Following the devastating Haitian earthquake of 2010, our founder, and current president, Michelle Sidney, herself a Haitian American nurse, went to Haiti to assist in the recovery efforts as a volunteer. While there, Michelle was made aware of the medical needs of a group of communities near the mouth of the Artibonite River and was asked if she could organize a clinic for their residents; impoverished even by Haitian standards. After returning from her trip she met Linda McGurn. Through their collaboration, a single clinic emerged; which in turn gave rise to regular medical services, now in their seventh consecutive year. Unlike many NGOs working in Haiti, the Good Shepherd Foundation relies exclusively on qualified Haitian professionals and purchases nearly all of their required goods and services locally; thereby infusing needed hard currency into the Haitian economy and increasing the stability and sustainability of the foundations efforts.
Based on what they have learned from their clinics, the foundation has come to understand the critical importance of clean water and sanitation on community health. TGSF is now embarking on a program to build properly constructed wells and latrines in the communities they serve.