I had a chance to speak to a predominantly African American church today about Haiti. This church rests in a poverty-stricken area of Pittsburgh and they contacted me regarding the earthquake in Haiti.
Our organization, Haiti H20, is sending down funds to our Haitian partners who are on the front lines of the increasing need in Haiti. They are in positions of leadership within their communities and able to direct food and water to families and individuals who are being impacted by the earthquake. This church has $1,000 left over from last year’s budget, and even though they need a new roof and face the ongoing needs and challenges of their community, they want to reach out and support the people of Haiti.
In the shadow of millions being raised by national organizations, this may not seem like much. Often, it is our perception of what we don’t have that informs our understanding of wealth. I have heard experts say that for 20 billion dollars, we would be able to provide impoverished people around the world with nutrition, clean water and basic healthcare. Ironically, this is the amount Americans spend on ice-cream per year.
If 92% of the world does not have a car, then if we have a car, we are perceived at least by them as being rich. It doesn’t matter what the condition of the car or the make; if a car sits in front of my house, I am one of the lucky 8% who owns one.
Do I have clean water? RICH! Approximately 800 million people went without food yesterday,and around 300 million of them were children. Do I have food in my home? RICH! If we have WIC to assist with food, RICH! If we have food stamps, RICH! If we have insurance for our homes, RICH! If we have access to health care, RICH! If we have free education for our children…and the list goes on and on.
Here in this church is a community scarred by the loss of several of its own youth, shot dead in gang violence. I experience a community who, by the standards of others, would be considered an impoverished and ghettoed area of Pittsburgh. And yet I discover a community rich in spirit, generosity and love, a congregation bound together by their story who yearn to share what little they have with those who have even less.
I am very grateful for the Hollywood stars and their efforts to organize telethons for Haiti. But after experiencing the generosity of this tattered and torn Pittsburgh community who gave from out of their poverty, I emerge hopeful and encouraged with a new resolve for responding to Haiti.
Amen, and amen. Thanks for the perspective, Doug.
Great blog!
This would be an excellent response to the copy and pasted status raging on Facebook, especially from Friends from my hometown. Would you believe that this one got 5 ‘likes’ and 3 agreeable comments and I was the only negative commenter?
“Shame on you America: the only country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment – yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations. 99% of people won’t have the guts to copy and repost”