Humanity for Haiti

  

I am excited to say that I will be taking my company, Soul Revision Consulting, on the road... Destination: Saint Raphael, Haiti!

If you've been following this blog for a while then you know that I linked up with a phenomenal organization run by an amazing man! The organization is Help Us Save Us (HUSU), the man, Fred Joseph. While many have forgotten about Haiti, HUSU has made it their mission to focus their work in Saint Raphael, Haiti, assisting hundreds of orphans that have been displaced by the 2010 earthquake.

This July we will be working with approximately 300 orphans between the ages of 6-18 while running a summer camp and implementing various educational programs that include: music, acting, athletics, and ultimately host a talent show in which the kids can display everything that they've learned.



Founder of Help Us Save Us, Fred Joseph, with the kids



The earthquake that rocked Port au Prince, Haiti on January 12, 2010 left more than 1million Haitians homeless & without access to clean water & food. HUSU is diligently working to change all of this for Haiti's youth by building a children’s center that will provide impoverished children in Haiti with the opportunity to attend a week-long camp with activities such as: recreation, singing, dancing, chapel, sports, arts and crafts and more. We will have the chance to feed 500 children with three meals a day for one week each month; this is more than most Haitian children receive in a YEAR!

A typical wash day in Haiti. We have so much to be grateful for!

It has been a dream for me to lend my help to countries after natural disasters, so much so, that after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti I specifically asked God to put me in a position where I can pack up and go when developing and third world countries need assistance. God was gracious enough to answer that prayer this year by strategically placing HUSU in my path. I have traveled internationally many times, but it feels good to say that this is my first time traveling internationally for humanitarian work... and this is only the beginning.

If I could issue you all a challenge it would be this; find a cause greater than yourself and get involved. There are people all over the world who are waiting for individuals like us to help them. There are people who are depending on your gifts and talent, they need YOUR help! The best part is, all it takes is for you to care enough to want to make a difference.

I'm not saying you have to get involved with Haiti; there are plenty of countries that need help, even in the US!

Some of the kids in school

 

MLK has a quote that I keep at the bottom of my email signature that says, "An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity". Simply put, at some point we have to realize it's not about us, we have to lay aside our own agendas and realize there's a world out there that needs our help.

Take the time to ask yourself, what causes move me? What goes on in the world that I care about? Whatever it is, tap into that! Research ways to get involved. I've said this before but I'll say it again... You dont have to be a doctor or a firefighter to save lives. Get involved, donate your time, money and/or talents! Remember, none of us is here for ourselves; we are here for one another.

Let's change the world together!

I'll leave you with some lyrics to Michael Jackson’s song, Man In The Mirror...

"As I, turn up the collar on my favorite winter coat, this wind is blowin' my mind, I see the kids In the street, with not enough to eat... who am I, to be blind pretending not to see their needs"

For more information about Help Us Save Us or to donate, visit their website. You can also find them on twitter @HelpUsSaveUs & @FredJo26

Remembering Haiti, One year later

January 12, 2010 ....

Like most, I will never forget hearing the number 7.0, that was the magnitude of the earthquake in Haiti on January 12, 2010. 230,000 were killed, 1.5 million left homeless. I remember going to ALL of the major news sites: MSNBC, NBC CNN, BBC etc sitting at my desk CRYING! My heart ached for the people of Haiti and those that had lost their lives. From the comfort of my office and home I sat and watched as thousands of people were dying and had lost their only comfort. It was then that I prayed that one day God would position me so that when disaters like this strike I can pick up and go! Well that day has come thanks to an organization called Help Us Save Us and its' founder Fred Joseph Jr.

I will be leaving on July 14, 2011 to go to Haiti with Fred and some people from his organization to help rebuild the Country.

I've been blessed to have connnected with Fred, he is quite an amazing man! A week after the earthquake Fred flew down to Haiti to volunteer to help people, he agreed to share his experience with me.




Fred speaking to the people of Haiti



 "I still remember staying up all night, not being able to sleep and my mom telling not to go. God said 'I'll send you Fred, and I'll pay for your expenses, I am not worried about HUSU' that was on January 18, 2010. On January 19th, 2010, I flew to Port-Au-Price, Haiti to give aide to the people. I stood alongside doctors, nurses, and government officials and assisted with amputation, surgeries, and search efforts. You haven't heard a woman cry until you hear a Haitian woman cry! On Jan 20, 2010 the grounds started to move, and everything around me started to fall it was the most scariest thing I've ever been through, it was good vs Evil, forces of life vs. forces of death, and, at this particular moment, Haiti vs. those that sought to exploit her in her vulnerability. In the stillness of the nite, I still ask myself how many people have died since I left the compound–where I served as a translator and volunteer. HUSU is not just Haiti; We will expand to Dominican Republic, Trinidad, Ecuador, Brazil, Peru, Sierra Leone, Angola, and more."

I could pull hundreds of pictures off the internet of Haiti's aftermath, but Fred was gracious enough to share his personal photos from his trip a week after the earthquake.

Family in disbelief

                                                                  



The Trauma Center





Bed time in Haiti

 



<>

The hospital was full so they moved patients outside

 



Fred with a patient that had an amputation w/o anesthesia



Fred, you are a beacon of light in the midst of darkness! Thank you for your willingness to want to help people in need, your story brought tears to my eyes and has moved me to step out beyond my comfort zone and do more for others! May God bless you and your organization as you all continue to bless others, see you in July!

This post serves as a reminder of what happened in Haiti on January 12, 2010, I know that I will NEVER forget and I hope that you don't either. When you complain about how cold you are while you're driving in your car or sitting in your house, when the hardest questions in life are deciding what to eat for lunch, when you have trouble picking out your outfit for the night or complain about how much you hate life, remember the people in Haiti. There are some that are STILL sleeping outside today! If you are alive, have a roof over your head, food to eat, believe me when I say you are living in luxury! Let's start living a life of gratitude, be thankful for everything!

Help Us Save Us is a non-profit organization that maintains with the help of caring individuals like you! If you'd like to get involved with Help Us Save Us you can contact Fred Joseph Jr at Fred.Joseph@helpussaveus.org and you can follow him on twitter Fred's Twitter as well as the organization Help Us Save Us on twitter