As the Polar Express steams by Herpolsheimer’s department store – the England Brothers of my youth in Pittsfield, Massachusetts – the kids on the train stare in wonder at the store’s window displays filled with magical Christmas visions. “I want them all,” the ‘know-it-all kid exclaims referring to the abundance of extraordinary gifts and toys. …
Category Archives: Heroes
Shoes
In America, we take many things for granted. In recent years, our sense of entitlement knows no bounds. About a year ago, my friend Justin posted this picture of four homeless Haitian boys sleeping on the streets in Cité Soleil with this commentary… “…are they the ones who make the choice to live like this?… …
No One Should Be Lost
As I prepared to park at Dwight’s company this morning, two young men approached me and asked in barely discernable English if I was “Sandy *****.” When I answered ‘no,’ they asked if I knew him. I noted a parachute logo on one man’s jacket. Since we stood a stone’s throw from SkyDive Arizona, I …
Never Too Old to Learn
I love language. Though tempted to learn Esperanto – a constructed, international auxiliary language – I focus my current efforts on Haitian Creole. Many years ago, I coordinated trips for well-intentioned Americans to visit Haiti for one week. The visitors could participate as ‘instructors’ in ‘English classes’ given to the Haitian children. After several trips …
Street Cleaners Beat Guns Into Brooms
“If you want to change the world, make your bed…” So begins the first chapter of Admiral McRaven’s treatise on how each of us can positively affect the world we live in and make it a better place to be. Not one of the young people of Guepard Boxing Club in Cité Soleil, Haiti has …
I AM
As we hunkered down over the Arizona weekend under biblical monsoon rain, I encouraged my friend Dwight to watch Tom Shadyac’s 2010 documentary “I Am.” True to form, he did, and when I asked him what he thought, he replied, “Everyone needs to watch this film.” I first watched “I Am” a decade ago, recommended …
What Your Right Hand Is Doing
As our farm develops, donors have been stepping up to keep the GBCCS kitchen operating four days each week. As much as I would like to share some incredible stories about our donors, I’ve decided that moving forward, I will heed the advice of Jesus, “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds …
The Promised Land
The deep green plants you see in this picture are Armenian cucumbers. They cover about 25 feet of a hundred-foot row. My family, friends and I are currently working 6,000 sq.ft. of 12,000 we hope to have planted by the end of August, though it is beginning to look as if the end of September …
Feeding Hungry Children
While we tend our small, desert farm and carefully and attentively work to achieve maximum capacity, we are asking for help to maintain our training and feeding facility in Cité Soleil, Haiti. As we’ve explained in previous posts, we intend to sell the products that the farm produces and send 100% of the revenue to …
Peace Prize
I am pleased to report that my friend and associate Justin Ricot in Haiti was announced as one of the three 2021 heroes awarded the Cité Soleil Peace Prize. The deep significance of the award can only be measured against the background from which it comes. Cité Soleil is generally regarded as one of the …