Three Years After Haïti’s Earthquake, C2C is Building Forward Together

Three Years After  Haïti’s Earthquake, C2C is Building Forward Together

By Jami Kelmenson

January 10, 2013 marks the third anniversary of the devastating earthquake in  Haïti that claimed more than 300,000 lives and left more than one million homeless. But this year, to commemorate the day while celebrating the resiliency of the region, C2C is not only looking back, but looking forward. In fact, the theme for 2013 emerging from the past year’s efforts and accomplishments is Building Forward Together.

“We didn’t fully understand when we started Community2Community (C2C) that our mission was diverse—ever changing, ever evolving,” says C2C Founder+FireStarter Marie-Yolaine Eusebe. We knew we wanted to engage people with our calling card–come inspired; leave an inspiration– but now we understand the next level of our calling and we want to invite people to be a part of that as well.”

Moving forward in 2013
The next level of C2C’s mission is about people, Eusebe says, “We already bring power and resources to the people of Haïti who are working on their own to rebuild and repair, to do what they already know how to do. But the way in which we do it? That’s together. It’s a time of remembering, yes, but also of shifting toward the future. There is no building, no moving forward, without people. It has to happen here, and there. The only way we’re going to move forward is if we do it together.”

To launch C2C’s renewed focus, we are holding a “Town Hall” style event on January 10, 2013 at Brooklyn Borough Hall, co-sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. (The annual “Hope and a Future” concert, which usually happens on or around the anniversary of the quake will now take place in May so that an outdoor open bazaar, or marché, and surrounding events can be integrated leading up to the concert to further spur the notion of community-building.)

Telling our story

The Town Hall event on January 10 is our first opportunity to share our new theme, Building Forward Together, but also to share our progress on the ground. “We have a story to tell,” Eusebe says, “from the perspective of all involved, team members here and there. Our story is still developing."

We will be sharing the latest developments on our existing initiatives like Run04Haiti, which recruits runners of the ING New York City Marathon to make each mile count with donations for the C2C Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project (HRTPP), and Change04Change, which educates public and charter school children about the culture of  Haïti through a creative school-wide fund-raising campaign. We will be recognizing our four NYC pilot program schools and reaching out to recruit new schools to come on board for 2013.

Together with co-sponsors, Brooklyn Borough President, Marty Markowitz, Diaspora Community Services, and Dlo Pou Viv, C2C will highlight its accomplishments, its partners and share future plans. Special invited guests include the evening's address speaker, Senator Eric Adams, Congresswoman Yvette Clarke, Councilman Jumaane Williams, Councilman Mathieu Eugene and Minister Daniel Supplice, Minister of Haitians Living Abroad. Special live performances include Haitian jazz band Mozayik, Choreographer/Dancer Jessica Lynch and the KIPP AMP Legacy Jazz Ensemble.  

People: Building forward, together.

One of the things Marie-Yolaine is especially conscious of as she looks toward 2013 is the opportunity for the community to get together to meet different partners, find out who is working on the ground, and better engage with each other through different niches. “Folks approach us all the time to help out in different areas,” she says. “Some are part of the Haitian Diaspora and are interested in going back home, or they’ve never been ‘home’ and aren’t sure how to embark on such a journey.” So C2C’s mission has also expanded this year to offer guided trips to Petit Goâve to see the fruits of our projects firsthand and ultimately, become more involved. “The earthquake is what brought us to  Haïti,” she says, “but it’s the people that are keeping us in  Haïti.” People here and in the homeland, no doubt.

Redefining what it means to “volunteer”

She looks forward to reaching out to more people on January 10, to grow the garden that is C2C, providing an environment where people can thrive personally. “That’s why they hear the calling,” she explains. “We’re redefining what it means to volunteer. It’s not a one-day thing, or a job, or a task. We want to do it better. It’s not about making money or becoming a global entity, but about learning how to meet each challenge and staying focused on what we’re doing and why we’re here. Relationships are what make it work.”

All that in three short years. Eusebe says she “can’t wait to see what I learn this year as we not only continue to invite people to come inspired, to come be a part of something greater than themselves, but come be part of building forward together.” It’s really not a new theme as much as an evolving mission, purpose and reason for being for C2C. And if the last three years is any indication, it won’t end with that. There’s never been a better time to learn what we’re about and find out what “come inspired” will mean to you.

Join us for C2C’s first Town Hall of 2013 on Thursday, January 10, from 6-9 pm, at Brooklyn Borough Hall (209 Joralemon St.) This event is free to the general public. For further information, or to RSVP, please email C2C at events@community2community.net or call 718.393.7740  or reach us on Twitter: #C2C_FORWARD

Jami Kelmenson is a writer and content editor for Community2Community.  She can be reached at jami@community2community.info

No Turning Back: How C2C's Runner Jonathan Eustache Stays Motivated

No Turning Back: How C2C's Runner Jonathan Eustache Stays Motivated

by 

Lindsay Muscato

In this series, we’re writing about Haitian-American Jonathan Eustache, who’s running to raise $13,624 for C2C in the ING New York City Marathon in November.

