Linda Claude-Oben, wife of Super Bowl XXXVII champion and retired NFL lineman Roman Oben, completed two mission trips to Haiti as co-founder of the Claude-Oben Recovery Effort (CORE).

“We were saddened by the devastation experienced by the Haitian people due to this terrible tragedy when it occurred,” said Oben. “We’re fortunate to be able to contribute in any way possible and by establishing CORE, we have opened the door for both short and long-term recovery assistance.”

As a first generation Haitian-American, Linda Claude-Oben was particularly moved by the January 12, 2010 earthquake and resulting devastation, including the loss of an estimated 200,000 lives. As a recent graduate of Benjamin Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University, Claude-Oben spent her 2010 spring break in Grand Goâve, Haiti with the Haitian American Nurses Association of Rockland County (H.A.N.A.) on their mission trip. During the trip, she witnessed firsthand the trail of destruction left by this earthquake. Amidst piles of rubble, they provided a three-day medical clinic and distributed food and clothing to survivors.

After making a commitment to return to Grand Goâve to assist in the rebuilding process, Claude-Oben and her husband, through the Roman Oben Foundation, developed CORE. CORE was established to adopt the community of Grand Goâve and assist in their short-term goals of providing free medical care and food to those affected by the earthquake, with the long-term goal to build a standalone orphanage and permanent structure for a free medical clinic. On their second 14-day trip, CORE completed two four-day missions; the first to establish a free medical clinic and the second to distribute food and clothing to local residents.

To learn more, call the Roman Oben Foundation at 1-800-717-0337