Silent, But Active

Posted by Rachelle Wednesday, 22 August 2012 09:49

Dear Supporters,

Timoun Lakay Foundation (TLF) has been actively monitoring the work in Haiti that you have pledged to support with your donations. We remain committed in supporting and improving the lives of children of Haiti.

To date TLF has assisted the Roberval International Care Ministries (RICMI), a school that educates 180 students, from pre-school to seventh grade, in the province of Saint Marc, Haiti (located north of Port-au-prince).  Your donations have helped them built 15 school benches and tables for their students, obtain school supplies, a classroom cabinet, cooking supplies, and provide overall improvements to the classroom conditions for these young scholars.  Additionally,  we are proud to announce that your kind support enabled TLF to guide and assist the RICMI in starting a hot food program (TLF’s “Hot Meal” program) where every student and teacher receives a hot plate of food.  They are currently able to provide three days a week.  The goal is to  provide a hot meal daily throughout their summer school program.  A total of $ 2000.00USD was contributed toward supporting this school this year. Our goal is to almost triple the yearly contribution to $ 5000.00USD towards the food program and improving the classroom conditions.

Fondation des Enfants vulnerable de Pestel (FEVP - Foundation for the vulnerable children of Pestel) is a local foundation who works to assist disadvantage children and elders in the community of Pestel, Haiti (Grand D’anse).  With your contributions we have assisted them in reaching 150 people in their community with food and in-kind donations.  TLF contributed a total of $ 2000.00USD to build bunk beds for the orphans that they house.  To date a total of six wooden beds are built.

TLF has, and continues, to assist the  Mission Maçonnique de Saint Jean (MMSJ), an education and meal program for 75 disadvantaged kids aged 4 to 12 from  a one-room house in Saint-Marc, Haiti (a coastal town about 100 kilometers north of Port-au-Prince) with food donations.  They provide a daily hot meal to those children.

Institute Grace Flore (IGF) a primary and secondary school for 180 students in the  Place Jeremie area of Port-au-Prince has also benefited from our food donations and school supplies.  The institute’s needs have increased do to their management of the orphanage La Creche, located in Lalue Port-au-Prince, they currently house 30 children.  Timoun Lakay Foundation is  committed in replicating the Hot Meal program for the orphanage. So far a $2000.00 donation as been allocated.

Finally, A total of $ 2000.00USD has been used to purchase food to benefit the following agencies and communities:  FEVP, MMSJ and  IGF .

This year, the goals of  the Timoun Lakay Foundation are to continue to develop the Hot Meal program and implement a pilot scholarship program that would assist underprivileged children to have access to quality educational programs by paying for their annual tuition and providing them with school supplies.

Your commitment and support to TLF helps make this all possible.  You've opened your eyes, you've seen our children, now  reach out and touch them with a small amount of financial support.

A heartfelt thanks to you for your trust and support!

An Evening of Classic Charity

Posted by Rachelle Thursday, 19 January 2012 11:03

Written by Anna George

As the holidays approach, themes of giving and sharing ignite and charitable organizations make it possible for such altruism to reach disadvantaged populations. One of these exceptional organizations, Timoun Lakay Foundation (TLF), held their first ever Classic Benefit on November 5th at the Hyatt Regency Bonaventure in Weston. TLF is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization whose mission is to help underprivileged and at-risk children in Haiti by providing resources to help improve their quality of life and increase their chances towards a promising future.

Through private donations and community events, TLF collects food, supplies, and money for Haitian organizations that serve children (i.e., orphanages and schools). The TLF Classic Benefit not only raised funds to continue supporting TLF’s partners in Haiti, but it was also a celebration of its remarkable success and growth since TLF’s establishment in 2009.

The evening began with a cocktail hour where traditional dancers and drummers entertained guests while they mingled and surveyed the impressive display of donated items for the silent auction.

Guests then moved to the main dining room elegantly decorated with photos from TLF’s various trips to Haiti, reminding everyone why we were all there. Once guests were seated, MC Christopher Gomez of the aztig urban salon, introduced Haitian poet Jilianne Théodore who performed a heart-wrenching poem about Haiti’s beauty and resilience. Soon after TLF board member, Frederica Stines, came to the podium to give some background on TLF’s roots and development over the past few years. Rachelle Sylvain-Spence, TLF President and Founder, spoke next sharing an emotional thank you to those who believed in her vision and helped the organization grow from just an idea to what it is today. Rachelle then presented awards to two of TLF’s major supporters, UPS Americas Region and the Andrews and Company accounting firm followed by an award to Barbara Seraphin in recognition of her tireless and longstanding philanthropic work in the Haitian community.  In her remarks Mrs. Seraphin spoke of Haiti’s great needs and encouraged the audience not to lose sight of the power of giving even if it seems like “just a drop in the ocean.”

