HOUSTON — Houstonians are stepping up to help Haiti after a devastating 7.2 magnitude earthquake has rocked the country, leaving at least 30,000 people homeless.
There's a desperate need for food, water, shelter and medical care in the Caribbean country, the poorest in the world.
"The pictures that were being sent I'm just going, 'Oh my gosh,'" said Houston's Raleigh Jenkins, the founder and chairman of A Child's Hope.
A Child's Hope is a faith-based non-profit helping Haitian kids who are lost or abandoned in Haiti.
Jenkins said their mission started in 2010 after another horrific earthquake hit Haiti.
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"In 2010, we were all glued to the bus windows, just staring in awe of all the devastation," Jenkins said. "And it stole my heart. And so 11 years later, I'm just as plugged in as I ever have."
A Child's Hope opened an orphanage in LaMontagne, Haiti that is currently home to 17 children. Thankfully, they weren't hurt during the powerful earthquake but they're scared of aftershocks.
"They're all sleeping outside right now until they can trust it's done," Jenkins said. "A unique way that they're telling people to give them an alert, putting a piece of glass or something very grateful on the edge of something. And so if you're asleep and it hits again that, you know, it shakes the glass balls, it breaks, it wakes you up, you grab your bag, ready, pack, ready to go and get outside."
Jenkins says doctors are the top priority for the hard hit country. He's traveling to Haiti to help with relief efforts in coming weeks.
"Your heart, just breaks every time," said Jenkins. "And you just going, how can they get hit this frequent, this hard?"