About Us

Founded in 2006, Health Ministries for Haiti is a nonprofit organization committed to making measurable improvements in quality of life for a single Haitian community. Our goal is to assist our Haitian brothers and sisters in attaining the highest possible levels of physical and spiritual health by working to provide healthcare and build and support a sustainable infrastructure.

Health Ministries for Haiti is incorporated in the State of Wisconsin and has earned 501(c)(3) status from the Internal Revenue Service.

Our Mission

A family of Christ followers, we are dedicated to demonstrating Christ’s love by working side by side with our Haitian brothers and sisters to transform, educate, and equip communities to reach and maintain the highest levels of physical and spiritual well-being.

To learn more about what we do, click here.

A Volunteer Force for Positive Change

A multidisciplinary, all-volunteer team of healthcare and non-healthcare professionals operating from South Central Wisconsin, Health Ministries for Haiti is led by a board of directors who have themselves directly participated in missions to provide assistance to the Haitian people.

Board of Directors

Jennifer Weitzel Blahnik, MS, RN — Co-founder & Chair

Jennifer resides with her husband in Madison, Wisconsin, where she works for Public Health Madison & Dane County and Edgewood College. “I’m deeply passionate about public health – locally and globally. My efforts in Haiti are based on a fundamental belief that every human being is entitled to a basic standard of living that includes clean water, adequate nutrition, education, housing, safety, and health. With the friendships and relationships I have developed in Haiti, I truly consider us to be brothers and sisters.”

Brian Cain — Co-founder

A financial advisor at Edward Jones, Inc., and the owner of Cain Construction, Brian resides in Beloit, Wisconsin, with his wife and two children. He met and subsequently adopted his son Cleus while on a mission to Haiti, where he first felt compelled to contribute his skills and talents because of his spiritual beliefs. Brian and his entire family have a deep personal connection to Haiti because of their son and because of their own many travels to the country.

Mary Parry — Orphanage Sponsorship Coordinator

An interior designer and the owner/operator of Mary Parry Designs, Mary resides in Beloit, Wisconsin, with her husband and two children. “I am in awe of the resilience and graciousness of the people in Haiti. As it says in Matthew 25:40, ‘The King will reply, “I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”’ That verse always comes to mind when I’m working on sponsorship activities for the orphanage: God wants me to be his vessel for those children.”

Kealy Barsema, RN, BSN

A registered nurse who resides with her husband in Rosholt, Wisconsin, Kealy first visited Haiti in 2005. “It’s an escape in every way possible, and it’s the one place that reminds me of what truly matters: no computer, no TV, no washer or dryer, no dishwasher, and none of the other things that keep me constantly busy in my completely American life. As much as I feel that the work we do in Haiti is beneficial to the Haitian people, it doesn’t compare to the personal reward that I feel every trip I make.”