Monroe resident and Haiti native Wilner Joseph accompanied Habitat for Humanity to the earthquake-ravaged nation last November to help build homes for Haitians living in tents. MONROE — Two years ago, when an earthquake devastated his native Haiti, township resident Wilner Joseph knew he had to help .

And though his urge to assist in the rebuilding process has not been diminished by time, he worries that may be the case with most people.

“After two years, you don’t hear much aboutHaiti anymore, so you have to keep it in the forefront so people can still remember that we need help down there,” Joseph said. “The country still needs a lot of work, but slowly we can see the hope. It’s slow, but the change is happening.”

Shortly after the earthquake, he collected relief funds and needed supplies with the help of co-workers and fellow congregants of Mount of Olives Church of God, Orange, but he soon felt the need to do more.

“We sent a lot of stuff, but I wanted to do something tangible instead of just sending money,” he said.

This determination brought Joseph, 48, to Habitat for Humanity, an organization that he eventually would join for a week last November, assisting in the charity’s mission to build 400 homes. The 280-square-foot homes, which are expandable, were built specifically to withstand future natural disasters, especially hurricanes, he said.

He and his 10-member team managed to build two homes by the end of the week.

“It was a very rewarding experience,” he said. “The last day, when we had to turn over the house to the homeowners, it was a touching moment.

“We came in and started from scratch, and before we left we were able to build a home for two deserving families. Prior to us coming, they had been living in tents,” he added. “It made a difference in someone’s life.”

Joseph was born in Haiti and lived in the city of Gonaives before leaving the country for Montreal. He later came to New Jersey at age 13.

He has resided in Monroe for the past five years.

He still has many relatives in Haiti. Fortunately, none lost their lives in the earthquake, despite the fact that his brother was working in the capital city that fateful day. Joseph’s brother was in a meeting in Port-Au- Prince and needed to excuse himself to get pertinent paperwork from his car.

“As soon as he walked out, the earthquake happened,” Joseph said. “Everyone that was in the building died.”

He hopes to return to Haiti with Habitat for Humanity and is waiting for the organization to set a date for their next service trip.

“[The country] is still very devastated, but there’s a glimmer of hope, because we have a lot of new roads that we didn’t have before down there, new hospitals, some new schools. There’s a lot of hope coming in,” he said.

“Haitiwas a beautiful, beautiful island before this,” he added. “They used to call it the pearl of the Caribbean, so we’re trying to bring it back to that status again.”