Tag Archives: earthquake

InCity Feature, InCity Voices

Haiti: one year later “Hope” continues its work

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By Pamela Reidy

When there is despair, look around and you will find hope. Hope is not some vague outcome we vision for the future; it is very nearby. This week, one year after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Haiti, Worcester marked the anniversary with prayer services, progress reports and remembrances of the dead; it also celebrated the work of several local citizens to raise Haiti out of the ruins.

Spirit of Hope, Inc. a Worcester non-profit founded after the earthquake had a heroes’ breakfast to introduce local volunteers who have worked in Haiti to the people that funded them. Local schools participated in Hats for Haiti, allowing children to wear a hat in school, each paying a dollar to be contributed to Spirit of Hope’s fund for educators who want to travel and work in Haiti.

Spirit of Hope is a funding organization that provides financial support to individuals or groups traveling to Haiti to work temporarily or permanently directly with the poor. Continue reading Haiti: one year later “Hope” continues its work →

InCity Voices

Gone too soon

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By William S. Coleman III

If you see me and I don’t have the usual smile on my face and I seem not to put forth my optimistic personality, it is because I am grieving the recent loss of three people I cared about.

These last couple of months I’ve have witnessed heartache and pain from families that I know and love because of recent deaths in their families.

There comes a time in all of our lives when someone we know will die; and whether they have lived a day, a week, 19 years, 57 years or any age, the impact of the loss of their lives on us will make our hearts skip a beat. Often times we will find ourselves emotionally choked up, and the only outlet we have is to take a walk in the rain where we can let our tears fall from our face.

When you know somebody, a friend, a family member or someone in your community who has lost a family member, be compassionate, caring and understanding. Show them support and empathy.

I am dealing with a deep hurt and sadness for the loss of the daughter of one of my best friends in college, Len Gengel. Len Gengel is a friend who has a heart as big as you can imagine. He lost his beloved daughter, Britney, to the Haiti earthquake. Continue reading Gone too soon →