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Posts Tagged ‘haiti’

Day 359 – Pierre C.

Posted in Food & Beverage, tagged , , , , , , , , on December 26, 2010| 2 Comments »

I asked if I could take Pierre's photograph and he said, "Why not, I am a handsome man!"

After attending a luncheon fundraiser for Room to Read that featured journalists Cokie and Steve Roberts, I hailed a cab and headed over to my office at 24th and M Streets.  I asked the cab driver how his day was and he responded, “Wonderful.  Every day is beautiful!”  I peered up at the name listed on the taxi permit fastened to the underside of the sun visor and saw that his name was Pierre.

I leaned over, grabbed my book bag and pulled my small notebook out to take some notes about this jovial character as we traveled the 30 blocks across town.

Originally from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Pierre moved here in 1972.  “I remember it well, it was the year that Mr. Nixon had some trouble,” the 66-year-old said still smiling broadly.  “And the Dolphins won the Superbowl!”  He would know that too because he moved to Miami before moving to DC later in 1975.  He hasn’t been back to Haiti in a while though.  In fact, he isn’t aware of any family still living there.  “If I have some, I don’t know them.” 

“I’ve been driving a cab since 1984 or 85.”  He’s been lucky, he said, that he has never experienced any dangerous situations while driving his cab like Freddy, the recipient from Day 331 who was shot while driving his taxi back in the late eighties. 

I shared with Pierre that part of my motivation for this project was my mother, who passed away four years ago this month.  He told me that he lost his wife two years and eight months ago.  “We had ten children and 20 grandkids.  The oldest is now 46; I had her my last year of high school,” he said turning onto M Street.  “All but one of them are here in DC.  And the 20th grandchild was just born the day before.  “I was coming from the hospital when I picked you up,” Pierre said.  

I love this guy.  He had such an energy and esprit de vivre!  His ten dollars went to buying his lunch for the day.

“I really like what you are doing,” he said as I got out of his cab.  “Probably many people have thought something similar, but the difference is that you took the initiative and did it!” he said with his intoxicating voice.  

I hopped out and snapped this photo of him as he pulled away.

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Day 39 – “Sandra”

Posted in Food & Beverage, tagged , , , , , on January 24, 2010| 1 Comment »

I got a little behind in my posts and I will try to catch up.  Day 39 was my birthday.  It was a rather calm and peaceful day.  I had the opening of the play that I am in, The Foreigner. 

After lunch I was walking down Connecticut Avenue and got cornered by some folks trying to get people to donate to C.A.R.E.  I patiently listened to “Sandra” talk about the importance of donating, especially now given the crisis in Haiti.  In fact she says she is from Haiti…well, her parents are from Haiti and she studied some in High School there.  I asked how her family was and she said that everyone that she knew was thankfully ok. 

I let her finish her pitch and then threw my curveball.  I explained to her the Year of Giving and told her that I would like to give my $10 to her, and then she could do anything she wanted to with the money.     

Sandra is not her real name, but she was very concerned that her name might get on the Internet…so we agreed to use this pseudonym.  She goes on to explain that she was born in Canada and moved to DC about 18 months ago.  “I didn’t do much for a little more than a year, then I got this job about two months ago” she explained. 

Since the 27-year-old interacts with the public every day about so many important causes I was interested in some of her experiences, however, she said that nothing really stood out.  I couldn’t believe it…how could you spend two months interacting every day with the public and not have a list of stories.  I have been doing my Year of Giving for 39 days and when I get asked what interesting experiences I have had, I can hardly wait to tell people about Anthony, Kevin, Jenny, Gilles, David, etc… the list goes on.  I pressed her a little more and she did recall seeing Robin Williams on the streets of Georgetown recently.  No, she didn’t ask him to donate if you were wondering.

I circled back around to the $10 and asked her what she planned to do with it.  I was wondering if she would donate it to C.A.R.E. since she was so passionate about me contributing to the organization.  She said she didn’t want to do anything with it today.  She was just going to put it in her pocket and think about it.  Later, she said she would use it to buy lunch one day next week. 

A parking enforcement officer walks by and she recalls that earlier that day she had given a man 50 cents to put in his meter and he said to her, “Thank you.  Something great is going to you today!”  She looks at me and says, “He was right!”

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Day 36 – Bill C.

