ORLANDO, Fla. — With Haiti in turmoil, many Haitians in the Central Florida community are looking for ways to help those living in their home country.

What You Need To Know

  •  F&Y Total Mission is a nonprofit that helps people in, and from Haiti

  •  The Florida Division of Emergency Management has launched a portal to help Floridians trapped in Haiti

  • Serge Vilarson, a Haitian living in Central Florida, said he expects many people on the island to flee country by boat 

Gov. Ron DeSantis has sent resources to South Florida and southern waters to prevent what he says could be a potential influx of illegal immigration from Haiti.

Members of the Central Florida Haitian community say getting resources in to Haiti is difficult. Others who have recently visited say they would not be surprised if Haitians get on boats in the coming days and hope for the best wherever the open waters may take them.

Flavie Innocent, who started the F&Y Mission to help people living in Haiti, said she hasn’t been to her home country since 2019.

“It’s very sad what’s going on there right now,” she said from her Orlando home. “It’s very sad because I couldn’t go.”

Innocent said had hoped to send supplies recently to the villages and churches she has helped over the years.

“I don’t only send to Haiti,” Innocent said in front of a pile of donations. “I give to Haiti people that are here.“

Because of the unsafe conditions in Haiti, Innocent said her current focus is on helping Haitians who live in Central Florida and need help getting a life in Florida started.

“They don’t have anything to start with,” she said. “I give them shoes, dishes, whatever they need to use in the house. I give it to them. “

Serge Vilarson, who is from the southern part of Haiti, returned to Florida Friday from his home country and said the situation on the island was dire.

“People doing business down there, they are not safe at all,” Vilarson said after spending nearly a month volunteering in Haiti. “Nothing is working down there, in terms of like doing business or go about your life every day.“

When he takes missions to Haiti, Vilarson said his hope is to save souls and lives through his church. He believes people in Haiti will now try to escape by boat and go wherever the open waters take them.

As fallout from Haiti continues, DeSantis has invested resources to prevent what he says would be “illegal aliens coming to Florida.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the F&Y Total Mission can contact Innocent at 407-446-5852.

The Florida Division of Emergency Management has launched a portal to collect information from Floridians and other Americans who may be trapped in Haiti.