For those of you that have followed my blog for long, you have learned that the children of Haiti have stolen my heart. Recently I had the pleasure to speak with the founder of REBUILD globally, Julie Colombino, who is helping the kids of Haiti with the Impact Shoe. If you have ever been to Haiti or even seen pictures you would see that the terrain there can be rather difficult. Since the earthquake in 2010, much of the infrastructure has been reduced to rubble. It is not uncommon for the children of Haiti to walk great distances. Sometimes a couple of miles of rough mountainous terrain each day to attend school. Shoes donated from countries around the world do not always provide the wear they need. Shoes bought at the dollar store, or hand-me-downs might last in countries with roads and sidewalks, but not where rocks and debris make your path. Orlando-based nonprofit, REBUILD globally, announces a groundbreaking initiative to tackle the root causes of poverty in Haiti with a revolutionary new product: a school shoe made from re-purposed and recycled materials that enables children to pursue their education. It is estimated that 50% of the children of Haiti do not attend school due to costs. Costs of not only the school, but also the uniforms, and shoes. To solve this and other problems, REBUILD globally created a Haitian for-profit company named deux mains designs. As a nonprofit organization fighting poverty, REBUILD globally felt that by creating a local business in Port-au-Prince, that gives […]

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Dear Dad, I am writing this letter, and I hope it finds you in good health.  That probably sounds strange since we have not talked in many years or perhaps ever. Either way, I wish you only the best today which is different from the way it has been. I have tried to write this letter many times before and never succeeded. However, I do have a few things I would like to share with you, things I think you should know. When you walked away and left me behind, you left more than just a child. You left behind a part of you in me that I have had to live with my entire life, up until now. I doubt I cried tears when you left, at least not over your leaving. Perhaps when the hunger and dirty diapers that kicked in, I likely shed some tears, but they were not for you. I would have to have known you to cry for you, or so I thought. Growing up I got used to being called names like a bastard, I mean you did leave so it was somewhat accurate. Then again are you a bastard when both parents leave? Anyway, I digress, where was I? Oh yeah… As a child, it was uncomfortable never really fitting in. Fights were normal as I always felt alone and out-of-place. Anyone that called be a bas”….” or “son of a b….” , well those were fighting words.  I had parents, but they did not look like me. I had anger […]

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Last week I posted on social media on my Facebook account that I needed to change the people I hung out with. I was not pointing fingers or making accusations, yet some got very defensive. I received comments and direct messages of concern and anxiety. People wondering if they had done something or if I was okay. Granted it was nice to see the people who genuinely cared for my well-being.  Even more, it was interesting to see those that didn’t bother to comment either way. I am not judging a fleeting moment on social media to gauge my friendships, neither should you. Friends on social media are usually taken at face value, for we don’t have much else to go on. However they many times will behave more like your friends than your real ones. What is your ROI of your social media friends? #socialmedia Click To Tweet This little exercise accomplished a few things for me. What was merely a simple statement of fact of where my head and heart was at, also perhaps provided some insight into relationships and social media? Social Media is Surface Level – We get so wrapped up in the statuses, feeds and 140 character snippets of people’s’ lives we forget to create relationships with the people. Glued to our smartphones, we would likely not even recognize the person outside of the avatar small square, much less in real life. People are easily offended – Ever type an email or text message that was taken out of context? […]

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