The Gift of Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is my favorite holiday. It is the day I intentionally celebrate people I love. Just ask my family. I have forever loved this day. It is simple, sweet, and for me, a blessing. You don't have to be in a relationship to celebrate this day. Just think of all the people who surround you with love and support. And I would include your furry friends!

This week, I received a wonderful gift when I put out a post of help.

My post said, "Asking for Help and Guidance. Running a nonprofit is something out of my comfort zone. However, it breaks my heart to know a child lacks proper nutrition to learn and live a healthy life. Currently, every child in our school needs a meal. Ninety-five children are malnourished. If you have any advice on implementing such a program, we welcome help and resources to explore. Mesi,

Nicole Waite

President of Haiti Scholars"

I put this post on all social media platforms. Guess what? People responded and sent me contacts. People I didn't know. Then some of those contacts reached back to me and shared their knowledge. They didn't need to do this. They didn't know me or really what Haiti Scholars is all about. One person was sick but still took the time to reach out immediately. They shared their wisdom, understanding, and advice. What a gift. I didn't find food for our students, but I found hope and tips to reach our goal of feeding starving children.

Then there is the gift YOU gave.

Pastor Valcourt and Lea sent me this message after I shared my post, "I didn't want to share this with you, but... the situation of the families is so difficult that they are obliged to send their children to school without food or to eat anything at times. So nurse Lea and I buy a box of sweets for the time to give to every child who visits the infirmary and hasn't eaten anything. Some of them came to the infirmary with a stomach ache. It's nothing but a need to eat."

Our team's hearts were heavy. It is a humanitarian crisis. So yesterday, we wired money to help these children who come to school with stomach aches so Pastor Valcourt and Lea can buy some food. We couldn't do this without your support.

So we continue our quest to find food for our students. So now I am reaching out to you. If you have any contacts or advice on how to move forward to find food for our students, please reach out to our teams at haitischolars@gmail.com

And on a side note, I wish every day would be Valentine's Day.

Nicole Waite

President of Haiti Scholars