Lake Harriet Students Braved Rain For Haiti

On a dark and stormy Friday night, as the rain fell in torrents, bands of elementary students gathered together in camping tents across Southwest Minneapolis.

These soon-to-be-damp students at Lake Harriet Community School were raising money to build eight temporary houses for Haitians who lost their homes in last year's earthquake.

Rory O'Driscoll was not fazed by the prospect of a cold and rainy night spent in the backyard. "In Port-au-Prince, it's raining there as well," he pointed out. "They've got nowhere to go."

O'Driscoll and about three quarters of his fellow Lake Harriet students went door-to-door that night, collecting pledges towards their $8,000 goal, which would be donated to the American Refugee Committee (ARC). The homes, said ARC's Jenna Myrland, are intended to last three to five years, and provide a bridge between the tents in which many Haitians still live and permanent homes that are slowly being rebuilt, one year after the quake. As many materials as possible would be bought from Haitian businesses, she added.

At the start of Friday night's fundraiser, Lake Harriet parent Maree Hampton said, the students had already raised over $4,000. As of today, they're very, very close to their $8,000 goal.

But the impact of the students' service learning activities can't only be measured in dollars, said parent Marie Domingo in an email. "They've deepened their understanding of the challenges that people face in the wake of a disaster," she said. "They chose to take action. They opened their own piggy banks, set up lemonade stands and inspired others to help as well."

The students also benefit in another way.

"I'd say it's pretty fun to do this," said Ethan Carlson as he prepared for an evening of door-knocking with friends and family. "It's a really good feeling."

Much of the event's planning was done by Lake Harriet's student council, a group of about 40 students from most grades, according to teacher Kathy Roberts, who also advises the student council.

While "Sleep out for Shelter" is the biggest part of the campaign, she said, the students have held several other fundraisers this year.