Gifts from the Heart

Periodically an event so overwhelming occurs that we are shaken out of the way of life we are accustomed to.  This is how I felt when the overwhelming tragedy of the Haiti earthquake occurred.  One of the nuns of my Dominican Order has worked in Haiti for years caring for the infants and children up to age two.  She called in tears begging for prayers.  The pictures on TV accented her cries.

Educational materials sent to us from the Archdiocese of Seattle filled us in on the absolute poverty existing in Haiti even before the earthquake.  We were shocked to learn that the average annual family income in the United States is $37,000.  The average family annual income in Haiti is $370.  Haiti is the poorest country in all of the Western Hemisphere.  Then, the earthquake.

It is so awe inspiring to see Americans rising to the cause.  Millions of dollars have already been collected from the private sector, but they are a drop in the bucket compared to the amount required to alleviate the misery and death occurring just off our southern shores. 

St. Mary Magdalen parents have been calling, teachers have been meeting, and our school is stepping up to do our part.  I have sent an email to our parents and staff outlining our project.  It will be similar to our original “Gifts from the Heart” project that raised so much money for those devastated by the Tsunami tragedy a few years ago.

We are using the same project to address the Haiti crisis and also the recent flooding in the Philippines which occurred a few weeks ago.  (Several of our families have relatives in the Philippines who lost everything, even their lives in the Philippine tragedy.)

The Project:

Monday, January 25 before noon, students are invited to bring to the parish hall toys in good condition that they no longer need.  All of these toys will be priced by a Parents Club committee at very reasonable amounts (25 cents and up).  The next day, Tuesday, January 26 during the day, students will “shop” to purchase any of the toys they like.

A bake sale will also be part of this project.  Parents are asked to send baked goods if possible to school.  These will also be sold Tuesday.  Donations of money can also be made.  In our first project several thousand dollars were donated in addition to the sale.

“Gifts from the Heart” will be a very enjoyable event as well as a very profitable one.  In our initial project students brought a huge number of toys.  Many of them said, “I like this toy, but I don’t need it, so I’m giving it to help the people who have nothing.”

All of the money will be sent to “Catholic Relief Services” to distribute.  This branch of the Catholic Church gives almost 100 percent of the amount collected, keeping a very small amount for administrative purposes.  CRS had 300 workers in Haiti full time prior to the earthquake, so they will be in a good place for distributing aid to those who are most in need.

We thank everyone for their cooperation in this most necessary and urgent project.