Devastation Hits Home

A catastrophic earthquake destroyed parts of Haiti on January 12, ripping open the earth, crumbling buildings and killing hundreds of thousands.

Those in Haiti who survived the disaster were left homeless, hungry and heartbroken.

Many more around the world were left wondering about the well-being of friends and family, including Juanita Francois, a member of Local 769 in Miami, Florida.

As a Haitian-American, Francois visits Haiti on a regular basis. She is not only familiar with the city, but with many who live there—including her husband, who was in Port-au-Prince at the time of the earthquake.

Francois lived in fear for more than a week, thinking her husband and siblings may have been among the deceased.

“I was very afraid and very scared. My family is over there,” Francois said, explaining the moment when she first heard about the earthquake. “It was so shocking to me. I was more worried about my husband and my family than about myself.”

Like many who have loved ones in Haiti, Francois desperately tried using the Internet and phone lines to reach her friends and family. The anticipation of not knowing whether her family members were alive was the worst.

So, when Francois heard her husband’s voice over the phone on Friday, January 22—10 full days after the quake struck—she was beyond ecstatic.

“I felt like I had just won something. I was taken off my feet when I finally got a chance to hear from him,” Francois said.

Francois’ husband did suffer some injuries, but is doing well. Francois’ next biggest obstacle is simply seeing him again. She doesn’t know when that will happen.

“Right now there are no flights going into Haiti,” she said. “I was hoping I could get on a flight with some volunteers, but I’ll just have to wait until things ease up some.”

Teamster Family

Despite not being able to see her husband, Francois will have an opportunity to be reunited with family members, including a sister who survived the earthquake. Like her husband, Francois knows her sister is lucky to be alive.

“My sister lived in Haiti at the time of the earthquake and was the only survivor in her entire building,” Francois said. “It is a miracle.”

Francois knows the next few months will be extremely challenging for all of those directly affected by the earthquake. To help cope with the shock of a sudden natural disaster and stress of not knowing about family and friends, Francois has relied heavily on her Teamster family for support.

“My Teamster family has supported me 100 percent during this trying time,” Francois said. “I don’t know what I’d do without them.”

She applauds the effort by Teamsters across the country who are coming together in support of Haiti’s earthquake victims and encourages Americans everywhere to send what they can.

To learn what Local 769 is doing to help victims of Haiti’s earthquake, click here.