Thank You Uncle Joe & The Elizabeth, NJ Elementary School

We want to give a shout out to Joseph McBride, a friend and Haiti volunteer who had the privilege of sharing his Haiti experiences at an Elizabeth, NJ grammar school at the request of a friend who teaches there. His presentation was the start of a week-long contribution effort by the students at the school. Joe asked James Lipscomb, our Executive Director what items COHH might find useful and James provided a short list of toiletries, school supplies, etc. Joe made it clear that he did not know what items might be donated, but he would express our preferences.

Apparently, Joe must have given quite a presentation because he later sent an email saying, “I just wanted to follow up on an earlier item. The local school here had its donation drive and collected a good amount of useful items. Here is my "inventory":

1.    128 toothbrushes

2.    44 larger tubes of toothpaste

3.    28 small tubes of toothpaste

4.    80 rolls of floss

5.    19 bottles child pain relief

6.    16 bottles adult pain relief

7.    7 large bottles of vitamins

8.    48 bottles of shampoo

9.    70 bars of soap

10. 8 tubes or bottles of medication

11. 9 lotions

12. a number of personal care items

13. more that 200 pens

14. 50 pencils

15. 25 notebooks

16. 5 calculators

17. 10 baseball caps

18. a football game

Joe concluded by asking, “how do I get this stuff to you?” Haiti does not have an effective postal system. Items can get to Port Au Prince from the United States, but delivery past that point is problematic if not impossible. Joe agreed to meet Will Frager, our Executive Administrator and Wisny Geffrard, our Director of Field Operations, in Port Au Prince for the pick up of the items.

Will and Wisny returned to Hinche with the items. The children were ecstatic! The supplies will last COHH quite awhile. We appreciate the thoughtfulness of the school children and all of the others that made these gifts possible. We also appreciate our friend Joe who continues to do wonderful things for the people of Haiti, not because he has to do them, but because he wants to do them. Joe, if you do not mind, we are taking the liberty of naming you our “Uncle Joe.”