New York, NY - Earlier this year, on August 14, 2021, a magnitude 7.2 earthquake devastatingly struck the southern coast of Haiti. That earthquake remains the deadliest earthquake and deadliest natural disaster of 2021. According to 2021 Haiti Earthquake Situation Report #1, an estimated 650,000 people are in need of assistance, more than 2,200 people have been confirmed dead, more than 12,200 were injured, and sixty-six health facilities have been damaged or destroyed.

 

 

I’ll start with myself. I was born and grew up in a small village located in the southwest part of Haiti called Baradères. Let me tell you a little bit about my beloved village. The main economy in Baradères has been and remains subsistence agriculture. We take care of our family and community through farming. Wtake pride in how self-sufficient we are.

 

Unfortunately, like many other small villages in the southern coast of Haiti, Baradères was also devasted by the earthquake. There has not been a day since I came to the United States, about twenty years ago, that I am reminded that if it was not pure luck and the grace of God, I would be still in Baradères. As Brené Brown rightly said, “what separates privilege from entitlement is gratitude.” I am grateful and that’s why I care.

 

Well, I can say without fear of contradiction that “the future outwits all our certitudes,” as Arthur Schlesinger, Jr. put it. I am certain that no one reading these words wishes any harm on any community, including the people of Haiti. However, if the past is prologue, we know how this may end. In the meanwhile, let’s plant the seed of hope by extending our hands to the people in southern Haiti. Knowing them, they will grow it and share it.

 

“We rise by lifting others,” said Robert Ingersoll. In collaboration with Hope for Haiti, one of the most trusted organizations working to reduce poverty in Haiti, this firm has sponsored “A Toast to Hope Gala,” a fundraising event to continue to bring awareness of the rescue efforts and assistance in southern Haiti.

Join us on Sunday, November 14, 2021, from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., at 26 Bridge Street, Brooklyn, NY 11201. Take this opportunity to lift the people in southern Haiti. Get your tickets, get your cocktail attire ready and come out to plant a seed of hope in southern Haiti.

Click here to get your tickets or click here to donate.