Heading to Haiti with Jimmy Carter

Suddenly this summer it all came together. With perfect clarity, I knew I had found the opportunity to pursue something very important to me. This was my chance to hopefully make a difference. The only question I had was, “Will I be selected?” 

When the earthquake rocked Haiti in January 2010, I couldn’t believe the devastation. My reaction was to do something - to go there to help. Since I’m not a doctor or nurse, going with a medical relief group was obviously out of the question. I googled “volunteer opportunities Haiti” shortly after the earthquake, but couldn’t find any viable options. Months passed and I occasionally looked online again. Almost a year and a half later, I found a few options that seemed like they might work out and started to further explore them. But that was before I got the email.

I was travelling for work this past June and sitting in my hotel room at night doing some work. That’s when I got the email that set me on the road to Haiti. The email was from Habitat for Humanity and they were looking for volunteers to participate in the Jimmy & Rosalyn Carter Work Project, the annual build in which President and Mrs. Carter spend the week working with volunteers. The email announced that the Nov. 5 – 12, 2011 Carter Work Project was going to be in Haiti and the goal was to build 100 homes. This was it! This was my perfect opportunity. It was crystal clear.

Habitat sends me emails for a number of reasons, one of which is because I have applied for the Carter Work Project in the past…but was never chosen. This fact caused me to pause. Did I want to fill out the application yet another year and not get selected? But this was Haiti. This is what I felt drawn to do. And I have admired Carter’s post-presidency humanitarian work for years. In addition, I feel passionate about Habitat for Humanity and its mission. With these thoughts in mind, I started the application.

As I worked on the application, I was sure to mention my previous work with Habitat for Humanity in North Philadelphia. I mentioned feeling passionate about working side-by-side with Haitian families to build homes and communities. I also decided to write about how I had applied to participate on a Carter Build in the past and hadn’t been selected. The application was soon completed, I returned home to Springfield from my trip, and I waited.

“Congratulations!” is how the email started.  It came to me at work and caught me off-guard. I had been accepted! I was going to Haiti with Habitat for Humanity! The Carters were going to be there as an added bonus. It really did all come together.  Now I invite you to join my journey. I will be blogging about trip preparation (vaccines, fundraising, learning more about Haiti and its history) and sharing pictures after my trip. Maybe together, with your support, our community can make a difference in the Haitian community of Leogane, Haiti.