Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP) Celebrated 34 years of Community Service
by Tequila Minsky, Heritagekonpa Magazine
This article is cross-posted on Heritage Konpa Magazine on the web.
Haitian Americans United for Progress (HAUP) is celebrating its 34th year and in a showing of self-empowerment and successfully providing much needed services to the community the organization is working on its last push of a three and a half million dollar fundraising effort to build a brand new facility at their current Linden Blvd., Queens address, which they own. HAUP holds an annual fundraising dinner and honors those of note in the community. This year is particularly important.
“We’re only $150,000 short of our goals,” says the Director Elsie Accilien with pride. “The focus this year at our October 10 event * (details below) will be on the ‘Dreamweavers’, those major supporters for the new building.” Haitian children’s folkloric dance, a poetry performance, a DJ with dancing and dinner will be part of the evening.
HAUP started 34 years ago in Queens to help Haitian refugees by providing major assistance to the newly arrived, helping them navigate the challenges of a new culture. To this day, HAUP continues to help those they serve in accessing tools and resources to live healthy and productive lives. In these many years, the organization has expanded its outreach.
Based at its Cambria Heights offices on Linden Blvd., HAUP is the oldest Haitian organization in the New York area (and oldest Haitian service agency in the country) with the greatest diversity of services and a staff of 55.
What accounts for this longevity and stability? Executive Director Elsie Accilien responds, “The relationship we’ve built with the community over the years, the trust we’ve earned, and the quality of services we constantly strive to provide.”
Board member and treasurer Rulx Rosefort was there from the beginning, “Money always comes first, especially when you’re dealing with a community of limited means. We started programs that the government did not pay for after 10, 15, 20 years, working with volunteers. We gave English as a second language for years without government help.”
Having evolved from a popular (volunteer) organization to an organization with a business-like attitude providing extensive community services Accilien explains, “We build relationships with elected officials. We understand this is what it takes to make things work. We hire our staff with the skill sets we need and look for these strengths and these necessary skills sets also within our board. We try to maintain a well-balanced team.”
HAUP collaborates and networks with other organizations “We use each other’s resources and share strengths. We know how to link up. It is not how big your organization is, it is how well you function and collaborate with other service providers to empower the people you serve.” Accilien adds.
In recent years HAUP also serves Haitian and non-Haitian populations in Brooklyn, Nassau, Suffolk Counties and of course, Queens.
Bishop Guy A. Sasaricq, formerly spiritual leader at St. Jerome Church on Flatbush and now Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn was a major founder of the organization and was its first director. 
Public support.
This summer, State Senator Malcolm A. Smith, presented HAUP Executive Director, Elsie Accilien with a check for $250,000 for their new building fund.
This amount, along with $3 million from Councilman Leroy Comrie, $250,000 from Borough President Helen Marshall, and $50,0000 from Assemblyman William Scarborough brings the fund almost to its goal in order to begin construction. The organization needs an additional $150,000, which they hope to raise from the community and privately.
“We have a target date to begin construction in the summer of 2010. It should take a year.” Accilien says, “We are still looking for temporary quarters to relocate during construction.”
Their long-standing track record in successfully providing services makes them credible when grants finally become available. “With 34 years of good governance, politicians can trust us,” he said.
What HAUP does.
HAUP services up to 200 a day through its walk-in services, on-site, at home and off-site programs. In addition to providing immigration services, HAUP is the major source of information, advice and referral for housing, schools, adult education, youth and senior citizens services, health services, and services for the mentally disabled. Accilien puts it; “We serve from birth to grave.”
The wide variety of service programs include an after school program for children, cultural, educational and recreational programs for youth, and literacy and civics education program for adults ages 18 and up. Workshops with seniors cover health issues and offer opportunities for seniors to get out of their homes and socialize. There is a summer day camp for children.
HAUP also helps people become citizens, assisting with referrals and support through the paperwork and helping people learn about civic responsibilities.
Their Health program includes education and an infant mortality decrease/healthy baby program. The Respite program provides relief care for primary care givers.
On a community level they also work through social workers on the very taboo subject of domestic violence; they are part of the city-wide DoVE (Domestic Violence and Empowerment) Initiative, linking services to high incidence areas by strengthening neighborhood-based services and developing community-appropriate solutions.
There are also programs working with the mentally challenged to learn life skills, learning grooming, using transportation, accessing the library and also learning skills to prepare them for simple jobs.
HAUP advocates other issues that affect the Haitian population, which includes protests when necessary. They’ve been seen at many a City Hall rally.
20% of those serviced are from emigrant and non-emigrant populations outside of the Haitian community.
Board member and educator Nicole Rosefort, who has been with HAUP practically since the beginning, acknowledges the tremendous support for the Haitian community HAUP provides, “A lot of people would be out there, completely lost. People come to our doors without any other place to turn.”
October 21, 2009 8:13 pm | 
Do yu need any help during this difficult tme? I can do administrative work as otehrs staff the phpnes, etc. I can stuff envelopes…let me know. I cannot speak Creole.