For those who want to personally help in Haiti

Folks have been very kindly asking if they could help in response to the Haitian earthquake - not to mention probable flooding coming from Tropical Storm Grace, and a political situation that does not offer recourse to common civilians..

This is an instance that falls a little outside the Foundation mission, which is dedicated specifically to education (the Andrew Grene High School) and microfinance (partnering with Fonkoze). But the story is too personal and specific for me to let pass without trying to see if folks are up for assisting.

The young man in the photo is a former student at Andrew Grene High School, Peter John Pyrham. A wonderful student, graceful, kind, and articulate - I still remember his graduating speech. These photos are of his mother's former house in Aquin, which was leveled in the earthquake; the cover photo is him standing with his mother amid the ruins of her former house.

Whenever you choose to donate to Haiti, you are doing a great thing. All the organizations that are working to make the lives of Haitians better are playing a vital role. But for those of us who would like to make a personal, specific, individual gesture to a recipient for whom you will see a visible result - this is that opportunity.

This is not a Foundation drive; please know that all you donate to the Foundation is profoundly valued, and 100 percent goes to work on the ground.

This is just me, Gregory Grene, feeling like Life can hand out such hard knocks, and we might be able to make a personal difference to this one particular situation; and I know and admire the people involved. A very rough guestimate of what it might cost to rebuild is $8,000; a pittance in America; an irrecoverable fortune in Haiti.

So if you'd like to donate to this, thank you a million.

If you'd like to donate to the Foundation, thank you a million for that too.

All of it is beyond-valued.

Heading down this Wednesday, August 18, 2021, to show personal support for the folks who are battling every odd, every day.