Detroit — People in Metro Detroit gave $2,314,870 to Haiti relief efforts through Catholic Relief Services, according to a letter co-authored by the agency and the U.S. Bishops’ Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America. The amount is more than previously was known.

Writing to Archbishop Allen Vigneron, the letter stated that $667,870 was collected from people in the archdiocese’s zip codes in addition to $1.65 million that was collected through the archdiocese itself via Sunday collections, mail and website donations. The letter, dated July 6, was signed by Bishop Jose Gomez, chairman of the bishop’s subcommittee on the Church in Latin America, and Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who in addition to being Archbishop of New York is also chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services.

The money is part of a special relief collection through which Baltimore-based CRS has netted more than $80 million. In total, CRS has invested more than $143 million into aid to Haiti since a January earthquake killed 250,000 residents and destroyed the homes of 1.5 million others.

In addition to essential needs such as emergency shelter, food and medical care, some of those funds had been used for transitional parish centers “so that the faith communities can gather and be nourished by the sacraments,” the letter stated.

Moving into longer-term rebuilding efforts, the U.S. bishops are working with the bishops of Haiti to help rebuild parish communities and church structures.

Relief and rebuilding efforts are still in full-swing. According to the letter, the task to redevelop Haiti “is only beginning.”

Last week, the U.S. bishops’ subcommittee that oversees money for Haiti approved $212,700 for the funding of 10 projects sponsored by parishes, religious orders and dioceses in Haiti, according to a news release from the USCCB.