Heartline Ministries Update

In October 2015, this community raised $230,000 to build a maternity wing for Heartline Maternity Center in Haiti. $110,000 of the dollars that you raised were allocated to construction costs of the new wing. The remaining $120,000 were designated to allow the Maternity Center to expand its service for a two-year period: to hire additional Haitian midwives; serve more women each month; offer birth control resources; and procure additional vital medical equipment.This week, we at Together Rising were told that brave warriors came forward to report they were violated by two Heartline employees. We believe these warriors and we respect the hell out of them for coming forward to protect themselves and other women and girls. There are several distinct Heartline programs in Haiti, one of which is the Maternity Center. Neither of these two employees worked at the Maternity Center, and the warriors who came forward are not employees or clients of the Maternity Center. 100% of the funds you raised were allocated exclusively to the Maternity Center. There are no reports of abuse or misconduct with respect to the Maternity Center.Even though these violations occurred in connection with a program completely separate from the Maternity Center, I am informing you of it for three reasons:1. Many of you found Heartline through me- so I have a responsibility to you. I can tell you that I believe in the leadership installed at Heartline in 2016. I believe they’ll pursue truth and justice relentlessly — in fact I believe they’d let the whole organization burn before they’d protect or excuse an abuser. But Heartline is not my organization, so I am unable to be part of the investigation. So if you’ve contributed to Heartline because of me, I want you to have the opportunity to have your questions answered directly by them when their investigation is complete. The statement Heartline issued today is here: http://heartlineministries.org/press/ 2. I am committed to placing people above institutions in every circumstance. I am committed to bringing everything that’s done in the dark out into the light. I am committed to holding not just abusers accountable, but every single accomplice who knew and did nothing. In every circumstance of abuse my first questions have been and will continue to be: A). What does the victim need to begin to heal? B). Has an arrest been made? If not: Explain. C). Who knew and when did they know? I have shared these questions and principles with Heartline leadership and they said the investigation will guided by the same ideals. 3. I can’t always promise you that our service work will be uncomplicated – but I can promise you that when our service work gets hard and ugly and heartbreaking, you’ll hear it from me first. I can promise you that Together Rising stands with survivors of every kind of abuse, assault and perversion of power. We believe in justice and accountability. We Believe these Warriors. Don’t give up on doing good. Do not ever give up.Truth, Justice, Service,G & Together Rising