THE NATIONAL Leadership Prayer Breakfast (NLPB) committee has pledged to provide support to affected persons in Haiti through its charity funds from the Prayer Breakfast this year.

"With the devastation that has taken place in Haiti, the members of the committee thought that we should include support for Haiti among the projects this year," said Bishop Stanley Clarke, secretary of the committee.

The group will be donating a portion of its charity fund - which was generated through offerings and donations from the public - to the Haitians.

"I think that the thing that touched the group most is the suffering of the people, and I think there is a call for us to be Good Samaritans to help those who are in desperate need," chairman, the Reverend Dr Peter Garth, said.

He disclosed that the committee would also be offering further assistance over time.

"Outside of that, in another six months, we will be going to Haiti to offer counselling and pastoral help to them. So we don't just want to give to them now, but we want to offer our practical assistance to them in the long term," he said.

The other portion of this year's charity will be allocated to Hear The Children's Cry towards the group's efforts to stem the growing problems that surround the nation's children.

January 21 date

The annual event, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, is to take place at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on January 21 under the theme 'With God We Will Overcome'.

Driven by the purpose for the event, which is to foster greater unity among leaders, Reverend Garth said the group would continue to make a difference in persons' lives.

He said, however, that the group does not only focus on the nation's leaders.

"We identify some leaders in various communities to attend our prayer breakfast because we think that if we get different types of leaders to attend it will help to foster unity," he added.

Persons can make their pledges to NLPB at Victoria Mutual Building Society account #22-684-518.