Big Changes in the Making!

We've had another busy week here in Haiti as we gear up for the Christmas and New Year Holidays, as well as all that comes with the end of the year running an organization. I've been busy meeting with our lawyer, visiting various government entities, and preparing to have a hundred or so contracts signed by year-end! Love and Len have been busy this past week with Operations - namely building and renovation projects both inside and around Brit's Home! We're particularly excited about the renovation project happening in what was first Gama and his family's apartment, and then became mine.

As we grow and evolve as family first and as an organization second, we have to keep up with the needs of our growing children, too! The challenges we face in raising 66 children are in no way limited, and so it seems that we adjust and adapt policy and rules often, making every effort to keep ahead of the curve so to speak in an effort to bring the best care and education we can for our children. One of our biggest challenges since our earliest days is maintaining a balance in terms of allowing our Britsionarys and Child Sponsors to bring or send gifts to Haiti, and figuring out how to disperse the overwhelming amounts of gifts we have received at our Operations Center.

In our earliest days, this wasn't problematic, as we had few sponsors and fewer Britsionarys. Over the course of the past almost 4 years, our Britsionary Family has grown to include upwards of 700 people, and our sponsor and donor base has expanded, too. Our struggle was this: How can we teach our children things like responsibility for personal items - how to take care of your own belongings while a flood of those belongings just kept coming and coming? When I first realized that our children were careless with things like toys, books, bikes, etc., I recognized that in part this was because when and if something invariably broke, another group of Britsionarys would likely be soon behind the last, and would be coming with gifts in hand. Thus, the idea for a store of sorts was born, and today we're making that happen.

Once this space is finalized, it will house both our Program's office space, specific to the leadership staff who works with the children directly, as well as our own store/market of sorts. We've asked one of our ovenight caregivers, Madame Mirtha, to head up this initiative, as Mirtha runs her own market here in Grand Goave. We think she will be a great choice to teach our children how to run a
small business, and how to manage money! We plan to build in marketing strategies, too, and feature items in the store that have been donated to BLB.

What's even more beneficial is that we'll be building the "money" side of this in to our Positive Reinforcement Program, Catch You Being Good, where children will earn tickets and points after accumulating a certain number of "stars" for times when a caregiver or even another child notices someone going above and beyond what is expected of them. We also plan to work in a corresponding allowance program for those children who are tasked with regular chores around the house, so that they can learn about how to manage money, budgeting, and more. We're very excited!!!

Madame Love spent some extra special time with a group of our girls this weekend, hosting a slumber party of sorts on Friday and then last night, traveling to Port au Prince to bring the girls to a Holiday ballet recital at the school of one of her friends. Our girls were so excited to go, and have not stopped talking about it since they got back! Some of them even think they are ballerinas now, too! We'll have to work on that a bit, but what a special treat for those girls who worked so hard and deserved this new first!

With everything going on, we know it's going to be a busy few weeks! We look forward to our Christmas Britsionary Group arriving later this month to help with all of the activities that will be going on! Be sure to stay tuned to our social media pages for all of the updates!

As always, thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit!!!

Where We're Supposed to Be

Often, it takes the gentle reminder of strangers to sort of "reset" yourself. Such is the case here in Haiti, for sure, as with hundreds of visitors each year, it's usually through their eyes and their reflection that I'm reminded of all that is good in the world; especially when it can be hard to see that good amidst the fog of it all...

For me, it was our most recent Britsionary Group who reminded me of that - perhaps in the most unassuming of ways. It's always such a pleasure to host groups, and while we love our returning friends, I particularly enjoy getting to know the newbies - the first-timers who have felt compelled to travel to Haiti and give of themselves for a week in the spirit of humanitarianism and selflessness that is so much a part of our immediate and extended family. Reflections on the roof are indeed often  my most favorite of experiences, and this group especially reminded me of my blessings last night.

The group reflected largely on the impact that one can make. How it's really quite simple to make a difference, and how it doesn't require a momentous, huge outpouring of effort or support or money to make it happen. Indeed, Britney Gengel's life, in just 19 short years, has had a lasting and permanent effect on the lives of thousands here in Haiti and in the USA - even without her knowing. As our new friend Amy remarked, most people don't manage to affect things on this level over the course of a lifetime. Britney was able to do it with a simple text message, unbeknownst to her at the time - that would resonate for years to come, and for thousands to witness...

It was wonderful to have good friends and colleagues here this week, like Charlie, our incredible volunteer who gives so much of himself and helped me remember the privilege of being able to serve - of helping those who are less fortunate than ourselves. Wendy, who works for us part-time at the OC in Worcester is such a gracious soul, and spending some time with her this week was definitely therapeutic. Our friend Michael, who volunteers with us as a grant writer was here, too, and he and Cherylann and I got to spend some quality time together talking about future projects and initiatives. We have our sights aimed very high, and we're so grateful for all of the support along the way.

As we grow as an organization, we are constantly looking to improve. Len's motto, CANEI (Constant and Never Ending Improvement) is indeed the words we live by here at Be Like Brit. As we plan for 2017, we have great endeavors on the horizon. I am confident that through the support of friends and strangers alike, we'll make great strides in achieving those goals...

Having Cherylann here is always such a gift, and the children just love it when Manmi Cherylann is in town! The group made the "big haul", having brought in most of the Christmas presents that all of you have so generously sent to us at our Operations Center. Our children are truly blessed, and we're grateful to be able to extend those blessings along to our precious 66 children.

The week was especially productive as our friend and Board Member Eileen was on hand, too! Eileen handles most of our human resources issues and is an all around friend and confident. She is my voice of reason in times where I doubt myself - or anything else, for that matter. She is a true gift, and this week more than ever I am reminded of just how many gifts I have in my life.

In this holiday season, this time of thanks and of things near and dear, let us all be reminded of those blessings we take for granted, of just how fortunate we are to have so much in a world where so many have so little. It is through this work, through my friends here in Haiti, and through the hardships of others that I am reminded of just how lucky I am, as Charlie put it, to be able to serve others. 

Thank you for helping us help the children of Haiti at Be Like Brit!!!