Our Story
Our Story
The seed to work in Haiti was planted in my heart in 2009 following a mission trip with my church. I would have to say Pennies for Haiti has been a long labor of love filled with hope, life-changing experiences, challenges but mostly blessings.
Pennies for Haiti’ is a 501(c)(3) organization, registered in the state of Florida, was founded in 2010 as a non-profit organization guided by Christian values. We are helping underprivileged children through various projects, such as ‘House of Hope,' 'Ready to Learn,' 'Haiti STEM Alliance,' and many more. Our organization is committed to Haiti’s future and we stand united with many other organizations that have chosen to answer the global call to end hunger and poverty in our world. Currently, we collect donations through various online portals via our website, Facebook page, crowdfunding sites, and through in-person charity.
Our long-term goal is to stop the cycle of poverty by nourishing and educating the children. They are the future of Haiti and the country’s best hope to radically change its current impoverished state. The short-term goal is to provide the necessary tools through education to the children to help them succeed and break out of their current situation. ‘Pennies for Haiti’ is working to provide a better quality of life to the people of Haiti, and we believe the children are the country’s greatest hope.
From our inception, I knew our work would be all about children...feeding and educating them. Our first project was working with an orphanage, we created many activities for them but it never felt I was truly making a difference. Despite my doubts, I kept the course and asked God for a purpose. In 2017, my prayers would be answered through baby Lucson. He died in my arms as we rushed him to a malnutrition center; his death caused pain I had never felt before. At first, the immediate response was to help pregnant women in one of the most secluded areas in Haiti called Belle Fontaine where Lucson was from. We worked there for about 3 yrs until our main donor changed their career path and decided to become a priest. He was no longer able to financially support the project. We are still working in Belle Fontaine but only during major natural disasters. The project is named SOS Belle Fontaine.
I kept praying for the purpose soon after I learned of the acronym STEM and created a consortium named Haiti STEM Alliance to reach every child in Haiti and expose them to these disciplines. This project has grown leaps and bounds. We are teaching children how to code using Scratch and Lego EV3. We are also involved with the FIRST Lego League.
However, our dearest project, our heart, and soul the one that wakes me up every morning are my kids. In 2017, we began the House of Hope project as we welcomed 21 girls in our home at the time. All of our projects were preparing for this next step in our history.
What I thought was our most challenging year would be a walk in the park in comparison to what most of 2018 had in store for us. Before the girls, we never needed constant funding but given our work with the girls, all of that would change. In 2018, we lost our major sponsor and donor, the girls were evicted, and we buried Baby Dania. But God was working on my faith. I learned to trust Him more than ever. He showed me that, there was a bright light at the end of the tunnel all I needed to do is trust Him. God blessed us by moving the girls to a new house. Fast forward, every year my faith is tested the same way because we have to move the girls to a new house. But my pride is in them. They have excelled beyond imagination. Their disposition has changed. They are more respectful and loving children. Best of all they keep pushing the threshold for the bottom-line grade; F students are now B+ students I am so proud of their achievements because I know they have come such a long way. I hope to be able to support and care for them as long as they are willing to remain in school and continue their education as far as they want. In 2020, the goal was to purchase a house for the girls; we were getting tired of moving. Unfortunately, once more my faith would be challenged and again God showed me I still needed to work on it. God blessed us and moved us again the funds to pay the yearly rent always seem to appear from truly unexpected blessings. We have to move again in a few weeks...and this year I just know God got this and I need not worry.
This is our story changing lives one child at a time.
We have added other projects as the need arises and hope to be able to find the funding for the causes that come our way. We trust God will always be our compass on this awesome journey.
Our Mission
Pennies for Haiti is dedicated to empowering underserved communities in Haiti by providing access to education, resources, and support systems. Our mission is to enhance educational opportunities, promote malnutrition prevention, and distribute essential supplies. We are now expanding our focus to include robotics and STEM education, fostering a hands-on learning experience in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Through these initiatives, we aim to equip the youth of Haiti with the skills necessary to break the cycle of poverty and become leaders in their communities.
Our Vision
One day to see less children living in poverty in Haiti.
Our Core Values
• Guided by Christian values to help the poor and needy.
• A strong commitment to hard work in order to find solutions for each family or family member.
• Inspiring others to make the world a better place.
• Respectful of those who we work for and with.
• Good stewards of all the resources entrusted to us.
• Empowering people or individuals instead of enabling them.
• Be an active and responsible global citizen in making our world a better place.
Newsletter (click on the below year)
