Nearly 12 years ago when I was a flight attendant for a charter airline, I was working a string of flights throughout the Caribbean. Port-Au-Prince Haiti was one of our stops. We brought in a handful of people, but on the next leg there were no passengers. I was able to sit in a regular passenger seat – and of course I chose a window seat. We lined up on the runway to take off and it was then I saw a little local boy, about age eight, on a blue bike on a dirt path next to the strip. My first thought was his ears! He was so close and the planes are so loud. My heart then softened for him, how endearing that the boy comes to watch the jets take off. Our engines revved and we started to move forward – but watch was not what that little boy intended to do. He balanced on his bike and he started to push forward. As we started to roll, he pushed with all his might and he pushed and he pushed and he pushed. His little legs were going as fast as they could go as he raced the 727 down that runway. As we lifted off he slowed down and waved!
That day (and maybe every day) that little guy challenged something bigger than him and gave it his all. I pray that he has the same strength today as he did a decade ago.
When watching the news about the devastation of the recent earthquake, it’s quite a hopeless feeling not being able to help search for survivors or offer a hand to the injured. But there is something we can do: Donate and Volunteer.
Tonight I am one of 40 bloggers participating in the first Minnesota Blogging Event. We are going to Feed My Starving Children (a non-profit organization that provides food to hungry children in 60 countries) for a food packing shift. This event was planned before the earthquake hit, but the organization has been working hard to deliver thousands of meals to Haiti.
Are you looking for a way to help Haiti? While volunteering is a great way to contribute, I heard yesterday on Twin Cities Live that what is really needed is donations to purchase the food. Perhaps you can host a bake sale, cash in that bucket of change or rally your community to raise money. Every bit helps.
Do you know of any organizations collecting for the Haiti disaster? If so, please feel free to post in the comments. Here are a few links I’ve come across relating to this disaster: Peter Greenberg, Matador Network, Google, and Partners in Health.
I loved the story about that little boy. My town has ties with Haitian artists and everyone here has been urged to contribute to Partners in Health.