Patrick Brun & Volunteers
Patrick Brun
THP Board Chair Patrick Brun securing the door to the National Cathedral
Thank God for our man in Haiti! The night of the earthquake, Board Chair Patrick Brun arrived at Louverture Cleary School, not knowing the full extent of the damage of his own hardware store. He says, “It was only the Holy Spirit that allowed me to keep it together.” Brun helped to coordinate with the local airline that would bring Patrick Moynihan into Haiti after the earthquake, teamed with the Red Cross to set up their logistic center at his store, cleared out his Servimat store to make room for medical supplies and other materials from Catholic Relief Services, provided initial information about the integrity of our buildings to our team of structural engineers, arranged the excavation and restoration of important documents at the National Cathedral, led the US 82nd Airborne Patrol to disaster points and helped designate community contact points for food distribution, brokered everything from car deals to real estate for THP friends, and ensured bank supply lines to keep LCS operating. Because of Patrick Brun, THP/LCS is a household name in Haiti – a name people trust, share, and look to in times of need and of giving.
Volunteers
(From left to right) Peter Ulrickson, John DiTillo, Betsy Bowman, Mary DeAgostino, Samantha Russell, Elissa Kergosien, Meghan Smith, Kristen Zeiler, Jon Kennedy, and Corey Paulino
Since the earthquake, our Volunteers have taken on new roles and risen to the occasion. Peter Ulrickson and Jon Kennedy helped with the excavation of important documents at the National Cathedral and continue to work on large clean-up projects. Peter is also managing the storage and distribution of relief food to the neighborhood. Volunteer veteran John DiTillo arrived in Haiti one month after the earthquake, offering his experience at LCS and re-entering into a life of teaching. Betsy Bowman works closely on the school schedule, ensuring all activities start and end on time. Mary DeAgostino, a pre-med graduate, has been assisting with medical relief at St. Francis de Salles Hospital and the Missionaries of Charity. Samantha Russell has been leading students in the importance of daily maintenance and personal responsibility on the school campus, despite outside factors. Lead volunteer Elissa Kergosien has been coordinating all of the students’ community service activities outside of LCS and preparing Patrick Brun’s warehouse for relief storage. Meghan Smith, with an interest in architecture, has been helping Patrick Faustin and the maintenance team with the rebuilding of houses in the neighborhood. Kristen Zeiler has been working with Christina Moynihan to help families in the neighborhood. Corey Paulino helped the students get back into the routine of cleaning the neighborhood, manages the placement of alumni who are advanced medical students, and plans for future projects in the zone.
