The six inches of snow that fell Tuesday night did not make Jan. 12, 2011 a day to savor, especially for those used to tropical temperatures. But for the Blanc family of Scotch Plains, it marked a vast improvement over what they experienced exactly a year ago, when they lost all their possessions in the earthquake that destroyed much of their hometown in Haiti.
As they experience their first northeast winter amid a relentless parade of cold and snow, the three Blanc children and their mother said they consider themselves lucky. They were among the few to escape Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, which still has not recovered from the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that killed an estimated 230,000 people, injured another 300,000 and left more than one million homeless.
“It is a very sad day for us because so much of what we knew is lost forever,” said Judeling Blanc, 21, the eldest Blanc child. She said she was in a classroom at her college when the building collapsed.
At their modest Scotch Plains apartment, Blanc looked out her window at the furious storm. “It was late in the afternoon and all of a sudden the building shook and the next thing you knew we were all in rubble, fighting for our lives,” she said. She was extricated by classmates and teachers. Today, she is taking English as a Second Language (ESL) classes at Union County College’s Cranford campus, and said she hopes to enter the school’s nursing program next year.
Stephan, now 17 and a senior at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School, said he was at home at the time of the earthquake and managed to run outside just before their home collapsed into rubble. His mother, Guegheling and younger brother, Jonathan, were on their way home and had to dodge falling debris, Stephan said.
Having lost their father in October of 2009 to cancer, the family was left homeless and slept on the ground in a park with thousands of other families. Fortunately for the Blancs, their uncle, Winchell Alce, had left Haiti several years ago and settled in Scotch Plains. When the earthquake struck, Alce worked with the Red Cross and Haitian Embassy to bring the Blancs to the United States.
Because of their visitor’s status, they did not qualify for any governmental assistance. Alce, who has a wife and two young daughters and works three jobs, was able to temporarily house the Blancs in his small apartment. He said, however, that his landlord told him the living arrangement was untenable. It was at this desperate time that Alce’s church, St. Bartholomew’s of Scotch Plains came to his assistance. The small parish elicited a church-wide donation of food, clothes and money, which has helped the family with rent and utilities for a small apartment in which they now reside. Guegheling has been volunteering at St. Bartholomew Academy since last fall, and has applied for a green card for her and her two sons that would allow them to stay in the country.
“Our faith calls us to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless,” said Father John Paladino, St. Bart's pastor. “We have a family within walking distance of our church that has suffered greatly and is in desperate need. The people of St. Bartholomew parish have done much to assist the Blancs during their immediate crisis but, much is still needed to sustain this wonderful family.”
Paladino added that he and the family are working with an immigration expert and an attorney to expedite the green card application. “It remains slow and arduous, to say the least,” he said.
Nevertheless, Stephan has made an impressive adjustment to New Jersey life. Last spring, he made the honor roll and completed an Advanced Placement French class. He currently plays on the junior varsity basketball team and this summer, attended the Junior Academy for Law Enforcement Explorers. He attends regular training meetings with the Explorers at the Scotch Plains Police Department. He said his ambition is become a medical doctor and return to Haiti to help his countrymen.
“Everybody has been great to me since I have come here. I have been made to feel welcome at my high school, church and around town,” said Stephan Blanc.
Jonathan, the youngest at 9 years old, is attending St. Bartholomew’s Academy for free, where he is in the fourth grade. A gifted math student, he is receiving special assistance with language. Like most other nine year olds, Jonathan loves to play baseball, soccer and ride his bike. This summer, he joined Stephan at the Scotch Plains Police Junior Academy and received his first communion at St. Bartholomew’s this past spring.
The Blancs said they realize that a year later, things still remain extremely grim for those still in Haiti. About one million Haitians remain homeless or stranded in camps of varying conditions. Jobs remain sparse, violence is on the rise and rubble still litters city streets. Few buildings have been rebuilt, including the presidential palace.
“It is hard to reach many of the people we know,” Judeling said. “Communication is not easy and many of them have moved.”
Paladino expressed concern about the Judeling’s green card application. “It's really a big commitment on the part of a parish community to ‘adopt’ an entire family,” he said. “So much of what we take for granted is an expense. The parish has been generous thus far, however if they don't get [the immigration documents needed] to find employment, I am concerned that we will not be able to continue to support them as we are now. Any help from the community would be appreciated.”
The Blancs marked the anniversary with a combination of sadness for the past and hope for the future. But there is at least one thing about the northeast that Stephan can live without.
“I don’t like the snow,” he said. “I wish it would get warmer.”
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