Supplies from Vernon Hills arrive in Haiti

Ruth Caudle nearly screamed for joy when she heard urgent supplies had reached her school in earthquake-ravaged Haiti this week.

Caudle credits the tenacity of a private pilot and the generosity of friends and neighbors for delivering tents, blankets and other supplies to the school she and her husband Brian founded in 2003.

The Spirit of Truth School is home to 330 students from kindergarten through high school. It suffered heavy damage in the quake. It's not clear how many students might have been injured because the quake hit after school hours, but hundreds of families in the neighborhood are homeless and sleeping on the streets.

"It's a breath of fresh air to know that many of them will at least be protected from the rain and cold," Caudle said. Ruth Caudle is a native Haitian. Her brother, Jean-Alix Paul runs the school.

The effort started when neighbor Susan Daniel took a call while volunteering at the American Red Cross.

"It was from a man who said he was a pilot and willing to charter a plane and fly supplies into Haiti," Daniel said. "The Red Cross said they couldn't make that work, so I put him in touch with Ruth, hoping he could help bring supplies to her school."

Mark Johnson, 44, a flight instructor from Hanover Park, said he wanted to help in any way he could.

"I heard there was a need for pilots to fly into remote areas to deliver supplies," Johnson said. "I first called the Red Cross, but ended up linking up with a volunteer pilot group."

Ruth Caudle and Daniel put the word out for donations via e-mail. They said the response was nothing short of miraculous.

"It was amazing how people responded," Caudle said. "People I didn't know were coming to my house and dropping off goods. Everyone was forwarding e-mails to everyone they knew."

Caudle said they collected at least 50 tents, 1,000 blankets, toiletries, tooth brushes and shampoo in less than 24 hours.

Caudle said students in Libertyville Elementary District 70 joined the effort as well.

The plan hit a snag when Johnson couldn't secure a chartered plane because of an insurance complication.

Undaunted, Johnson rented a trailer and made a 24-hour drive to Florida where he linked up with private pilots flying into Haiti. He loaded up the goods and made the delivery Feb. 1.

"I'm so impressed with Mark's dedication. He didn't take no for an answer," Caudle said. "People kept saying it can't be done, it's hard to get into Haiti, but he persevered."

Johnson said they couldn't see much of the devastation because of cloud cover, but landing at a remote airport made an impression.

"It was loaded with Canadian military who secured our delivery," Johnson said. "We were definitely safe."

Caudle said the effort of dozens of people will make a tangible difference in the lives of those reeling from the devastation.

"It's really going to make a difference," Caudle said. "It's just amazing how this all worked out."