Board of Directors
Margaret Trost
Board Chair & Founder
“Having the opportunity to be in partnership with Fr. Jean-Juste when he was alive and to continue supporting his vision for the Ti Plas Kazo community with Na Rive and Kay Lasante is one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. The care, heart, and devotion that goes into making the food, education, and health care programs in Port-au-Prince possible – both in the U.S. through the What If Foundation board, staff, and donors and in Haiti through the members of Na Rive and Kay Lasante – is beautiful and inspiring. Love in action. Piti piti na rive! Little by little we will arrive.”
Margaret is the Founder of the What If Foundation.
Kelly Abundo
Board Treasurer
“I have never been to Haiti but I have been blessed to meet Haitians throughout my life–they are beautiful people, inside and out. It is an honor to be part of the What If Foundation Board of Directors working together with an incredibly talented group of people who are all deeply passionate about helping children and families live their fullest lives.”
Kelly is an enthusiastic major gift fundraiser at Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health
Kate Neal
Board Secretary
“I had the pleasure of visiting Na Rive in 2014, during a trip with Margaret, our Founder, and got a crash course in the history and the wonderful people of Ti Plas Kazo. It was impossible not to want to be more involved with the awe-inspiring work What If Foundation enables. Being able to witness the audacity of hope that struck me when I read Margaret’s book On that Day Everybody Ate, I found myself wanting to give wind to the wings that hope flies on. The legacy and vision of Father Jean-Juste is alive and well at Na Rive, and it is such an honor to be a part of that.”
Kate is a Pastoral Associate at Sacred Heart & Our Lady’s Collaborative.
Johanna Berrigan
Board Member
“I have been with the Kay Lasante Clinic since its founding in 2006. I am so very delighted about its partnership with the What If Foundation and I am honored to have joined the Board of Directors.
I first learned of the What If Foundation from Father Gerard Jean-Juste in Haiti just months after it was founded by Margaret Trost. Since that time, Margaret and I have been very close friends, collaborators, and supporters of each other in our work on behalf of the Haitian people. I have been so impressed with the work of the What If Foundation, how the programs have grown, the integrity of the organization, and its relentless dedication to the people of Ti Plaz Kazo.
It has been an amazing journey for me to accompany the team at Kay Lasante from the very beginning when they were a community outreach project to become a full service clinic the community depends on. It is a joy to witness the people of Ti Plas Kazo realize their dream of health care in their community. There have been so many challenges, and I am constantly inspired by the staff as they rise to meet each and every one with resilience and hope. They do not give up. It is a privilege to walk with them, and advocate for them.
I am pleased to continue my relationship with them in a new and exciting capacity on the board of the What If Foundation.”
Johanna is a Board-Certified Physician Assistant, Co-Founder of House of Grace Catholic Worker, and Co-Founder of Kay Lasante.
Wadner Pierre
Board Member
“Growing up in Haiti, I witnessed the struggle of Haitian families to send their children to school. As the What If Foundation’s first Education Coordinator and also a recipient of the education program, I’ve seen children who could only dream of becoming a lawyer or doctor, who are now lawyers and doctors thanks to the foundation. I also saw the impact of What If Foundation’s sponsored education, Summer Camp and Feeding program on the lives of hundreds of children living in Ti Plas Kazo community.
I am hopeful and optimistic that the partnership between Na Rive and What If Foundation will create more opportunity and hope for a better and stronger Haiti. The Foundation’s model of community-based partnership is a template for state and non-state actors working to build a brighter future for all Haitian children. That is why I support and contribute to the work of What If Foundation in Haiti.”
Wadner is a communications and policy strategist, and Chief Executive Officer of XtraMile Communications.
Mary Beth Appel
Board Member
“I became acquainted with Haitian farm workers in the mid 1980’s through my work in migrant health in Maryland and Virginia. I was touched by the spirit of the Haitian people, their tenacity, industriousness, and drive to overcome so many challenges and obstacles as new residents in the United States.”I became acquainted with Haitian farm workers in the mid 1980’s through my work in migrant health in Maryland and Virginia. I was touched by the spirit of the Haitian people, their tenacity, industriousness, and drive to overcome so many challenges and obstacles as new residents in the United States.
I had always hoped to work with Haitians again and finally had the opportunity when Father Jean-Juste invited us to Ti Plas Kazo to assist with health care. As a member of the House of Grace community, it was an honor to witness the birth of the Kay Lasante clinic and a joy to continue to work with such a wonderful team.
I celebrate the partnership between the What If Foundation and Kay Lasante and I am pleased that the clinic is now part of the continuum of care offered by What If’s program partners in the Ti Plaz Kazo community.
I look forward to working with the What If Foundation Board of Directors and the community projects in Ti Plaz Kazo.”
Mary Beth is a Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner and Co-Founder of House of Grace Catholic Worker.
Staff
Mia Masia
Donor Relations Manager
“My work for What If Foundation is a constant reminder of the existence of compassion. As I open letters, read messages and communicate with donors, I know they feel part of something extraordinary and wonderful. It is a joy for me to hear why people choose to give to Haiti and what brought them to the What If Foundation family.
