Amidst the chaos and almost unimaginable destruction of Haiti stands a 24-year old Westlake High School graduate offering help.

Holly Rose Heldenfels arrived in Haiti on Jan. 19, just days after a Jan. 12 earthquake decimated the country. She is lending her hands and her heart to God’s Littlest Angels orphanage, an organization where she has volunteered her summers for the past two years.

Heldenfels, who graduated from Texas A&M University in December with a degree in communications, received numerous e-mail pleas from the orphanage to return to Haiti after the earthquake to help with orphaned children needing food, shelter and care. She flew in a chartered jet to Haiti with other volunteers and critically needed supplies.

“(The orphanage is) in dire need of help because many of their Haitian staff is missing,” Heldenfels said. “Being one of the larger orphanages, their gates are about to be flooded with newly orphaned children.”

On Friday, Heldenfels was in Miami, chaperoning 83 Haitian orphans headed to new homes in Holland, Luxembourg and the U.S. All the children had been awaiting final paperwork for adoptions approved prior to earthquake

“Orphans already in the adoption process need to get out of Haiti and home to their families in Europe and the U.S. and Canada so that the orphanages have room for the new orphans,” Heldenfels said. “If we don’t get these kids out, then our beds at the orphanage could be tied up for months without the ability to accept new orphans. Children will die.”

Back at God’s Littlest Angels orphanage in the mountains close to the village of Fermathe southeast of Port-au-Prince, Heldenfels works with starving orphans arriving from every direction. Struggling to understand the new world around her, she is limited to sporadic e-mail communication with the outside world powered by a diesel-fueled generator at the orphanage

“I have seen a lot of destruction and many hand made signs asking for help, but I haven’t seen a whole lot of help,” she said. “There is a ton of aid just sitting on the airport tarmac. There are so many tent cities everywhere, with people living outside.”

The Haitian government reported on Sunday that 150,000 earthquake victims there have already been buried. Despite the death and flattened buildings, Heldenfels said she sees very little criminal behavior, including looting.

“Everyone seems quite peaceful and helpful to their fellow neighbors,” she said.

Working busily to help those in immediate need, Heldenfels worries about the future.

“What strikes me as most important is that Haiti needs help now and for a long time,” she said. “Once the news stories stop, they will still have years and years of recovering to do, and we cannot forget them. It is sad to me that it took an earthquake for the world to open its eyes to the needs of this beautiful country.”

Heldenfels recommends that people wanting to help Haiti give money to private ministries and organizations that were established prior to the earthquake.

“These are the people who have a heart for this country and will make the biggest difference in the lives of Haitians,” she said.

Her three top recommendations for financial contribution are the God’s Littlest Angels orphanage, Heartline Ministries and Real Hope for Haiti Rescue Center.

Heldenfels plans to stay in Haiti for at least two months. Deep within the heartbreak, she finds hope.

“I have seen joy come from tragedy in the faces of (adoptive) parents when their child is placed in their arms,” she said. “God brings beauty from ashes, and this is one way He shows it.”

More information on God’s Littlest Angels orphanage can be found at glahaiti.org.