Enjoy the journey.
Brenda’s mom always helped others less fortunate. With little fanfare she raised money for the Ronald McDonald house, March of Dimes, and gave to needy families at Christmas. Brenda has followed that example and then some. As a flight attendant she frequently made trips to Haiti, often bringing clothes to donate. Later she moved to San Francisco and volunteered at a women’s shelter, babysitting so that mothers could go to school. Brenda always felt a strong connection with the Haitian people and after the earthquake in 2010, she returned to Haiti and discovered a group of men working to rescue homeless children from the street. These men, who had also been rescued as boys, live in an area where few go to help. One boy they rescued in particular – a four year old named John – made an instant connection with Brenda and her husband Jeff. They paid for him to go to school as they began the process of trying to adopt him. But seeing that there were so many more kids like John, Brenda began recruiting friends in the U.S. who wanted to help. The effort grew, ultimately leading her to found a charity called Futures 4 Haiti. Thanks to Brenda’s work, 23 kids now have food, medicine, backpacks, uniforms, shoes, and the opportunity to advance themselves by going to school. Brenda still visits Haiti three or four times a year to ensure everything is working as it should. But true to her mother’s example, there’s little fanfare around her work. If you’d like to help her, please visit futures4haiti.org and get involved.