Posted in Bills, Food & Beverage, Refusals, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 20, 2010| 2 Comments »

I have been so impressed with how many people I know who have opened up their wallets and hearts to help those in Haiti.  Maybe it is because technology has made it easier for us to make contributions, maybe it is because many of us remember our own times of need and how much it means when someone offers to help.  Regardless of the reason, I am impressed.  I have also seen the generous side of many people after they have learned about the Year of Giving.  Thanks to all of you who have offered me support and encouragement.

Today I struck out three times before finding a willing recipient of my $10.  I first approached a city worker.  There is an area of DC called the Golden Triangle.  That district has workers dawned in bright yellow vests whose job it is to help people find where they are going and keep the area clean and safe.  I doubt they get paid very well and they offer a great service.  The first person I approached said he was not able to accept money while he was working.  So, I went on my way and saw a Latino man leaving a bank with a chef’s outfit on.  I approached him and he seemed very skeptical of my intentions.  He said he was working and could not talk to me.  I gave him my card and kept on walking.  Then I saw another Golden Triangle employee and thought I would see if I got the same answer as his colleague.  Sure enough, he toted the company line.

Three refusals…wow.  One more and I will have a new single day record.  I walked by a man sitting on a park bench next to a guitar case.  Bill was dressed all in black and sporting dark sunglasses.  He looked cool and relaxed as he enjoyed his coffee on this warmer than average Tuesday.  I sat down next to him and explained what I was doing.  He smiled easily and said he really liked my project. 

Bill playing a few songs at Dupont Circle

Bill has been playing guitar for 45 years.  He tells me that he has played and worked with all kinds of people in all kinds of places.  From street corners to now mega-star Alicia Keys.  Yep, Bill did some work for Alicia Keys when she was a young teenager.  He says he likes any kind of music, “from the 50’s to Smashing Pumpkins.”  He credits the Ink Spots, the Platters, and all of Motown as influencing factors.

In recent years, Bill has not been so fortunate.  Playing some gigs here and there and getting some extra cash on the street.  He entertains the public in front of the Starbucks at Dupont Circle and the North and South Dupont Metro entrances.  On a good day he says he brings in over $100.  On a bad day $15. 

If you want to check out some of Bill’s music, you can find him on MySpace.  The site is outdated and doesn’t look like it has been updated in a few years.  I asked Bill if he had family and he mentioned 7 brothers and sisters.  On the MySpace page you will also find what looks to be a blog post by Bill in 2007 asking for help finding his two children that he apparently has lost touch with.  Sad.  He is such a nice guy.

So I asked Bill what he was going to do with the money and he said it would go to food and utilities.  I get the feeling he is not paying rent right now and tries to give as much as possible to his roommate, a fellow musician. 

Bill pulled his guitar out and tuned it.  His fingertips tell the whole story; the hardened skin from years of sliding his fingers up and down the guitar.  He plays a couple tunes and even breaks into some vocals as well.  It would have been a beautifully serene moment had it not been for a certifiably crazy man screaming on the next bench over.

Before I left I asked Bill what his all-time favorite song was…Moonlight Serenade.  For those who live/work/play near Dupont Circle, keep an eye out for Bill and say hello.

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Day 35 – Gwen

Posted in Transportation, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 18, 2010| 4 Comments »

This morning I went down to the Washington Post’s office to volunteer with Greater DC CARES to prepare food for Martha’s Table, an organization that helps at-risk children, youth, families and individuals in the community improve their lives by providing educational programs, food, clothing, and enrichment opportunities.  I was part of a team of youth and adults from the Alliance for a Healthier Generation.  I used to work for the Alliance, a terrific organization started by the American Heart Association and former President Clinton’s Foundation.

We spent the morning working as a team to do several service projects.  Our group prepared over 2,000 sandwiches to be handed out by McKenna’s Wagon.  The youth that were part of our team were part of the Alliance’s Youth Advisory Board, 25 amazing kids from across the country who inspire their peers to make healthy behavior changes and to become leaders and advocates for healthy eating and physical activity.  They quickly figured out good systems that allowed them to work more productively as a team.  Despite some minor help from us adults trying minimize the amount of jelly on the carpet, they pretty much handled it all.  What an amazing group of young people.  Thanks to my friend Kim for inviting me to be a part of this special day.

In addition to the food we prepared, the other teams participating produced 600 burn kits, 1,000 first aid kits for search and rescue teams, 500 basic toiletry kits for the homeless, and hundreds of cards and letters to be sent to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  Great work by everyone!

