Hope for Haiti's Children
Heartfelt thanks to our precious donors for providing more than just meals
This holiday season, your generosity provided over 250,000 meals to our children and their families during the Christmas school break in Haiti, where the need has never been more critical. The statistics tell a stark story: nearly 277,000 children currently face acute malnutrition, with 125,000 classified as severely malnourished. In some rural regions, child malnutrition rates reach a staggering 30%.
For many Haitian families, the choice between food and other essentials such as vital healthcare and education isn’t really a choice at all. With households spending up to 70% of their income on food alone, your support helped ease an impossible burden.
The impact of malnutrition runs deep: 65% of children under 5 suffer from iron deficiency, affecting their cognitive development and learning abilities. School feeding programs – often the only reliable source of nutritious meals – reach just 30% of primary school children. Your holiday giving helped fill this critical gap.
Most importantly, your generosity helped protect vulnerable children during a particularly challenging time. In a country where food insecurity has become so severe that it’s driving a 70% increase in children joining gangs in exchange for meals, your support didn’t just provide food – it provided hope and safety. You helped ensure that more children could remain with their families, focusing on their education and future rather than facing desperate choices.
Thank you for helping us serve these resilient young people. Your holiday gift wasn’t just a meal – it was an investment in Haiti’s next generation.
A joyful Christmas celebration
across our schools in Haiti
This Christmas season, the spirit of joy and generosity filled our ten Schools for Haiti as we hosted festive celebrations for our students and their families. These special gatherings brought together our school communities to reflect on the meaning of Christmas and share in the joy of the season.
Each celebration began with a moment of prayer, grounding the day in gratitude and faith. The children delighted everyone with heartfelt nativity plays, choir performances, and talent shows showcasing their dancing and creative abilities. The warmth of their enthusiasm and dedication was a gift in itself, reminding us all of the resilience and beauty of these young lives.
The festivities concluded with a special Christmas meal, including a lollipop treat for every child. To further support families during the holiday season, we provided each student with a generous food bag containing 25 pounds of rice, 12 pounds of beans, 6 tins of fish, cooking oil, and seasoning. These supplies, enough to feed a family of five two meals a day for 12 days, ensured that our students and their loved ones could enjoy the holiday season without worry.
Thanks to your support, we were able to make this Christmas a truly memorable one for the children in our schools. Together, we shared not just gifts but hope and love—values that are at the heart of our mission.
Thank you for continuing to bring joy and nourishment to the children of Haiti. We look forward to creating more moments of celebration and care in the year ahead!
Two cities, one mission
Fundraising Galas help children thrive
Fundraisers are more than just events; they’re lifelines for Schools for Haiti, enabling us to provide quality education and daily meals for 2,193 students while employing over 250 locals. Here’s how your support makes a difference:
- Empowering Communities: Each staff member supports an average of five family members, indirectly benefiting over 1,250 people.
- Breaking Poverty Cycles: Nutritious school meals keep children in school, prioritizing education over labor and opening doors to lifelong opportunities.
- Stabilizing During Crises: Schools anchor communities, offering consistent services and preventing displacement during uncertain times.
- Advancing Women’s Empowerment: Many local women find employment through our programs, providing critical income for their families.
- Creating Lasting Impact: Education and nutrition spark a ripple effect, transforming students into future leaders who inspire change.
Fundraisers also raise awareness, celebrate achievements, and build trust through transparency. They ensure sustainability, funding essentials like books, meals, and salaries — principals, teachers and staff — while expanding programs for lasting community impact.
When you support our fundraisers, you’re not just helping today—you’re investing in Haiti’s future. Thank you for being part of this journey to empower and uplift. Together, we’re transforming lives!
Mark your calendars and join the mission at our Galas!
Wisconsin Gala
Saturday, April 5, 2025
Madison, Wisconsin
Hats and Hope for Haiti
Saturday, May 3, 2025
Tampa, Florida
A student's perspective
thriving at Kelly School
My name is Garbendo Emile. I am 11 years old and currently in the 6th grade. I have been a student at Kelly School since kindergarten, and it has truly meant the world to me. My favorite subject is math because I love solving problems and challenging myself. I live with my mom and dad, along with my four sisters and three brothers. We are a big, loving family, and they support me in everything I do.
Kelly School has given me so much—knowledge, friendships, and a sense of purpose. I dream of becoming an engineer one day. My goal is to rebuild Haiti and provide safe, well-structured homes for those in need. I am incredibly grateful for the support I receive from Schools for Haiti. They believe in my potential and provide me with the opportunities to pursue my dreams.
