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If you have paid any attention to media outlets lately, you should know that today marks the six month anniversary since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country. The Catholic Sun reported on initial relief efforts from local Catholics in our Feb. 3 issue.

I had heard very little since then on rebuilding efforts, but got caught up a bit more in the last day or so. Here’s what I found:

• 13 young adult missionaries from throughout the Phoenix Diocese are headed for Haiti tomorrow. They’ll return July 24.
• Rome Reports posted a video highlighting a microcredit project to empower the poor to help themselves. The projects focus primarily on education and ecology, both largely needed, according to the video. Only six percent of the country is green. You can sponsor a tree through Zafen.org for $5. The project is an outreach effort of the Vincentian family. Check it out:

• Catholic Relief Services efforts continue. Check out its six-month recap. Some 1,500 children regularly visit the “child-friendly” spaces at five camps for the displaced. The agency, with help from Catholics like you, has provided emergency shelter materials to some 114,000 people among other forms of aid. Find more quake response info including multimedia, CRS projects and where your money goes. Among the lighter stories, a “flying nun” jumps out of a plane after her students raised nearly quadruple their goal to help Haiti recover from the January earthquake.