community
Mission To Haiti:
clinic and helping at the local school,
seeing first-hand the damage and
devastation as well as the resilient spirit
of the Haitian people.
Alleggra, who turned twelve
just a week before leaving for Haiti, is
in sixth grade and is home-schooled.
She traveled to Haiti with family friend
Nicole Miller and Nicole’s father-in-
law Frank Miller. The three Vernonians
went to Haiti representing the Vernonia
Christian Church and joined forty other
Americans from all around the United
States for a week of work at the Mission.
After originally raising the
$1,000 Alleggra knew she wanted to
go and see Haiti first hand. “I knew I
was going to go to Haiti and I knew I
was going to go on a mission trip,” says
Alleggra, “I just didn’t know when and
I didn’t know it was going to be this
soon.”
When the opportunity to join
the group was presented Alleggra
jumped, even though her parents were
a little concerned about letting her go
without them. “My mom ended up
being OK with it, it was my dad who
really wasn’t sure—I thought it was
going to be the other way around,!” said
Alleggra.
The Mission is in the town of
Peredo, a six hour bus drive from the
Airport. According to Alleggra, who
has been following the recovery in Haiti
fairly closely, things have not changed
much since the earthquake. “When we
were driving through Port-O-Prince
from the airport to the Mission, it was
just so sad; everything was ruined and
destroyed and nothing has been fixed,”
says Alleggra. “And I don’t think it ever
will be fixed.”
The Mission includes a health
clinic, three school buildings, and a
In Memory of...
resided there since. Bob and Frances
celebrated over 35 years of marriage
together.
Among his special interests
during his early years, Bob enjoyed
photography, showing dogs in shows,
and participating in rally races. His later
years, Bob enjoyed hunting, fishing
and the outdoors. He was also an avid
crossword puzzler. Bob has a great sense
of humor and loved practical jokes. He
was proud to have reached 15 sobriety
birthdays.
Bob was preceded in death by his
father, Ralph J. Hendrix; and his stepson,
Shawn Phipps.
Survivors include his wife,
Frances Hendrix, of Vernonia, Oregon;
his son, Kelly Hendrix, of Vernonia,
Oregon; his mother, Hazel Hendrix,
of Coffeyville, Kansas; his brothers
2011
19
continued from front page
kitchen and dormitories for the workers
who visit. Alleggra was the youngest in
the group and the only youth traveling
alone-- there was one thirteen year old
and two sixteen year olds—all three of
them were traveling with their parents.
“Everyone there just watched over
white.”
Alleggra says she spent a lot
of time working in the clinic. The staff
taught her to perform blood pressure
readings, and she also held a lot of babies
while the mothers were being seen in
the clinic. She was able to observe the
me—I didn’t even ask them to, they just
did,” says Alleggra.
Alleggra really enjoyed working
with the children. “They love school—
they wish it was held every day. They
love the attention!,” she says. She taught
them games—one of their favorites was
Duck, Duck, Goose. Because of the
language barrier, (Haitians speak Creole,
a mix of French vocabulary and West
African grammar) Alleggra is still not
sure the children even really understood
the rules. “They loved that game but
then they would all just chase each
other. We tried relay races but they all
just wanted to run at the same time!”
She taught the kids a few English words
and learned a few words in Creole.
“Really, the only three English words
they know is ‘what’s your name?’ They
couldn’t pronounce my name—they
mostly called me ‘Blanc’-which means
doctors working and also helped in the
pharmacy. She worked with several
people suffering from potentially life
threatening illnesses, and saw some
of them receive treatments that helped
them recover. Alleggra says she would
like to become a doctor or work in the
medical field as a career.
Alleggra brought an extra
suitcase full of gifts to give away,
including toys, baby food, diapers and
children’s vitamins. One of the favorites
was a rubber playground ball. Alleggra
also brought two big bags of candy. On
the last day the children were told if
they picked up garbage they could have
a handful, because there is no garbage
collection and it is just dumped in the
street. “They filled up a big garbage bag,
full, just for a couple pieces of candy!,”
she says. She also says she left most
of her extra clothing when she returned
Made In Vernonia Shop is Open continued from front page
“This started off as an extension
of the Open Air Market to give the
crafters another resource during the
winter months,” says Larsen. It has since
expanded to other local crafters who
might not have enough of a product line
to have a table at the market, as well as a
few crafters who have some direct tie to
Vernonia.
