Some residents in Windsor are turning to prayer and support after seeing the devastation of Hurricane Matthew in Haiti.
The powerful storm has claimed the lives of at least 500 people, and left thousands more with nothing but the clothes on their backs.
Members of Windsor's Haitian community attended a special mass on the weekend.
Pastor Renel Sanon tells CTV News “we pray for them and continue to pray to touch some people to see how we can help.”
Sanon says his family members escaped the ravages of the storm. But his father's house, the home he grew up in, did not.
Windsor resident Marcia Spratt and her husband flew to Haiti, just days before the hurricane hit. With airports closed, they waited out the storm until Sunday.
Spratt is involved with the group Hearts for Haiti. She and her husband have travelled to the country for many years, and visited last week to open a new church.
Spratt tells CTV Windsor “people are scared and praying because they don’t know if their relatives are still alive”
Spratt is involved with the group Hearts for Haiti. She and her husband have travelled to the country for many years, and visited last week to open a new church.
Spratt adds “those poor people had nothing, and that nothing has been washed away. It’s a horrible situation.”
Spratt remains hopeful for the people of Haiti.
Sanon shares that hope, and points to the resilience of the Haitian people after an earthquake in 2010 killed 200,000 people.
Sanon says “Haitian people are very strong, they will survive.”
If you want to help, Sanon's church is collecting donations of any kind.
Another Windsor based charity, Enable Haiti, is hoping to ship two fully loaded 40-foot containers to Haiti by next weekend.
Donations can be dropped off at Ground Effects on Rhodes Drive.
