Dear Friends,

Today is the 10th anniversary of the food program!  Here’s a photo of the celebration that took place at the St. Clare’s rectory.

Ten years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, two hundred children gathered for a nutritious meal prepared and served by members of the St. Clare’s community of Port-au-Prince.  For most of the children, it was their only hot meal of the week.  The money to pay for the meal came through the yet unnamed What If? Foundation.

When we miraculously received a small amount of seed money and sent it to Fr. Gerry Jean-Juste to support his community’s vision to feed the hungry children in the Tiplas Kazo neighborhood, we had no idea of where it would lead.  Like so many other points in our history, we took a leap of faith in solidarity with our Haitian friends.

I’ll never forget receiving that first email from Fr. Gerry letting me know the food program had started and that it was “working beautifully.  From 200 participants last Sunday, it has doubled today… The news is being spread… Children are pouring on us… There is great hope.”

A few weeks later, he sent me this email:  “You should hear what they say about the hot meal they receive on Sundays.  They say that Sunday is the best day of the week… Sunday is too far away sometimes for those who are hungry.”

And so over the years, I’ve forwarded these emails on to you, with news of the difference this simple food program was making in the lives of the children.  And you’ve responded with your support, trust, and encouragement.  Little by little, the What If? Foundation, which has been the only source of funding for these meals, has grown.  And as we’ve grown, the programs offered by the St. Clare’s community to children in need have grown.

From one meal/week on Sundays, to meals every Monday – Friday, the food program has kept thousands of children alive and healthy. And as you helped us spread the word of this effective grass-roots effort with your friends, family, co-workers, and faith communities, we’ve been able to expand our funding to include school scholarships, a summer camp, an after-school program and a garden.

The earthquake of January 12th has revealed again the strength of our partnership with the St. Clare’s community and how it has allowed us to reach those in need directly, effectively, and compassionately.  As you’ve seen in our photo gallery and read on our blog, the food program has doubled in size since the earthquake, providing up to 15,000 meals/week to children and adults, all who are living outside under tarps or in tents.

Next month I will travel to Haiti to meet with members of the St. Clare’s community.  We will discuss a vision for the next steps of our earthquake recovery work as well as the next ten years and what we can do together to provide nutrition, education, and other seeds for a sustainable life.  I look forward to sharing this vision with you when I return.

Today, as I reflect on the last decade, I am so grateful for each of you. Your support, given in so many ways, has allowed us to reach this ten-year anniversary and take steps towards the future with great hope for what’s possible, one small step at a time.  It’s been an extraordinary journey.

Thank you for being on it with us.

Piti piti na rive!  Little by little we will arrive,

Margaret Trost