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To Haiti, With Love
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n the weeks after the tragic earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, killing more than 200,000 people and leaving thousands more homeless, injured, and in need of assistance, the EHS community came together to offer what they could to the devastated country. Members of Episcopal’s Service Council went from dorm to dorm collecting money and clothing. Students gave more than 500 pounds of clothing, which was in turn donated to the Haiti Micah Project, a charitable organization dedicated to assisting Haitian children. The clothing will go to the charity’s facility for orphaned children in Mirebalais, located outside Port-au-Prince. “We were amazed by the community response to the relief efforts – in particular the initial clothing and change drive that we initiated two days after the earthquake struck,” said Stewart Cory ’10, co-president of the Service Council. “Something about the timeliness and urgency of the issue seemed to really strike a chord with the student body.” On Jan. 18, students and faculty participated in “Waiting for Haiti,” volunteering their earnings as waiters for a Monday night seated meal to the Service Council’s fund-raising efforts. About 48 teachers and students donated their time, and those who could not serve as waiters paid $2 to come “dressed down” to the meal. Other student organizations also contributed to the School’s fundraising efforts. The EHS Cooking Club baked and sold homemade treats at a varsity basketball game, raising $250. The Student Association for the Visual Arts donated more than $500 they earned through “Mugs for Haiti,” a fundraiser in which 25 participants made and fired 115 ceramic mugs that were later sold filled with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Even those beyond Episcopal’s gates joined the cause. At the National Chamber Players’ concert on Jan. 19, the School received $400 from attendees in response to a request for free-will donations for Haitian relief organizations. To date, the Council has collected more than $3,000 in donations. The money was distributed equally among three charitable organizations: Oxfam International, Partners In Health, and Episcopal Relief & Development. “I spend day on day with students from Episcopal and know them to be good kids. But the depth of their empathy and willingness to work and give to support Haitian relief has stunned me. It’s in moments like these that I am so proud of our students and honored to be able to work with them,” said The Rev. Gideon Pollach, EHS head chaplain. n
In the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, EHS students, including Mark Herzog ’11 (left) and Paul Blake ’10, went from dorm to dorm and collected 500 pounds of clothing to be donated through the Haiti Micah Project.
The Student Association for the Visual Arts organized “Mugs for Haiti,” creating, decorating, and firing 115 mugs that were later sold and delivered filled with hot chocolate and marshmallows. From left: Danielle Molina ’10, Paige Weber ’10, and ceramics teacher Nat Duffield.
To date, the EHS Service Council has raised more than $3,000, which was distributed equally among the charitable organizations Oxfam International, Partners In Health, and Episcopal Relief & Development. From left: Stewart Cory ’10 and Vincent Mariano ’10. Episcopal’s Cooking Club sold homemade baked goods at a basketball game and raised $250 to donate to relief efforts in Haiti.
EHS The Magazine of Episcopal High School
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