In the days following the earthquake that struck Haiti in 2010, I, like so many of us, was glued to the TV and any bit of news I could take in about how people were surviving and how people were getting out of there.
One story in particular kept me checking my laptop for updates that I would often see come through my Facebook and Twitter feeds. 2 women- Jamie and Ali McMutrie from Pennsylvania- who were volunteering at a Haitian orphanage (BRESMA) before the earthquake struck, were now responsible for 150 children who had no access to food and water. (BurghBaby.com was one of my sources of info for this story, and Michelle has continued to help Jaime and Ali, most recently hosting a formula drive for them.)
I remember reaching out to a friend of mine from college, a journalist who was on a boat on the way to Haiti, telling him their story, asking if he could please do anything he could to let people know these babies, at the very least, needed water. Fast.
Jamie and Ali stayed to see that all 150 children were safely evacuated, and then decided to stay in Haiti and open their own non-profit- Haitian Families First, which focuses on keeping families together, identifying basic needs and helping them beat poverty.
As each of our three main programs is interconnected with the last, so too, are the roots of poverty. We believe the way out of poverty is through education, social services, and sustainable, holistic assistance. – HaitianFamiliesFirst.org
Check out this video for more on their personal story of how Haitian Families First came to be.
Remember how I told y’all about SoapBox Soaps earlier this year? They’re a company that produces all natural, gluten free, and organic soaps. For every bar of soap purchased, one is donated to someone in need. Their mission really spoke to me because I just never thought how important something as simple as soap is to others. I signed up for a monthly subscription of 2 bars of soap for $10 because, well, we NEED soap, and it’s nice to make a small difference every month by purchasing something I know we’ll put to use.
After my post, the SoapBox Soaps team asked if I’d like to host a soap drive for a charity of my choice. I immediately thought of Jamie and Ali and all the families they are helping in Haiti. After figuring out the logistics (SoapBox Soaps is paying to transport the donated soap to Haiti!), we are good to go!
So here’s how you can help Jamie and Ali help families in Haiti: BUY SOAP.
For each monthly subscription purchased (2 bars of soap sent to your house a month) between now and March 18th, using the promo code Soap4Haiti, 2 bars of soap will be sent to Haitian Families First.
To make the deal even sweeter, the promo code Soap4Haiti also gets you $1 per month off your subscription as long as the subscription is active (making the subscription only $9/month, including shipping).
I know, I know… it’s just soap, right? Right. It’s just soap. Something so simple that can make such a big difference. Something we ALL need. I hope you’ll share this with your friends and family. I really want to see this drive succeed!
Please remember to use the promo code! Only subscriptions purchased with the code Soap4Haiti will be flagged for this particular drive.