Jonathan Eustache can't stop running. Not now, anyway. Since he volunteered to run for C2C's work in Haiti, he says the urgency of the project and the hard work of the rest of the C2C team keep him going. Waking early. Tending to injuries. Making time for long training runs. His training is more difficult than some runners' because of the herniated discs in his back.

The herniated discs were, in some ways, motivational at first. Jonathan says, "My doctor told me to either lose weight or have surgery. But I didn't know how I was going to start losing weight. So I started running. That's when I noticed, okay, I can do this."

But it still isn't easy. Jonathan says: "I still have herniated disks. It's a little better but not fully healed. So I still have to stretch on a daily basis, before I go to sleep and after I wake up. I've done physical therapy. Everything in the book, I've tried. I've tried acupuncture, numerous injections. It's very frustrating sometimes."

Jonathan says that during those times of frustration, C2C keeps him going "As a matter of fact this morning, I didn't even want to go. But I have to. If I don't, then -- you know -- all the work I've done would be for naught."

--

Learn more:

Running is often a mental challenge as much as a physical one. Here are a few links to keep runners hitting the pavement:

MapMyRun: Track your routes and announce via social networks how many miles you've logged (or failed to log). Self-induced peer pressure.

Zombies, Run!: Immerse yourself in a post-apocalyptic world that's teeming with the undead. Run fast enough and you save both your health and humanity.

Spotify Playlist of Running Music: Runner's World presents its 2012 playlist of best music for running. Warning: songs may also induce dancing.

--

How you can help: Don’t miss C2C's next Run04Haiti Fête Deux on September 26. Help us reach our fundraising goal to support Jonathan's run and bring clean water to an entire village.

Fueled By Water: How C2C’s Runner Jonathan Eustache Stays Hydrated

Fueled By Water:  How C2C’s Runner Jonathan Eustache Stays Hydrated

by Lindsay Muscato

In this series, we’re writing about Haitian-American Jonathan Eustache, who’s running to raise $13,624 for C2C in the ING New York City Marathon in November.

For runner and C2C volunteer Jonathan Eustache, regular Mondays don’t exist anymore. Instead, he laces up his running shoes and runs 18 miles up and down the Belt Parkway -- a lot of exertion on what’s supposed to be a day “off” from his job. But Jonathan is squeezing in as much training as possible before the big race. Throughout the rest of the week, he’ll fit in another twelve miles or so, bringing his weekly total up to 30.

Jonathan’s energy and dedication mirrors our drive to bring vital resources to Haïti. Water is especially crucial, and every time C2C visits Haïti, we’re reminded again of our luxury here in the U.S. As Elona Dotson wrote in her earlier blog, “Every day the people in Haïti walk miles, with 5 gallon buckets in hand, sometimes up and around mountains, to get to the nearest water source and once they fill their buckets with water, they then have to walk the long way back from where they came.”

Because water and proper nutrition are a necessity for a successful marathon runner, we asked Jonathan how he does it (even in this summer’s record-breaking heat).

C2C: How much water are you drinking each day to train for this race?

JE: I try to drink at least a gallon of water a day. Try to. Lately I’ve actually been juicing fruits.

C2C: Do you have any favorite juices or smoothes?

JE: I love blackberries. There’s a blackberry protein shake that I make. Blackberries; protein powder (it's like a French vanilla cream flavor); some bananas; oranges and milk. And just a tad of brown sugar and some ice. That's it. Sometimes that's my meal for the day.

C2C: When you’re running those 18 miles, do you carry water with you?

JE: I try to have as little on me as possible. The water's in my car waiting for me. I'm waiting for the prize.

Lindsay Muscato is a writer for Community2Community (C2C).

---

Learn more:

Juice fuels the world’s top athletes, too. The New York Times writes about how beetroot and cherry juices may improve performance.

There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for hydration, says Runner’s World. Check out the magazine’s recommendations for designing your own strategies to stay cool.

Wed, August 22^nd - Team C2C Run04Haiti New York City Marathon Run04Haiti

Kick-off  - 6pm @ Copia NYC, 307 East 53rd Street, NY, NY

Team C2C ING New York City Marathon RUN04HAÏTI

Team C2C 

ING New York City Marathon 

Run04Haiti

By Lindsay Muscato

On your marks, get set...launch!

Announcing Community2Community (C2C)’s Run04Haiti

Here at C2C, we are thrilled to announce the launch of our next event: the Team C2C ING New York City Marathon Run04Haiti, a fundraising campaign supporting C2C volunteer Jonathan Eustache, a Haitian-American runner who will be taking on the ING New York City Marathon on November 4th, 2012.

TEAM C2C is Jonathan’s cheerleaders and support team – he is the real engine behind our  RUN04HAÏTI campaign to raise funds for the C2C Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project (HRTPP) and we would love your help.

Who is Jonathan Eustache? Why is he running for C2C?

