haitian love

I grew up in a little town outside of Boston.

The oldest in a family of four kids ... and two parents.

I had a graduating class of nearly 300 kids.

No more than 27 thousand people lived in my town (including those 300).

The University I attended was the academic home of 30,000 students -- in a college town with an additional 60,000 people.

Here in Eugene I have an office with about 50 people I work with on a regular basis.

I have one roommate. One boyfriend. Several more friends. About 150 people I go to church with.

200,000 people.

That's more than 75,000 people than I just flippantly mentioned.

Think of your dad. Your mom. Your siblings, children, cousins, husband, wives, grandparents, closest friends, and all of that...ripped from your life.

That, my friends, is what the Haitian people are experiencing.

Every day I write stories where I mention the climbing death toll -- I see pictures of children starving in the streets... and my heart breaks.

My friends, I grew up in a little town outside of Boston.

Within my immediate group of church friends were several who had immigrated from Haiti with their families. These people were some of the most considerate, kind, loving, and charitable people I've ever met. Any suffering they witnessed -- was quelled by their charity and their compassion.

Now my friends worry about family members left in their mother country. They worry about the stability of government, about those dying from starvation, and those still looking -- a week later -- for medical care from wounds sustained in the quake.

I grew up in a little town outside of Boston.

And now, the equivalent population of the city of Philadelphia lies dead in the Haitian streets.

{image via cnn}

They need our help.

If my words can't convince you -- check this out. This is what journalist Anderson Cooper witnessed, participated in, and showed us ... sitting here in our comfortable homes. This is the life they ARE experiencing. It's not a picture to them, not a story, a video -- it's their life.

But there are messages of hope. There is a chance for these people.
There's ALWAYS hope.

My LDS friends -- you can donate to the Humanitarian Aid fund -- just do it on your tithing slip.

“Money is not the only need in Haiti ... People are frightened, bewildered, and wholly uncertain about their future. In addition to what people can do in helping with food, water and shelter, there needs to be a calming influence over that troubled nation. We invite people everywhere to supplicate God for a spirit of calm and peace among the people.”

Message from the First Presidency. 

Anyone can donate through the American Red Cross.
It's hard getting supplies into Haiti, so money is the way to go.

Here's to a little bit of hope.