beyond the mountain nyc haitian community hope & healing fund report of the first year

February 2011 Dear Friends,

One year ago, the roar of the earthquake that shook was heard around the world, but no- where more loudly than in Brooklyn, New York.

Brooklyn is home to one of the largest Haitian communities in the world, contributing invaluably to the economic, cultural and social life of our borough and city. The Brooklyn Community Foundation was just three months old in January 2010, and neither our charter nor our resources permitted us to make a tangible difference in Port-Au-Prince. Helping buttress and sustain the Haitian community in our own hometown, on the other hand, was very much within our mission and capabilities. We decided that we had to act.

Our colleagues at the United Way of felt as we did, and so together, we convened a Deye mon, gen mon. group of nonprofit leaders who worked in the Haitian communities of New York City. This meeting Beyond the mountains, more mountains. led to the creation, less than two weeks after the earthquake, of the NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing Fund. — Traditional Haiti Proverb We announced the Fund exactly one month after the earthquake and distributed the first $250,000 in grants on the 100th day. My colleagues in the philanthropic world will appreciate the amount of work this entailed, and I am proud of the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s staff, board leaders, volunteers and especially our Fund partners and donors for their dedication and sacrifices. These pale only in comparison to the caring, commitment and courage we have continually wit- nessed in the Haitian community.

This report is an attempt to tell two stories: the story of the Fund and its establishment, and the story of a community still in early stages of mounting an effective response. We hope each will in- spire you to support the critical, ongoing work being accomplished through the Fund in the Haitian communities of New York City.

The Haitian proverb Deye mon, gen mon (“Beyond the mountain, more mountains”) recognizes that with the resolution of one problem, others appear. One year after the earthquake, the Haitian community, both here and in Haiti, looks up at many mountains. But the unity, tenacity and cour- age we have seen through the Hope and Healing Fund gives us confidence that we can journey beyond them.

Please join us in the climb!

Sincerely,

Marilyn Gelber, President

2 January 12, 2010

he earthquake struck late on a sunny Tuesday afternoon. It lasted just 35 seconds. But it leveled Port-Au-Prince and a 50-mile area Tsurrounding it, burying hundreds of thousands in rubble. One week later, more than 300,000 people had died, and at least that number was seriously Geographically, New York City injured. One year later, more than a million Hai- is more than 1,500 miles away tians — one in every 10 — are still homeless. Most from Port-au-Prince and the of the nation’s infrastructure still lies in ruins, and earthquake’s continuing impacts long-term recovery has only begun. in Haiti. But on a different kind These are the still-evolving manifestations of of map — of kinship, community, catastrophe. In the age of the Internet, it is not identity and culture — the city difficult to view them for oneself. But it is not so is one of the world’s largest easy to apprehend the less visible effects, espe- epicenters for the earthquake’s cially for millions of living in other parts of the world. post-traumatic effects.

ccording to the U.S. Census Bureau, Brook- Alyn and Queens alone are home to nearly 130,000 members of the Haitian , one had floods, we had this here, that there. But this of the world’s largest Haitian community outside is the largest, all different areas hit,” said Elsie Haiti itself. Here, in neighborhoods like East Flat- St. Louis-Accilien, Executive Director of Haitian- bush and Springfield Gardens, the earthquake’s Americans United for Progress, the day after the initial trauma was wrenchingly visible. earthquake.2

Hundreds of Haitian New Yorkers, sobbing, lined ew York’s Haitian community contributes up to pray in churches. Many others desperately Ninvaluably to the economic, cultural and called every phone number they knew, trying to social vitality of New York City. In recent years, it find anyone who could attest to the survival of has sustained a growing middle class, fueled by loved ones. So many people called Radio Soleil higher than average employment and lower than d’Haiti, Brooklyn’s Haitian radio station, hoping average poverty levels, at least within Brooklyn it would know how to get messages into and and Queens.3 It has also developed considerable out of the country, that the announcers begged political and business strength and alliances. listeners to stop.1 But as in other immigrant communities, a large It was clear from the outset that this catastrophe number of Haitians living in New York City were was unlike so many others — natural, economic, vulnerable before January 12 to a broad assort- political, military and civil — that have punctu- ment of economic, legal, health, educational and ated Haiti’s 207-year history as the ’s other social welfare challenges. first independent nation. “It’s very much differ- ent from anything we’ve ever lived through. We

