Spotlight on Service
Sisters Help Children Orphaned by Haiti Earthquake A recollection by Raina Milling ’14 Sophie teaches an orphan girl how to bead jewelry.
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n a family vacation this past summer, students Raina Milling ’14 and sister Sophie ’16 traveled to Haiti with the explicit purpose to be of service to those who were affected by the earthquake. In her letter to the community, Raina described the impact of what she witnessed:
“During our stay, we saw firsthand the devastation caused by the earthquake. Much of Port-au-Prince was completely flattened and often the highest site on the horizon was an enormous pile of rubble. However, the physical damage could not compare to the shock of seeing how Haitians were living. We played with children in orphanages that consisted only of tents placed on rocks. We brought water and supplies to a home of a dying adult. We spent time simply holding sick children in our arms so that they felt cared for. Everyday, we tutored a group of abandoned or orphaned children that the Foundation for Children in Need (FFCIN) had recently set up a home for. There were
Raina plays with two boys at a tent shelter.
many difficult things that we saw firsthand. As a result, I came away from the experience wanting do something for the kids we met. I was stunned at how eager they were to be read to, or learn math, or play the instruments we brought them. These kids were filled with laughter and joy and kindness despite their horrible situation. My life is changed forever after meeting so many incredible Haitian people, and I know the only way many of the children I met will have a chance at a better life is to get an education.” Raina and Sophie returned to school motivated by what they witnessed. In an effort to make a difference in the lives of the people who they met in Haiti, the girls formed a student group, The Haiti Relief Group, and as part of Friends Seminary’s Peace Week celebration, organized a Hula Hoop-a-thon to raise funds to support the FFCIN. On February 8, over 80 students from the Lower, Middle, and Upper Schools came together in the gym to hula hoop for Haiti and raised close to $6,000. The funds will help establish a tutoring center for the children who FFCIN supports in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.
Raina, Sophie, and parents King and Cara, visit with children who were given a home through the Foundation for Children in Need. The boys are wearing hats donated by the New Orleans Saints.
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