While I was volunteering I heard about a wonderful woman named Gwen who drove the bus for the Alliance’s group.  As we left the building, I found Gwen and asked her if she would accept my $10!  Her face lit up and she gladly accepted.  The 54-year-old has a face that glows with energy.  I don’t think I saw her not smiling the whole time.  Born near the RFK stadium, she now lives in Largo, MD with her mother.  She has a 32-year-old son who works for Metro and four grandchildren.  

Me giving Gwen $10. Check out the video of this on the YoG Facebook Page. Photo Credit: John Wilson

My friend Daniel told me that yesterday he had asked Gwen if she knew where they could get some food.  She didn’t hesitate and opened her bag and offered a pear that she had brought for herself.  What a nice person to offer up her own food to someone else.

So I asked Gwen what she was going to do with the $10.  “I am going to put gas in my car!” she quickly replied.

Almost everyone had loaded up on the bus at this point and I didn’t want to hold the group up, so I quickly said goodbye and headed back home to write about the experience.   I am planning to go to the Embassy of Haiti at 5pm tonight for a candlelight vigil.  If you are in the DC area and would like to attend, go to 2311 Massachusetts. Ave., N.W. or check out the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee’s page on Facebook.

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Day 31 – Gilles

Posted in Something for others, tagged , , , , , , , , on January 15, 2010| 3 Comments »

The end of my first month.  I have invested $310 to date in random acts of kindness.  It has been worth every penny!

Embassy of Haiti in Washington, DC

I decided to go to the Haitian Embassy to see if there was something I could do to help in the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.  I arrived at the embassy to see it blanketed in camera crews and news trucks.  There was a small candle memorial in front of the embassy as well.  Apart from the news personnel, I did not see many people outside.  I saw two gentlemen walking toward the embassy and I thought I would offer them my $10.

Gilles’ mind was clearly elsewhere and I sensed that he has suffered greatly from this earthquake.  Despite this, he kindly responded to me, “You can give me money, but any money you give me is going to go directly to the efforts to help those in Haiti.”  He invited me into the embassy and said he would be with me in a minute.  I figured he worked for the embassy at this point, but I later found out that he was from Philadelphia and worked for Church & Dwight, the company that makes Arm & Hammer and several other household and personal care products.  

I waited in the lobby of the embassy for Gilles for a few minutes.  There were about 20 in the lobby.  Some looked almost lifeless, paralyzed by the tragedy and loss of this week’s earthquake.  Others were bustling around trying to resolve a myriad of questions.

Gilles appeared and explained to me that he was born and raised in Port au Prince and had left his homeland five years ago to move to Philadelphia, PA.  He had driven down from the city of brotherly love to try to get his passport in order so that he could fly to Port au Prince to help in the relief efforts.  His plan was to get a satellite phone and then help the people of Haiti get in contact with their friends and families.  “Communication is limited there right now.” He paused and continued, “There are lots of deaths.” I asked him about his family and he said he was able to contact his family to find out if everyone was ok.  I heard a tremor in his voice and saw him holding back a tidal wave of emotion.  There was a split second where I had to decide whether I push on and ask about his family or avoid the potentially painful subject.  I gathered the courage and tried to respectfully push further.

“I lost my mother,” he said.

Gilles didn’t cry, but the tears were flowing inside him.  I found it hard to swallow and really wanted to just give him a hug.  I understood that she died at home when their building collapsed.  He says the rest of his immediate family appears to be ok.

Where do I go from here?  There are so many things I want to ask him, but I also know

Earthquake devastation in Haiti

 that he has much more important things to be doing now.  I asked him how readers of my blog could help.  “They need food, water, and medicine,” he told me.  They really need on the ground volunteers he explains.  He says he will introduce me to someone from the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee who can give me more details on how you can help.    

But first he says, “Come with me and we are going to donate the $10 right now.”  We walk to a desk with a woman speaking on the phone.  When she hangs up, she explains that she can not accept cash.  Gilles holds the $10 out in front of him and says, “You keep it man.  Find another way to donate.” I encouraged him to hold on to the money and put it to good use while he was in Haiti.  He agreed.  I gave him a hug and said I was sorry about his mother and wished him good luck.  I wish I would have asked for his email address so that I could follow up with him later.  It was such an emotional moment that I simply forgot.  Maybe someone reading this blog can help me find him.  I did some searches but haven’t had any luck so far.