2 Ibid. 3 U.S. Census Bureau, American Community 1 , 1/13/2010. Survey 2006-2008

Devastation in Port-Au-Prince (Photo credit: UN AID) 1 Haitians in Brooklyn Educational Attainment and Household Income Mobilization by Community District CD 1

% - Percent of Haitians 25 and older or the Brooklyn Community Foundation, the Haiti earthquake with Bachelors Degree or higher 8.7% provided a clarion call to enact our fundamental mission: CD 4 $ - Median Household Income CD 2 40.1% CD 3 $50,900 Do Good Right Here, in New York City’s largest, most diverse and (rounded to the nearest hundredth) F $67,200 most populous borough. CD 6 22.3% Haitian Pop. (Bklyn Total: 86,687) 7.0% CD 8 $28,500 31.7% Under 1,000 CD 16 CD 5 We had launched three months earlier as Hope, because it was clear from listening to 14.2% $13,200 1,000 - 2,499 CD 9 $26,200 Brooklyn’s only community foundation, after those assembled that the community’s greatest $41,300 2,500 - 4,999 many years of operating as a private one. enemy now was despair; and Healing, because CD 7 17.6% Although our new programs were just beginning, that would be its greatest need, not just for sev- 5,000 - 9,999 CD 17 $39,200 it was clear that the needs resulting from the eral months, but for many years to come. 10,000 or more 13.5% 25.6% Parks/ Open Space CD 18 earthquake were exactly the kind to which CD 12 CD 14 We later invited several prominent leaders within a community foundation should respond. $45,800 $38,700 Population for each Community District 24.7% the Haitian community to join the Fund’s Ad- includes both those who claimed Haitian CD 10 $61,100 ancestry as well as those born in Haiti Three days later, the United Way of New York visory Committee, working on an accelerated City agreed to join with us in promoting the lo- timetable to target its resources. Chaired by Ca- CD 11 cal Haitian community’s recovery. The following rine Jocelyn, the Executive Director of Diaspora week, on January 22, we co-convened a meet- Community Services, and Dr. William L. Pollard, CD 15 ing of Haitian community leaders to ask how we the newly named president of Medgar Evers could help. College, the Committee quickly identified four Produced for the Brooklyn Community Foundation by the key focus areas (below) in which the Fund could Center for the Study of Brooklyn (www.studybrooklyn.org), CD 13 This meeting led directly to the creation of the January 2010 make an immediate and effective difference. Data Source: American Community Survey 2006-2008 3-Year Estimate, Public Use Microdata Area. While data are collected and distributed by Public Use Microdata Area, NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing Fund: the Center has presented it by Community District for clearer interpretation; both districts in Brooklyn are nearly contiguous. To ensure statistical validity, data are provided for Community Districts where sample size is greater than 25 people or households

Hope and Healing Fund Focus Areas: The map above reveals dramatic variations in be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of new income and education within Brooklyn’s Haitian need. 1. CASE MANAGEMENT 2. LEGAL SERVICES community, showing that a disproportionate As many of these organizations’ leaders were number of members live in lower income neigh- To address the desperate need for new, cul- To assist the overwhelming number of directly affected by the earthquake, it was un- borhoods. For a substantial percentage — many turally competent services to connect indi- non-citizens who needed help applying for realistic at best — and heartless at worst — to of them first or second generation immigrants viduals and families with reliable sources of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) or other expect them to function unassisted. — linguistic isolation, inadequate education immigration, family reunification and adop- permission to stay in the U.S. Many others, tion, housing, financial assistance, public especially Haitians with parents or children and job skills, problems obtaining legal U.S. Yet in the terrible days following January 12, benefits, grief and trauma counseling, and in the U.S., were expected to arrive later, and residency, and poor community health status while the world mobilized to help victims over- job training services and resources. require even more intensive legal assistance. reflect some of Brooklyn’s most difficult and en- seas, coordinated plans to help the Haitian trenched health and social welfare problems. community in New York had not yet entered the conversation. ew York City’s Haitian community is home 3. HEALING 4. EDUCATION Nto many innovative human services organi- zations and programs. But most of these efforts To provide access to counseling and other To meet significant needs for English lan- are under-resourced, and few have collaborated mental health resources to promote recovery, guage instruction, workforce training and for sustained periods of time. While they re- as well as to mount community-based events other educational programs to help immi- sponded immediately and heroically on January that encourage the expression of grief while grants from Haiti make effective transitions 12 and in the days and weeks that followed, the reaffirming the endurance of Haitian national to new lives. danger quickly mounted that their efforts would identity, community and culture.

