September 2009

One Good Deed Deserves Another

Last October, Board Members Patrick Brun and Mickey Ingles, former volunteer Christina Crow, and THP President Patrick Moynihan approached Food For The Poor with the idea of providing potable water to the poor of Haiti through Mobile Maxpure’s solar-powered water purification system. The system purifies an average of 30,000 gallons of fresh water per day using the power of the sun. The Haitian Project found a philanthropic source to donate the funds needed to purchase two systems for FFTP. In August, THP gave FFTP a demonstration on how the device works, and FFTP was so delighted by the gift and demonstration that they donated $500 of in-kind items from their own warehouse to Louverture Cleary.

Community Service: LCS Students Will Get There

Thanks to a long-time THP supporter and the hard work and determination of THP staff, Louverture Cleary will soon see a new large vehicle sitting in their driveway, a Toyota Land Cruiser LWB, which is fully equipped to survive the brutal driving conditions of Haiti, including the pond-sized pot holes, scorching heat and mud-rutted roads. The vehicle is capable of transporting up to 15 students to and from their community service projects, the Missionaries of Charity, and off-campus soccer games and debates. It will also be used for carrying food, diesel and propane, and will free other vehicles for job searches and administration errands. Thanks to all who contributed toward this goal!

Kids’ Meal

The LCS community never likes to see anything go to waste, and always makes an effort to share its resources. In this spirit, the 2009 THP Volunteers and Christina Moynihan have started a meal program for children in the neighborhood. By asking people at meal time to take only what they need, the Volunteers have been able to invite children from the neighborhood to share in the bounty. Since the Moynihans’ arrival in Haiti in July, Christina has been working in a special way with the neighborhood children to provide a place that is fun and safe – a place where their development can be fostered. The children, now with full bellies, couldn’t be happier.

by Betsy Bowman

2009-2010 Volunteers (left to right): Betsy Bowman, Jon Kennedy, Mary DeAgostino, Peter Ulrickson, Elissa Kergosien, Samantha Russell, Meg Smith, Kristen Zeiler, Corey Paulino

During the Volunteers’ first month in Haiti, we have been settling into our lives at LCS.  We’re working hard helping with maintenance projects, learning Kreyol, getting to know each other and our Haitian colleagues, and preparing for our role as teachers.  These weeks have been essential to us in learning more about each other – where we come from, what brought us to Haiti, and how we hope to contribute to and learn from our work together.  We come here from many different places and with diverse life experiences, but one thing we all share is that we are not here by accident.  We chose to spend this year of service in Haiti at LCS for particular reasons, and we are eager to share ourselves with the community.