ALGONA -An Algona native escaped injury in a massive earthquake which left much of southern Haiti in ruins Tuesday.

Michael Geilenfeld, founder of the St Joseph's Family, a mission which includes the St. Joseph's Home for Boys, Wings of Hope, a home for disabled children in Port-au-Prince; and Trinity House, a boys home in the community of Jacmel; was uninjured in Tuesday's earthquake. The magnitude-7.0 quake was the most powerful to hit the Caribbean nation in more than a century.

"He is safe," said Geilenfeld's sister-in-law, Barbara Geilenfeld, of Oelwein.

Barbara Geilenfeld is the wife of Michael Geilenfeld's older brother, Chuck Geilenfeld.

Colleen Hegarty, of Algona, a friend of Michael Geilenfeld, said she has been receiving updates from Barbara Geilenfeld's relatives in Algona as they are made available, as communication in Haiti is limited due to the quake.

"When we first heard about the earthquake I thought of Michael and thought 'who can I call to find out,'" said Hegarty. "We know St. Joseph's was heavily damaged. We've heard that the kids are doing OK."

The St. Joseph's Web site reported that the facilities had received "significant structural damage" and that the St. Joseph Home in Port-au-Prince had been "devastated."

"Two of the three homes were completely destroyed," said Barbara Geilenfeld. "Only one person was injured."

The children at the St. Joseph home were unharmed because they were outdoors when the quake occurred, Hegarty said.

"One administrator was injured when he had to jump from a building," Chuck Geilenfeld said. "But he is going to be OK."

Hegarty said she visited the St. Joseph Home shortly after it was founded 25 years ago.

"They were getting ready to have a big 25th anniversary celebration there," she said.

Former Messenger photographer Renee Dietrich, who works at Wings of Hope in Port-au-Prince, reported to Hearts With Haiti, the organization which supports St. Joseph's mission, that all of the children from the St. Joseph Home and Wings of Hope are accounted for and are staying in a new kitchen area near the front of the Wings of Hope facility. Dietrich was also unharmed.

Chuck Geilenfeld said the family has also been receiving updates from Dietrich's mother, Lucy Dietrich, of Cedar Rapids.

"It was a relief to hear that he was all right," said Barbara Geilenfeld. "Their father had just recently died and we were very concerned since Michael is Chuck's only brother."

Contact Emilie Nelson at (515) 573-2141 or enelson@messengernews.net