Noon Kiwanis President and Fountain Hills Presbyterian Church associate pastor Kenneth J. Brown says his diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease won’t prevent him from raising money to feed Haitian children.

Brown publicly revealed that he is under a physician’s care for the care of the neurological disease in a Nov. 1 interview with Arizona PBS’ Cronkite News. Brown said he was diagnosed a year ago; he planned to tell his church family last Sunday about his illness.

“I haven’t wanted Parkinson’s disease to prevent me from doing what I want to do in my life,” said Brown. “Three hundred fifty kids are starving in Haiti and it seems like something that we can do something about.”

Brown has challenged Noon Kiwanis Club, church and community to raise about $30,000 to feed the youngsters in Les Cayes, Haiti.

On Oct. 5-6, Category 4 Hurricane Matthew extensively demolished roofs, agricultural crops and infrastructure in the settlement.

One month after the hurricane damaged homes in the Pwoje Espwa (Project Hope) boys’ neighborhood, temporary repairs have been completed and the boys have returned, according to Jack Reynolds, co-founder of Free the Kids, a mission relief organization.

“The repairs cannot endure another storm, but for now, our children are home again and school can reopen soon,” said Reynolds.

His brother-in-law, Catholic priest Marc Boisvert who operates Pwoje Espwa, reports “a sense of desperation prevails.”

The staff witnessed a riot and shooting in town where relief supplies were being delivered and four were killed.

The threat of violence and cholera outbreak resulted in Reynolds and Brown postponing a trip to Haiti until the end of January.