The store features only
handmade items from local artists or
crafters.
november22
The store opened on November
rd
3 and will stay open at least through
the end of the holiday shopping season.
“It depends on the turnout, response and
whether we have products to sell,” says
Larsen. “We might just try to keep it
going.”
Larsen has envisioned a store
front on the main street of downtown
that featured locally handmade items—
this seemed to be a great way to test the
concept and gauge the response “If it
were to continue it would need to be a
co-op type arrangement and we would
take turns keeping it open,” says Larsen.
Right now the store has limited hours.
So far Larsen says the response
has been “awesome.”
The store features items such
as leather wallets from Gretchen’s
Saddlery; air brushed tee shirts from
Infinite Energy Works Apparel; signs,
toy wood guns, wooden tree ornaments
and bird houses made by the Ely family
from locally reclaimed barn wood;
all kinds of lavender products from
Mosquito Lodge Lavender Farm as
continued from page 18
well as photo cards of local Vernonia
scenes; scarves, yoga socks and
and sisters in law, Jim and Marilyn
ornaments from Little Tatting Lady;
Hendrix, Bruce and Theresa Hendrix,
as well as local farm produce like
all of Coffeyville, Kansas; his sisters
eggs, garlic and honey, and much,
and brothers in law, Pat Alexander, Janet
much more.
and Jerry Thomas, Connie and Darrell
In addition there are a couple
Jaggers, all of Coffeyville, Kansas.
fundraising
items including an item
Also surviving are two
called
a
“Grangedana”
which can
grandchildren, and numerous nieces and
be worn as a headband, a hat or a
nephews.
cowl—funds go towards projects at
The family suggests that
the Vernonia Grange.
remembrances may be contributions
There are also Vernonia tree
to the Community Home Health and
ornaments for sale from the Chamber
Hospice, PO Box 2067, Longview,
of Commerce—these are limited
Washington 98632, in his memory.
edition Vernonia Treasured Scenes
To send condolences to the
designed and signed by Evelyn
family or to sign the online guestbook
Keenon.
please visit www.fuitenrosehoyt.com
Everything is reasonably priced
Fuiten, Rose &Hoyt Funeral
and there are all kinds of great
Home-Vernonia is in charge of the
stocking stuffers , as well as great
arrangements. (503) 429-6611.
Vernonia style gifts for everyone.
home.
Obviously life is very different
in Haiti. The first night she was there
Alleggra says someone caught a seven
inch tarantula spider. She also woke up
one morning and noticed movement in
her clothing bag--it turned out to be a huge
cockroach. Other differences
that made an impression on
Alleggra: the joyful singing in
church each week and by the
children in school; traveling by
Tap Tap-- brightly painted small
buses or pickup trucks that act
as shared taxis; the dangerous
way everyone drives (“None
of the cars have side mirrors—
they’ve all been torn off because
they drive so close!,” she says);
all the garbage in the streets and
the size of the pigs that scrounge
through the piles of garbage.
For Alleggra, this trip
has the potential to be life altering. “I
look at things very differently now,”
says Alleggra. “We are very fortunate
here. Some people have said to me,
‘We have children here who are starving
and need help,’ but we have food banks
where they can go, like Vernonia Cares.
In Haiti they have nothing.”
The opportunity to actually
travel to Haiti and see it with her own
eyes, was very unique. “I was able to
see where the money I raised went and
how it has helped—at the clinic and
the schools,” says Alleggra. “It was
really cool to see all that they have
done.”
Alleggra says she intends to
return to Haiti—she told her mother she
was going back the first night she was
home. “I want to go back within the next
two years,” she says.
There is still room for more
local crafters and artists who might be
interested.
What a great way to support
local artists and crafters!
Made in Vernonia is open
Thursdays from 4-6 PM, Saturdays
from 10-4, Sundays from 12-4 and by
appointment. They will also be open
on Friday November 25 th . For more
information contact Kathy Larsen at
503-449-3591.