At first, Jonathan -- a 911 dispatcher raised in Brooklyn -- was no marathoner. He was just an interested Haitian-American, contacting C2C CEO+FireStarter Marie-Yolaine Eusebe about volunteering after reading about her in the Daily News. But soon a campaign evolved to merge help for Haïti with Jonathan’s newest passion, running. In 2008, Jonathan began running after doctors gave him two options for solving his back problems: lose weight or have surgery. By the time he had lost 36 pounds, he had begun to seriously improve his stamina and endurance. He had never tried to run a marathon before. But if it could raise money for Haïti, Jonathan was willing to try. He had lost a cousin and a close friend in the 2010 earthquake. By aligning with C2C, Jonathan thought his 26.2 miles could really make a difference.

3 Ways You Can Help Jonathan and Team C2C:

1. Come celebrate with us and pledge your support!  Show your support by coming to the launch event and making a pledge to sponsor Jonathan’s 26.2 mile run. The first 100 people to pledge $2.62 per mile will be entered a drawing to receive dinner for two at New York's hottest Haitian restaurants.  The launch kicks off on Wednesday, August 22nd at 6pm; at Copia NYC; 307 East 53rd Street in New York.
2. Come shout with us!  We will be on hand at each of Jonathan’s runs to cheer him on. E-mail events@community2community.info to find out details of where we are meeting. 
3. Spread the word.  Fan us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @C2CHaïti and #Run04Haiti and retweet our announcements about the launch and the run.

Look out for future blog posts on Jonathan’s upcoming practice runs; get great tips on diet, training and gear; and -- as always -- learn new ways to support our vital mission.

All proceeds from Jonathan's run will go to C2C for continued funding of the C2C Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project (HRTPP). The Run04Haiti is one in a series of events and fundraisers during 2012 designed to bring individuals and institutions together in a collective effort to pool resources in support of C2C’s Haïti Restoration and Transformation Pilot Project and the completion of its first initiative, a water treatment system bringing clean, potable water to over 16,000 people. C2C hopes to raise $13,624 in support of Jonathan’s marathon run.

Lindsay Muscato is a writer for Community2Community (C2C).

Where Did The Money Go? Part 1

"What You Can Learn From A See-Thru Pig"

by Elona Dotson

Tonight I was sitting on my couch looking around my living room.  My eyes settled on the fireplace mantle and on one of my favorite items that resides there…Malachi.  Malachi is a see through piggy bank.  Malachi has been a part of my family for many years.  When my daughters were young, we started a family tradition of putting all our loose change in Malachi and saving it until Malachi was full.  Then, we would cash all the coins and use the money for a special treat, like going to the movies, out to lunch, out for ice cream or doing something else for fun.  My girls would watch, in great expectation, the change in Malachi grow and watch Malachi fill up.  I thought, there is nothing like being able to see where you put your money, watching it grow, and being able to see the effect or end result of spending it.  This joy is the reason why the Malachi tradition in our family still exists.  

I thought, what if the Malachi principle was applicable to the NGOs?  What if all the money donated to them was as transparent as when I look at Malachi?  What if we could tangibly see the results of the $1.6 billion in aid relief and $2 billion in recovery aid that was supposed to be given to Haïti and the Haitian people?  Yet, what we saw was nothing.  Most know that almost none of the money donated by the general public went to Haïti or its people.  So where did the money go?  Where is the Malachi in all this?  I and others search for the truth no matter what it may reveal. 

The search begins with  Community2Community’s (C2C) summer Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, June 19, 2012, at 6:00pm, featuring a screening of the film, "Haïti-Where Did the Money Go?," written, produced and filmed by Michele Mitchell, Co-Founder and Executive Editor of Film at Eleven.  Following the screening, C2C hosts a panel discussion and Q & A with a focused response by the Haitian community and Diaspora. The event, which will take place at Brooklyn’s Borough Hall, is co-sponsored by Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and is part of Borough Hall’s Caribbean Heritage Month, a month-long festival celebrating Caribbean American culture.  The film, which aired nationally on PBS (Channel 13 in New York) has received much attention and is currently screening in various venues around the country. The Town Hall will provide a platform for the Haitian community to view the film and provide their feedback and comments. Confirmed panelists include Michele Mitchell, along with Haitian Councilman Mathieu Eugene (District-40), Councilman Jumaane Williams (District-45), Haitian American Caucus (HAC) President Sadrack Belony Diaspora Community Services Director of Programming and Training Saeeda Dunston and C2C CEO+FireStarter Marie-Yolaine Eusebe.   To quote Marie-Yolaine, “we must keep the question of where did the money go? relevant as it pertains to Haïti until funds have been properly dispersed”.  Equally important is the need to show how smaller Haitian non-governmental organizations (NGO’s) are doing collective work on the ground and doing much with little and without supplied funds from the bigger NGOs or governments.   It can be done.  We are doing it!  Come see how!

This town hall is the first of several Town Halls that C2C will present to the Haitian community as part of its intent to Expose, Educate, and Engage the community toward the development of a self-sufficient Haïti. I guess you might say that we have found a place on our mantle and we are waiting for a Malachi to be presented.  Won’t you join us? 


Elona Dotson is Director of Productions and Logistics for Community2Community.  She is the executive producer of the "Hope and A Future" Benefit Concert for Haïti.  Contact her at elona@community2community.info