2 3 he NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing The Fund accepted proposals in amounts up to TFund officially launched on February 12, 2010, $50,000 between February 12 and March 15, 2010. Outcomes precisely one month after the earthquake, and an- Applicants, many of them directly invited, were nounced the availability of $250,000 for an initial asked to focus their requests in one of the four t was important to ensure that the Hope and Healing Fund’s resources round of six-month targeted grants. Begun with emergency focus areas — case management, legal a pledge of $100,000 from the Brooklyn Com- services, healing or education. were fostering direct, measurable benefits in New York City’s Haitian munity Foundation and $100,000 from the United community. All proposals were reviewed in accordance with I Way of New York City, the Fund would ultimately the Brooklyn Community Foundation’s established raise more than $500,000 through the generosity The Brooklyn Community Foundation retained Between August 2010 and January 2011, grantee grantmaking policies and procedures — but in a of other institutional donors including the Altman the Center for the Study of Brooklyn at Brook- partners collected information for 1,512 clients highly expedited fashion. On April 22, 2010, five Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the lyn College to develop and implement a man- on the short form and 134 clients on the long weeks after the proposal deadline — and just one NYS Health Foundation, UJA-Federation, Capital ageable framework for better understanding the form. The cultural survey captured data on hundred days after the earthquake itself — the One Bank, the IBM Foundation, the Seth Sprague demographics and needs of the local Haitian cultural events attended by approximately 900 Fund announced its first twelve grant recipients. Educational and Charitable Trust and Target. population, especially new immigrants, after the adults and young people. Most of these initial, six-month grants were re- earthquake. newed later in the year. The chart below documents the types of ser- The Center worked with the Brooklyn Commu- vices sought by clients and provided by the Below: Carine Jocelyn, Advisory Committee Co-Chair, speaks at a press conference held at Brooklyn nity Foundation, the United Way of New York grantees. The data reveal a high need for legal Borough Hall on February 12, 2010, to announce the Fund. City and the grantee partners to develop three (immigration) services and language and ap- online surveys. A short form was designed to plication assistance, reflecting the dislocation of Photo credit: Martin Dixon capture the most essential demographic char- many Haitians living in or visiting New York City acteristics of Haitian clients, the services they on January 12. Today, while these needs remain sought and those with which they were provid- paramount, others, such as housing and job ed. A long form allowed organizations to collect training are coming to the fore. more detailed quantitative and qualitative data about clients and their needs. A third online survey captured information about cultural pro- gramming events.

Chart 1. Summary of Service Requests

Right: Earthquake-related Application Assistance Banking, Remittances service requests, Childcare/ Daycare based on 1,512 Crisis Intervention survey reports. Note Cultural Resources that most grantees Educational Resources Employment reported only a Financial Assistance fraction of their total Food Services clients. Chart source: Health Sought Center for the Study Housing Assistance Provided Legal of Brooklyn Senior Services Translation Transportation Other

0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 Number of Service Requests Data Source: Hope and Healing Fund Short Form