I later spoke to Fermin from the Greater Washington Haiti Relief Group.  He said the best place for information on how to help can be found at their Facebook page.  Type “Greater Washington Haiti Relief Committee” in the search field and it should come up.  There they give this information about donations:

Make checks payable to “GWHRC” and mail to:
Greater Washington Haitian Relief Committee
Embassy of Haiti
2311 Massachusetts Ave NW
Washington, DC 20007

Needless to say it was a very powerful scene to witness first hand. I gave my name and contact details to them and offered to help in any way possible.  I even offered to go to Haiti one month from now to help in reconstruction efforts.  Hopefully I can help in some way.

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Day 30 – Kenneth B.

Posted in Food & Beverage, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 14, 2010| 3 Comments »

Today was a busy day!

I had an informative meeting with a friend of a friend on how to effectively incorporate twitter into my Year of Giving.  Look for this being added to the site soon.  Then I had a meeting with World Neighbors, a very impressive international development organization whose focus is to eliminate hunger, poverty, and disease in the poorest, most isolated rural villages in the developing world.  I urge you to check out their website and support their fantastic work.  Then I met up with Jenny from Day 13 to follow up on her thoughts about being a recipient of the Year of Giving and

Jenny from Day 13 in front of Kramerbooks where I met her

how her job search is going.  As you might remember, several YoG blog readers commented on suggestions for her to find work in the international public health sector.  Thanks to all that helped!  I should have a short video posted on Facebook soon where Jenny talks about her reaction to the Year of Giving as well as her own altruistic pledge!

Finally I went to the Embassy of Haiti to volunteer my time and resources to any efforts that they may have.  As I approached the embassy I was greeted by news trucks and a small memorial of candles and paintings.  Inside the embassy there was a very uncomfortable vibe.  Somber yet frantic if you can imagine.   The hustle and bustle of people was occasionally broken up by tears and desperation.  While I was there, I gave away my $10 to Gilles, a Haitian-American who lost his mother in the earthquake.  It was a very moving experience.  I will give a full report on Gilles tomorrow. 

I have been so busy, that I have not updated the blog on yesterday’s recipient…so here goes.

On day 30 I found Kenneth selling Street Sense at the Dupont Circle Metro entrance.  I bought a paper for $1.00 from the 43-year-old and asked if I could talk to him about a project I was doing.  He agreed and grabbed his personal items and suggested we have a seat nearby on a bench.  Kenneth is cheerful and full of energy. 

Kenneth selling Street Sense at the Dupont Circle Metro entrance

Before I finish telling you about my gift to Kenneth, let me say a few more words about Street Sense.  Street Sense is a great paper produced twice a month that is mostly run and written by those who are homeless or below the poverty level in DC.  You might recall David from Day 5 who was also selling Street Sense.  I have seen the Street Sense sales people for years, but never bought the paper.  Since I bought my first copy from David, I have really become a fan.  The paper is short and can be read in one sitting.  The stories are great and really give you insight into the DC homeless and poverty issues.  Sixty-five cents goes to the vendor and thirty-five cents goes to the paper.  The next time you see a sales person, stop, say hello, and buy an issue.  It’s a dollar!  These people are making an honest buck and the paper is great.  Here’s a little bit of trivia too.  Check out their vendor ID number and you can tell how long they have been at Street Sense.  They go sequentially from when they started so you might meet someone who has been there since the early days back in 2003 when it was started if they have a number under 20 for example.

Back to Kenneth.  He shared with me that he suffered from various conditions (bipolar, schizoaffective, and post traumatic stress) and as a result was living in a community residence facility (CRF), which is like an assisted living situation.  Although he said he wished that he could live on his own, I sensed that he understood that living in the CRF would help him get the most out of life.  

He enjoys selling the paper.  On good days, he sells his 20 papers within 2-3 hours.  Occasionally he gets the opportunity to mentor young professionals who want to experience what it is like to work for a nonprofit organization – he says he really enjoys that. 

I am mindful that my time with Kenneth is keeping him from selling his papers and wrap up our conversation.  He says he will spend the money on food this week.  I asked him if I could take his picture and he smiled and happily said that was fine.  He quickly went back to work hawking the remaining papers.  I encourage everyone who uses the Dupont Circle Metro to keep and eye out for Kenneth.  He is usually at the corner of 20th and Q.  Say hello, get a paper, and tell him that I sent you!  If you don’t live in the DC area, check to see if your city has a newspaper dedicated to the poor and homeless, lots of urban areas have them!

One final note, I heard back from Zazzle.com about sponsoring business cards for the Year of Giving.  They were delighted to help and will be shipping me 500 cards shortly!  THANK YOU!!!  Check out there site.  They have an interesting business model and do all kinds of other personalized items (clothes, mugs, etc.).

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