May 22, 2002

Church delivers Haitians Second Chance

Body armor vests part of supplies brought to Haiti

By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
The families of two Haitian policemen can rest a little easier when their loved ones go on duty these days. The policemen are wearing Second Chance Body Armor vests, thanks to the goodwill of a visiting delegation from Traverse City's Church of the Living God.
When a delegation of 16 church members made their annual visit to Haiti in March, along with the usual supplies of clothing, books and paper, the group also brought the much needed vests.
Over the last 10 years, the church group has taken humanitarian trips to the island to bring supplies and help with construction projects.
"Many of these things we take for granted, but in Haiti they are badly needed," noted Kay Velker, a church member and Haitian project coordinator.
"On an earlier trip somehow the topic of bullet proof vests came up, and the next thing you know we were trying to locate a couple of them for our Haitian friends," Velker said.
That's when church member Terry Mesko, a reserve officer with the Traverse City Police Department, stepped in and arranged for the Second Chance vests to be donated by the Central Lake company's president Richard Davis.
"The Haitian policemen were just ecstatic. They couldn't believe that we had brought them protective vests," Velker said.
"Francois, one of the policemen, is married and has two small sons. We want to keep him safe, so when we said goodbye after giving him the vest, we reminded him that the vest won't work unless you wear it."