4 5 FOCUS AREA 1 Case Management How We Helped: Case Management

articularly in a time of crisis, navigating a sea of benefits and $190,000 in grants made it possible for four organizations to services is daunting — if not impossible for many individuals and provide comprehensive case management services to 752 individuals Pfamilies. The Fund’s Advisory Committee recognized a need for and families. case management early on. Diaspora Community Services CAMBA — $25,000 Case managers connect people with the For the reporting period, the great majority of — $50,000 Large, multi-faceted human resources, benefits and services available to case management clients sought help accessing Service organization in Brooklyn that service agency has assisted smaller, them, identifying a service legal services. The other most provided culturally competent ser- community-based organizations with plan for each client and doing frequently encountered needs vices to individuals and families, with technical assistance, case referrals, everything they can to ensure “Most clients now are were for translation services, a focus on fostering access to health collaboration brokering and advo- that its objectives are met. coming in asking us food, housing assistance and services. cacy. They provide crisis interven- about places to stay, employment/job training. tion, education, counseling, and we just don’t have Today, all these needs continue. referrals and advocacy in this that kind of a resource. But in addition, newer, more context. Haitian First Church of the Haitian-Americans United for Many don’t have papers, fundamental problems are Brethren— $40,000 Progress — $50,000 Four organizations received so you can’t send them emerging, especially in relation grants to provide community- to a shelter.” to housing. The chart below Emerging, grass-roots, Haitian-led Community-based organization in based case management ser- shows that a large majority — family resource center located in the Queens that provided culturally com- vices to individuals and families —Johanne Jacques, more than 80% — were living heart of Brooklyn’s Haitian commu- petent services to a wide range of affected by the earthquake. In Haitian-Americans United for with relatives or friends at the nity. individuals and families. addition, one grantee was des- Progress time they sought assistance. ignated to distribute modest Many clients reported that their financial assistance, including living situations were not sus- MetroCards and small value gift tainable for much longer. cards, in response to the dire situation of many Financial Assistance Program clients left with little or no cash in the earth- The Hope and Healing Fund allocated $25,000 for direct cash assistance to case quake’s aftermath. management clients who lacked money to pay for food, transportation, clothing or Chart 2. Most Clients Live With Relatives or Friends other necessities. This response was made possible by generous grants from the Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation and from Target. More than Right: The living 650 gift cards and transportation MetroCards ranging in value from $4.50 to $25 situations of With relatives were distributed in 2010. CAMBA administered the program on the Fund’s behalf. clients, based With friends on long form In a subsidized rental survey reports. In a rental Chart source: Own your home

Center for Living Situation On the street the Study of In a shelter “I sleep on the floor all the time and I’m not Brooklyn 0 20 40 60 80 100 being taken care of properly.” Number of Clients Recorded — Case management client Data Source: Hope and Healing Fund Long Form

6 7 FOCUS AREA 2 Legal Services How We Helped: Legal Services ew York’s Haitian community on January 12 included native- $80,000 in grants made it possible for three organizations to born and naturalized U.S. Citizens as well as permanent provide legal services to 736 individuals and families. Nresidents. It also included an unknown number of temporary residents and undocumented individuals, many liable to deportation. Brooklyn Defender Services — Lutheran Social Services of Immediately after the earthquake, many Hai- Deferred Action: a discretionary enforcement $20,000.00 Metropolitan New York — tians in New York City feared that they would be status, granted only rarely in the past. $40,000 forced to leave. But on January 21, the Depart- Brooklyn-based legal services pro- The funded organizations overcame enormous ment of Homeland Security (DHS) announced vider that partnered with volunteer Legal services provider partnered on- challenges to provide help applying for TPS for that it would permit Haitians who were in the bar to provide services at a location site with Haitian First Church of the hundreds of Haitian community members. But U.S. on January 12 to apply for Temporary Pro- in the Brooklyn Haitian community. Brethren, a Focus Area 1 grantee. they also found themselves leveraging another tected Status (TPS). This special designation signal accomplishment: advocating successfully would enable thousands of effectively stranded for the broader application of Deferred Action individuals to live (and potentially work) in the status to immigrants arriving in the U.S. after U.S. until it was safe for them to return home. January 12. Unfortunately, obtaining TPS is a complex CUNY Citizenship Now! — $20,000 In all, their work stabilized and improved the process. Applicants must complete long forms, lives of many hundreds of individuals, contribut- Legal services provider located in the heart of Brooklyn’s Haitian community at Med- assemble significant documentation and in many ing immensely to the Fund’s early achievements. gar Evers College. CUNY has worked on individual cases, conducted follow-up, lent cases pay a fee. For those with limited English or Even so, it is important to remember that neither general immigration law expertise and took on more difficult cases. inadequate personal and/or family documenta- TPS nor Deferred Action is a permanent solution tion, it can be impossible to obtain. to the needs of Haitians living in our area — most What’s more, extending TPS eligibility to Hai- of whom will not soon find it safe to return to tians living in the U.S. on January 12 did noth- their country. In coming months, the Fund, its ing to help hundreds who arrived in our area Advisory Committee and grantee partners will afterwards, many trying to reunite with spouses, continue to assess the community’s needs, and children and other family members. For them, respond to new laws and regulations as they “I lived in Port-Au-Prince with “I am sixty-five years old and the only legal immigration option was to request emerge. my husband and my two young I was afraid that if I didn’t get daughters. When the earthquake TPS I would not know what Chart 3. Immigration Status of Clients struck, the land heaved up and to do in Haiti or how I would Right: down, and our house started support myself if I were forced Immigration status breaking apart. I am thankful to return to those conditions. of clients reported Temporary to have been able to get my I suffer from high blood on long forms. Protected Visa children out of the house alive. I pressure, high cholesterol, and Status Chart source: 23 Refugee am requesting Deferred Action pre-diabetes. Here in the U.S., 38 0 Center for the because our family has no home I can see a doctor every month Citizen Humanitarian Study of Brooklyn 5 Parole to go back to in Haiti.” and get the medication that I 1 need. I was afraid I would not Undocumented be able to get this medical Resident 17 attention in Haiti.” 48

