 Today was an extremely busy day in Sertoma. Not only were the
Brainerd Sunrise Club in attendance to speak about their flower
sales, but also Tom Rosenberger was joined by Steve Northway
President of Finance and Administration for Nor-Son and Tom
Johnson of Credit America to speak to us about the Haiti
Mission.
Tom and his team have made several trips to Haiti to support
the idea of a high school for the area served by the mission.
They have raised about $300,000 of the $500,000 necessary to
start phase one of the three part project (16 classrooms) that
will finally result in a two story facility that will serve an
area about the size of Brainerd Baxter. Over 1700 students
attend grade school at the mission but the mission is about much
more. It is attempting to create an economy and make the
citizens of the 8 town that it serves financially independent.
They are concentrating on basic needs such as food, clothing,
shelter and clean water and education as a means to make life
easier in an area that is one of the poorest in the world. About
95 % of the population lives in poverty. Small things are items
of inestimable value. As Mr. Johnson explained, "A simple five
gallon bucket that we would throw away is a treasure in a
country with no roads and minimal means of transportation". Tom
appealed to Sertomans and others in the Brainerd area before the
team went to Haiti last February and was able to take about
$5000 worth of shoes to children who desperately need them to
make the long walk to school every day. Fas 829-7761 Pam Bye Tom
and his team appealed for help in a three fold way. They
stressed the fact that religion is not the issue here, it is one
of humanity to man. Tom personally guaranteed that all moneys
donated to either the shoe fund or the high school fund went to
the cause and not to administrative costs. If you wish to
contribute to the shoe fund, make your contributions out to
Shoes for Haiti and give them to Tom Rosenberger. The Sacred
Heart Academy contributions can either be given directly to Tom
who will send them or put in the mail to Society of Our Lady,
Haiti Mission, PO Box 18249, Kansas City, MO 64133. Tom also
encouraged members to consider individually sponsoring a child
for $20 per month. Fas 829-7761 Steve Trebil Thanks for a very
inspiring video, an uplifting talk, and the chance to make a
difference. |
