardolillo”
Founder & President, Off-The-Grid Missions
To learn more, follow us online @offthegridmissions
Thank You to our 2021 partners