— Legal services client — Legal services client Data Source: Hope and Healing Fund Long Form

8 9 FOCUS AREA 3 Healing How We Helped: Healing

nly time can heal the pain and sorrow of all those affected by $105,000 in grants made it possible for three organizations to the earthquake in Haiti. But we thought the Fund should strive provide individual and community healing services to approximately Oimmediately to restore a sense of personal and communal 900 people. integrity — feelings of connectedness, relative soundness and security — to everyone in New York’s Haitian community. Haiti Cultural Exchange — KONGO — $20,000 $10,000 To that end, the Fund provided a grant to SUNY Brooklyn, some of which spanned for weeks and Downstate Medical Center to develop and pro- all of which were hosted in English and Creole. Emerging, Haitian-led cultural Haitian-led cultural organization that vide ongoing individual health and mental health Grantees plan to continue using artistic and organization that implements uses traditional Haitian music as a services to individual Haitian cultural expression as tools community-based programming for means to engage adults, children and community clients. This program to help Haitian New Yorkers children, youth and adults. youth in the healing process. is ongoing today. It also support- “Your support reclaim both a personal and ed cultural organizations that throughout the year has communal sense of hope and mounted events to help commu- truly made a difference well-being. But this goal may nity members grieve their losses grow harder before it be- in our ability to respond SUNY Downstate Medical Counseling In Schools while reaffirming and connecting comes easier. to the crisis that we Center — $50,000 National Network — $25,000 with their culture. are experiencing in the As noted by Haiti Cultural Leading medical center is providing School-based provider of individual, Haiti Cultural Exchange piloted Exchange’s Regine Roumain, Haitian community… wellness and clinical mental health group and family counseling services. arts education workshops for “We could have had a bit We will continue to services for the Haitian community Note: This project is ongoing and Haitian children attending New more counseling. It’s not real- use music as a healing Note: This project is ongoing and reporting is not yet complete. York City public schools. The ses- ly part of our culture to go to tool to bring hope to reporting is not yet complete. sions featured Haitian teaching therapy. Utilizing art, we can artists and engaged participants our community as we help young people explore in healthy self-expression about recover.” their feelings, bring them in. the earthquake, themselves, —Oneza Lafontant, Founder [But] you could sense that a their feelings about Haiti and its and Artistic Director, KONGO lot of other things were going culture. KONGO used traditional on.” Haitian music to connect audi- The Fund has already ex- ence members to one another panded its Healing support once in the second and to their culture. It also partnered with Haiti half of 2010, with a new grant to Counseling In Cultural Exchange to help it mount its school- Schools National Network. We hope that these based programming and organize several events and other new efforts will deepen its impact fur- in the Haitian community. ther in 2011 and beyond. Between April and June 2010, nearly 1,000 people attended cultural events throughout

“I can contribute. I can do something. I can promote healing among these kids.”