I believe that through this good education, I will be able to make my dream come true. I want to give back to my community and make a difference in people’s lives.
Thank you, Kelly School and Schools for Haiti, for helping me on this journey. With your support, I know I can achieve anything.
Empty plates translate to empty classrooms. Haiti’s future is hungry. 2.4 million children lack the food necessary to learn, jeopardizing not just their own potential, but the nation’s.
Please click the ‘Donate’ button to fill plates and classrooms with hope.
If you prefer to give by check, you can mail your donation to:
Schools for Haiti
C/O Gil Bailie
PO Box 273848
Tampa, FL 33688
Please know that you are all in our prayers. We pray that you will continue to see God at work in a mighty way. God bless you and your families.
Blessings to all,
The Schools for Haiti Team
William (Bill) Mansfield is the President and Owner of On Track Technology Solutions, LLC, with more than 30 years of experience in the technology industry. He built his first company, On Track Communications, Inc., from the ground up—growing it from zero clients to more than 7,000 commercial customers and annual billings exceeding $30 million before successfully selling to AppDirect in 2020. Today, through On Track Technology Solutions, Bill leads global initiatives in the sustainability sector, helping commercial and industrial clients improve water and energy efficiency. A longtime supporter of charitable causes, Bill has served on numerous nonprofit boards and views volunteering as a way to share his many blessings with others.
Byron Howell is both a lawyer and a minister, bringing over a decade of dedicated service to Schools for Haiti. In his legal practice, Byron represents major real estate firms in complex acquisitions, applying a pragmatic, solutions-focused approach—a skill set he also brings to his ministry and nonprofit work. He and his wife, Shannon, have traveled to Haiti numerous times, visiting our schools and connecting with the communities we serve. Byron’s blend of education, professional expertise, and deep heart for ministry continues to advance Schools for Haiti’s mission in meaningful ways.
Douglas Fearing and his wife Lois reside in Portage, Wisconsin. Douglas is the CEO of Fearing’s Audio Video Security, a company he and Lois founded in 1997 and which is based in Madison, Wisconsin, with an additional office in Milwaukee. Douglas has been an integral part of Schools for Haiti, serving on its Board of Directors since 2015. As a dedicated family man, he takes pride in being a father to two wonderful daughters and cherishes his roles as a grandfather and great-grandfather. Douglas is also a published author, esteemed community and church leader, and passionate youth mentor. He is the visionary behind a mentoring non-profit organization, serving as its founding and current President. Notably, Douglas has held the esteemed position of State President within the Wisconsin Jaycees, now recognized as Junior Chamber International (JCI).
Frank Hunt is the President of F. Hunt Enterprises, LLC, a South Carolina-based distributor for Hunt Brothers Pizza. With a strong background in distribution, Frank has been at the helm of F. Hunt Enterprises since founding the company in 1999.
Rick Barker is a seasoned leader in the faith-based and nonprofit sector with more than two decades of experience in pastoral ministry, church leadership, community development, and international missions. His missions work includes Haiti, Ukraine, Honduras, the Appalachian Mountains and El Salvador. He is recognized for his ability to strengthen and grow mission-driven organizations by aligning vision, people, and resources to achieve sustainable impact.
Mark Graham has been involved with non-profit organizations to raise money and participate as a Board Member of 501(C)(3) organizations since 1972. As a board member of organizations, I have led teams to rebuild a football stadium, build new college library, raise money for children with Cerebral Palsy, support teachers for children with weak education, Board member of Company for security for churches, and mental health services.
Matt White obtained a BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Central Florida in December 1991. As a young engineer Matt worked in that field for the next several years with companies like Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney as a mechanical design engineer.
Dr. Sanjie Jackson is a passionate and community-driven dentist who leads with warmth, excellence, and heart. Born in Dominica and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands and Florida, she brings a rich cultural perspective to her work. A graduate of the University of Florida College of Dentistry, she combines advanced dental care with a deep commitment to service. both locally and globally, through mission work in the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Swaziland, and Tampa Bay. Dr. Jackson currently serves as Vice President of the West Coast Central District Dental Association and President of the Upper Pinellas County Dental Association. Her dedication to helping others aligns with her mission to make a lasting impact through both dentistry and charitable work.
Dr. Heather Schock is an Assistant Professor at The University of Tampa, where she has cultivated a reputation for thoughtful leadership and excellence in teaching and research. With a strong academic foundation and a desire to empower future educators, Dr. Schock has contributed significantly to the university’s School of Education, driving the success of its students and the broader academic community.