I’ve traveled extensively in the West Indies, but being in Ti Plas Kazo for the opening of the Father Jeri School was especially memorable. I was able to see, first-hand, the direct and remarkable impact our donors and partner are making in Port-au-Prince.”
Kelly Jones
Operations Director
”I am thrilled to join the What If Foundation to support Haitian-led programs that provide essential services to children and families in the Ti Plas Kazo community. My deeply held passion and commitment to justice and equity fuel my drive to support our local partners in creating lasting, positive change in Haiti.
Founder Margaret Trost’s book, ‘On That Day, Everybody Ate,’ moved me deeply, as it reflects the resilience and solidarity of the Haitian community that continues to lead and sustain the programs of Na Rive today. I am honored to be part of an organization that trusts in the leadership and vision of the Haitians who inspire hope and change in the face of unimaginable challenges.”
Advisory Council
Catherine Lelong
Advisor & Former Board Chair
“Haiti is in my blood and my heart. Since I was a child, I’ve been impressed by how a nation with such great injustices and tormented history has managed to embody such wonderful warmth, liveliness and strength – making the Haitian culture so special and unique.
I feel fortunate to have found What If Foundation and take part in helping Na Rive improve the lives of children and families in Ti Plas Kazo. I believe in the kindness, empathy and focus the foundation stands for and, most of all, that transformation in Haiti will come through small community-driven steps towards the bright future it deserves. Piti piti na rive.“
Catherine is a Nonprofit Executive and Global Marketing Strategist.
Patricia Stevens
Advisor
“I first developed an interest in Haiti when I traveled there with a church group thirty years ago. It was a blessing, therefore, to subsequently meet Margaret Trost, What If Foundation’s Founder.
I was inspired by Margaret’s generous response to her own experience in Haiti, and I was pleased to be able to serve on the What If Foundation Board for several years.
For the past several years, I have continued my involvement with the Foundation through volunteer bookkeeping work. It is a privilege to have a role in supporting the work of the What If Foundation — programs which enrich and empower the lives of so many children.”
Bryan Sirchio
“I had the privilege to introduce What If Foundation founder Margaret Trost to Haiti during a trip I led in 2000. It has been a joy to watch this program grow and evolve, and I am proud to be associated with it. I served on the What If Foundation board for over 10 years and I continue to work with various grass roots organizations in Haiti. The dignity and respect for the Haitian people at the heart of every aspect of What If Foundation’s methodology is what touches me most deeply and inspires me most consistently to stay connected and to let others know about this wonderful organization.”
Bryan is the Founder and Director of Crosswind Music Ministries, Haiti Allies.org, and CEO of the Convergence Music Project.
Na Rive
Our Haitian partner, Na Rive, carries out the vision of celebrated Haitian human rights activist Father Gerard Jean-Juste (‘Jeri’) and runs the programs the What If Foundation funds. The Na Rive team includes community leaders in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood who worked closely with Father Jeri when the programs were developed. Their tireless work ensures that food, education, and hope are available to as many children and families as possible.
Na Rive is a Haitian nonprofit organization with deep roots in Ti Plas Kazo. The name Na Rive comes from the Haitian proverb “piti piti na rive,” which means “little by little, we will arrive”. Their ingenuity, resourcefulness, love, and perseverance fuel every step they take to improve the lives of children and families in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood and beyond. We are incredibly proud to support their vision for the future of this community and for Haiti at large.
“It takes heart to do this work. Having the support of the What If Foundation through good and bad times means so much for our community. The programs we offer are the only choice for the children and families here and proof that they matter and deserve love and support. Our partnership with the What If Foundation is special because it provides for Haitians to lead the way. This is not common in Haiti and why our programs have endured when others have failed.”
Rosie Lukesama, Head of Food Program, Na Rive
Kay Lasante
Kay Lasante (“House of Health” in Haitian Creole) is a Haitian-operated free health clinic serving the Ti Plas Kazo area of Port-au-Prince. Its mission is to provide quality health care with dignity and respect for those who are marginalized and lack access to care.
Kay Lasante was founded in 2006 by the House of Grace Catholic Worker in Philadelphia in partnership with Bishop Tom Gumbleton of Detroit, at the request of Father Gerard Jean-Juste. At the time, Father Jean-Juste shared with them his vision for free access to quality healthcare in Ti Plas Kazo, which inspired an enduring partnership with the local community to help realize his dream.
Dr. Paul Farmer, founder of the internationally renowned organization Partners In Health, offered important guidance in the initial planning stages. Kay Lasante has grown over the years, from 1 nurse and 3 community volunteers to 3 doctors, 6 licensed nurses, a Clinical Director, a Program Director, and 4 support staff, serving more than 40 patients per day.
Given our shared history with Father Jean-Juste and our commitment to the Ti Plas Kazo Community, Kay Lasante and the What If Foundation have been in close contact for many years. In December 2023, we were thrilled to welcome Kay Lasante as one of our partners complementing the food and education programs run by Na Rive. Together, we help provide a comprehensive and inclusive model of care in the Ti Plas Kazo community.