— Volunteer Teaching Artist, Haiti Cultural Exchange

Above: KONGO leads a traditional drum family workshop with children and youth. 10 11 FOCUS AREA 4 How We Helped: Education Education $105,000 in grants made it possible for three organizations to ost people living in Haiti speak , and a smaller provide educational services to 59 individuals and families (see number speak French. In Brooklyn, U.S. Census data show that note below). Mnearly one in four Haitian community residents do not speak English well. Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Haitian Women for Haitian Project — $40,000 Refugees —$40,000 Among newer arrivals, the proportion is much ask.” Her teacher at Haitian Women for Haitian higher: 86% of clients whose language abilities Refugees, Ruth-Marie Charles, admires Marie-C.’s Haitian-led advocacy and service or- Haitian-led service organization were reported could not speak determination. “She has perfect ganization working with children and working with adults on basic English English. Educational attain- attendance, and she asks a lot youth on the acquisition of English language acquisition so that indi- ment was also very low: A large “The creation of of questions. She pushes, and language skills and access to needed viduals can more effectively interact school-based English language ser- with government, community-based majority never completed high the NYC Haitian works hard to enrich herself.” school. vices. service providers and employers. Community Hope and Increasingly, though, people To help meet these challenges, Healing Fund provided like Marie-C. are facing more two organizations received prompt support, at a challenging educational needs. grants specifically to help com- most crucial time, to Like many other community Brooklyn Workforce Innovations — $25,000 munity members develop basic members, she is looking for a Haitian community- Training, placement and other workforce development services provider will target English language skills. Their job that will help her obtain based organizations services to Haitian community residents affected by the earthquake. The program work was further targeted to housing. She would also like to in Brooklyn that were was starting as this report was written. ensure that Haitian children help her three grown children became enrolled in New York already chronically in Haiti, all of whom narrowly City public schools, and that under-funded.” survived the disaster. Note: The total number of clients helped represents only a small sample of students, as adult Haitians acquired enough In the latter part of 2010, in ad- reported by the grantee partners. English to work effectively with —Ninaj Raoul, Executive dition to renewing support for service providers, public agen- Director of Haitian Women for the original education grantees, cies and others from whom Haitian Children the Fund awarded a new grant they were likely to need assis- to Brooklyn Workforce Innova- tance. tions to target training, place- “When I started, I could not converse with ment and other workforce development services someone who spoke English,” said Marie-C., to Haitian community residents affected by the one adult student. “Now, anything I need, I can earthquake.

Chart 4. Languages Spoken and Educational Attainment of Clients

Spanish 3

Creole Attainment English 126 17

French 50 Educational Number of Clients Recorded

Data Source: Hope and Healing Fund Long Form Data Source: Hope and Healing Fund Long Form Charts source: Center for the Study of Brooklyn Above: “Survival English” classes help recent Haitian immigrants adjust to living in New York City.

12 13 More Mountains

Established by the United Way of New York City and ust one year after the earthquake, the Haitian community in New the Brooklyn Community Foundation York City has made considerable progress toward recovery. But Jmuch more remains to be done. Advisory Committee Board of Directors

Support from the Hope and Healing Fund has Healing Fund partnered with UJA-Federation Co-Chairs Alan Fishman, Chairman Ladder Capital Finance already been instrumental in improving the to implement New York City’s firstNY -Haitian Carine Jocelyn lives of hundreds of individuals and families in Leadership Fellows Program. The program is Diaspora Community Services Kenneth Adams President & CEO, Business Council of New York State our area. But many more need help. Today, the now developing the skills and capacity of a Dr. William Pollard Medgar Evers College Martin Baumrind Fund’s grantee partners are registering new group of human service professionals serving Baumrind & Baumrind clients whose cases involve not just one or two, the Haitian community. Members Robert Catell but a panoply of challenging health and human Darnell Benoit Chairman, Advanced Energy Research and Technology Like so much of what the community needs to- service needs. Flanbwayan Haitian Literacy Project Center day, the Fellowship is an investment in its longer- Ruddel Deceus Rohit Desai In 2011 and beyond, the NYC Haitian Community term ability to meet widespread service needs. “18 Mai” Committee, Inc. Chairman & President, Desai Capital Management