Guests then delighted in a Caribbean themed dinner before ending the night on the dance floor. The benefit raised nearly $12,000.00 and the organization is already looking forward to making the TLF Classic Benefit and annual event.

Committed!

Posted by Rachelle Friday, 19 August 2011 13:08

During the month of May members and volunteers traveled to Haiti to conduct site  inspections and evaluations.  We visited the children from the schools, orphanages and canteens that you are selflessly assisting.  We traveled from North to South, viewed the country scenery and experienced the Haitian people’s way of living in the outskirts of Haiti. We had heart-touching moments, talked, ate, fed and shared stories with the children and the local residents.  More so, we brought a sense of hope and inspired them to achieve greatness.

But it wasn’t all fun and games, we witnessed their suffering and heard their voices, it was loud and clear: “Help us.”  We were humbled by their eternal thankfulness. We heard them cry, we felt their pain and saw their tears; at that moment our mission and purpose were reinforced: continue our efforts to give each child a chance at a promising future.The children have such an amazing thirst for education. They are pleading for better buildings, classrooms, equipment and supplies.  The teachers look for resources to better and further educate the children.

Parents and orphanages seek assistance with food and  proper nutrition.  The elders are hungry.This year, through your kind support and donations, TLF has managed to allocate over $8000.00 US towards food, classroom equipment, beds and mattresses. All the items are purchased and built in Haiti.  The schools, orphanages and canteens that are being supported by TLF  this year (2011) are ( School Pouchino, Foundation des Enfants Vulnerable de Pestel, Roberval International Care Ministries and Mission Macionnique de Saint Jean)  located in Port-au-Prince, Saint Mac, and Pestel.

With your support TLF will remain committed to the children in Haiti and will continue to raise awareness of their plight.

Haiti's Everyday Heroes

Posted by Rachelle Friday, 19 August 2011 12:53

Written by Frederica Stines

On January 12, 2010 Haiti suffered one of the worst disasters in modern history.  Those of us with close ties to Haiti but live far away were left feeling helpless and desperate for ways to lend a hand to friends and loved ones back home.  The Timoun Lakay Foundation (TLF), like so many other organizations, kicked into high gear mobilizing money and supplies from generous donors to send to children and families affected by the quake

Being a part of TLF, especially in the past year and a half, has been really gratifying and has given me a way to support Haiti’s rebuilding even if I couldn’t be on the ground myself.  When TLF’s president, Rachelle Spence asked if I would be interested in traveling with her and fellow board member Christine Perrault to Haiti for a field visit I jumped at the chance.  Although Rachelle was there in April 2010, I hadn’t been to Haiti since 2009 and I really didn’t know what to expect.   For the better part of 2010 the media had been my main source of information and I was afraid that I would find a country overwhelmed by poverty, disease and violence.  But, in fact, what I sensed in everyone I came across is a quiet strength and a lot of hope.  I should have known better than to rely on the skewed reality of the media -- pain and misery sell newspapers while stories of the everyday heroes we encountered tend to go unnoticed.  The kind of people who see the pain and the need all around them and rather than wait for the government or the international community to swoop in and “save the day”, they prefer to do something about it themselves.

Everyday heroes like Jean Cadet and his wife Clotilde who are running an education and meal program called Mission Maçonnique de Saint Jean for 75 disadvantaged kids ages 4 to 12 out of a one-room house in Saint-Marc, a coastal town about 100 kilometers north of Port-au-Prince. Also in Saint-Marc we met Pasteur Meat who runs the Roberval International Care Ministries and is raising funds to build a vocational school where young people can come to learn valuable skills that will hopefully lead to employment and better yet their empowerment.  Right now classes are taught in a makeshift school with a Red Cross tarp for a roof, but it seems nothing will keep these kids from coming.  But the person who made the biggest impression on me is Yves, a young man who after university returned to his hometown in Pestel in the south of Haiti to start an organization that not only cares for orphans and vulnerable children, but also provides daily meals and supplies to the elderly.  At 25 years old, Yves is a formidable leader in his community and an exceptional human being.

In all, our trip was absolutely incredible and I am honored to know these individuals and to be able to play a small part in the amazing work they are doing for the people of Haiti.