FINALLY,FOREVER: BUILDING AN ORPHANAGE IN MEMORY OF BRITTANY GENGEL
Be Like
BRIT BY
In
trish reske
December 2009, Brittany Gengel, 19, of Rutland MA, was home on winter break from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida. Brit was excited about her upcoming school mission trip, “Journey of Hope to Haiti” with international relief organization Food for the Poor. Brittany told her parents that she was thinking about changing her major from Communications to Human Services.
“The three of us talked, heart-to-heart,” Brittany’s mom Cherylann recalls. “We said, ‘Brit, you’ll know, when you come back from Haiti. It will change your life.’”
“I want to move here and start an orphanage” Just hours after arriving in Port-au-Prince on January 11, 2010 Brittany excitedly
My Family’s Recipe for
looking great for less 1. Visit Cutie Patutie’s 2. Shop all the brands you love in one stop (compliment yourself on your efficiency)
phoned and texted her parents. The group of eleven students and two faculty members had visited an orphanage. Brit fell in love with the Haitian children. “She wasn’t even there for an hour, when she texted me and said ‘Mom, I know what I want to do with the rest of my life.’” says Cherylann. “That’s what a profound affect it had on her.” Brittany told her parents that after she graduated, she wanted to move to Haiti and build an orphanage. She also spoke by phone with her mom. Cheryann recalls the peace she heard in her daughter’s voice. “She was content,” she says. “She was where she was supposed to be. I wish that all of us had that peace that she had in her voice. It’s what we all strive for in our lives.”
3. Marvel at the selection and the price 4. Enjoy clothes 5. Plan your next visit Note: This recipe is for all stages of life, maternity wear, infant, toddler, tween and teen! Consign outgrown items for maximum savings
Foster Parents Wanted 688 Main St. Holden, MA Mon. - Sat., 9-6, Thurs. 9-7, Sun. 10-5
Toll Free...
877-446-3305
www.devereuxma.org (click on Intensive Foster Care)
www.everythingcutie.com • Johnny Appleseed Plaza • 1021 Central St., Leominster • 978-534-6604 12 JULY2010
Just an hour later, a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked Port-auPrince. The earthquake claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Brittany, fellow Lynn University students, Stephanie Crispinelli, Christine Gianacaci and Courtney Hayes, and faculty members Patrick Hartwick and Richard Bruno did not survive the quake. “Our hearts are broken,” says Brit’s dad Len Gengel. “But our daughter died doing what she wanted to do. She was feeding the poorest of the poor.” Brit’s phone calls and texts to her parents— communicating her newfound calling to help the Haitians—became a way for the family to “triumph over this tragedy,” Len says. “She gave us our purpose, to honor her. And that is a blessing.” Cherylann agrees. “We knew how Brit felt, and we have a direction. We have
Find us on Facebook
SAVE THE DATE Come visit our Open House on July 21st 2010 • 2pm-4pm Seeking families throughout central Mass who are interested in improving a child's life Call now to learn about our $1000 sign-on bonus!