Hope and Healing Fund will continue to play a Christy Gibney Donald Elliott n the coming year, in these and many other vital role organizing and providing local private Nonprofit Consultant Attorney at Law, Butzel Long Iways, the NYC Haitian Community Hope and philanthropic support to organizations helping Alan Goodman Edward F. Gentner, Jr., Esq. the Haitian community recover. We have been Healing Fund will continue working to make Brooklyn Bureau of Community Service Senior Partner, Cullen and Dykman comprehensive healing for New York’s Haitian especially gratified to see our efforts spur sever- Yvonne Graham Ralph Herzka al additional public and private responses to the community more than just a distant hope. In Deputy Borough President of Brooklyn Meridian Capital Group, LLC needs of Haitian residents in New York City. particular, we will: Peter Gudaitis Sister Elizabeth Hill National Disaster Interfaith Networks President, St. Joseph’s College —— Measure and report on the work of new and But as we continue to engage the Haitian com- Dr. Eda Harris-Hastick Emma Jordan-Simpson munity’s leaders to develop new, more targeted continuing grantees. City University of New York Executive Director, Children’s Defense Fund (New York Chapter) responses to the next set of earthquake-related —— Work with our Advisory Committee, existing Dr. Roy A. Hastick, Sr. needs, we call on others, including all the Fund’s Caribbean American Chamber of Commerce & Industry Malcolm MacKay grantees, donor partners and other key stake- Managing Director, Russell Reynolds Associates (Retired) current donors and partners, to help us redouble Karen Kaminsky holders to identify and target funding in re- New York Immigration Coalition Maria Fiorini Ramirez our efforts. sponse to emerging community needs. President & CEO, Maria Fiorini Ramirez, Inc. Majorie Monpliaisir-Ellis CAMBA Constance Rogers Roosevelt e especially call on our city and state —— Organize and support public policy advocacy Wleaders to implement policies and funding for the earthquake-related needs of New York Joanne Oplustil Hildy Simmons CAMBA Philanthropy Consultant that will expand the Haitian community’s access City’s Haitian Community. to longer-term housing, workforce development, Ninaj Raoul Dr. Lester Young, Jr. Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees Member, New York State Board of Regents health care and other safety net programs. We —— Expand the Fund’s partners, contributions, hope to reduce the barriers imposed by lan- grantees and results. Matilde Roman Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Staff guage, transportation, immigration status and dmittedly, not all of the mountains that lie culture. Regine Roumain BROOKLYN COMMUNITY FOUNDATION Aahead will be easy to climb. But climb we Haiti Cultural Exchange Marilyn Gelber, President We also call on New York’s philanthropic and must, knowing that even the highest summits Elsie Saint Louis Accilien United for Progress Philip Li, Chief Operating Officer business sectors to heighten their own respons- are attainable, so long as we can support one es to the Haitian community’s needs: not just in another’s steps — however small. That, too, is the Fatima Shama Stephanie Hyacinth, Vice President for Development Commissioner, Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Port-Au-Prince, but right here at home. In every essence of community, and the reason for all our Dara Lehon, Vice President for Communications way possible, we stand ready to help them. work. May the coming year bring us all to new Robert Siebel Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens Toya Williford, Program Director peaks. The UJA-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies Margarette Tropnas UNITED WAY OF NEW YORK CITY Dwa Fanm provides an example of how longer-term heal- Gordon J. Campbell, President and CEO ing can really occur. In mid-2010, the Hope and Elwanda Young, Chief Operating Officer

14 The Brooklyn Community Foundation gratefully acknowledges its partners and contributors to the NYC Haitian Community Hope and Healing Fund

Altman Foundation

Capital One Bank

Carver Federal Savings Bank

Annie E. Casey Foundation

IBM Foundation

NYS Health Foundation

St. Francis College

The Seth Sprague Educational and Charitable Foundation

Target

UJA-Federation

United Way of New York City

United Way Worldwide

(list in formation)

For more information or to make a donation, please visit:

www.HopeandHealingFund.org

Thanks also to Gretchen Maneval and her staff at the Center for the Study of Brooklyn and Ken Moore for their assistance with this report.

© 2011 Brooklyn Community Foundation. All Rights Reserved. Cover image courtesy of Josmene Guerrier and Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees.