Madison Marquette generously provided Convention Hall , for days on end, so that volunteers and community members could sort, pack, pallet and ship donations to Haiti. Their staff tirelessly assisted, re-planned and bent over backwards to help in any way possible. In the early days after the earthquake, Paramount Theater's manager, Mr. Jon Badaracco, kindly allowed the Haitian community to use the facility. This provided a great opportunity for many who needed to be able to be together in one place at that most critical time. On Sunday March 7th, Madison Marquette will open its doors to the greater Haitian community, once again, at the Paramount Theater, for an all day Community Wide Memorial Service for the Lost of Haiti. This opportunity to unite once more for Haiti, will provide a sense of hope, healing and closure to many. Sincere thanks to Madison Marquette for working with the Coalition of Haitian-American Empowerment and all of the City of Asbury Park. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pastors and church members in the area sent folks and came themselves to hurry along the aid that was needed for their people in Haiti. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With our City Mayor Ed Johnson, Congressman Frank Pallone visited area churches struck by the disaster in Haiti. Mayor Mary Beth Jahn, of Neptune, NJ has been instrumental in assisting community efforts for Haiti. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Matthew Mopsick, the efforts volunteer captain, built a team out of the many volunteers that showed up to help sort, pack and ship items to Haiti.With his brother Marc Mopsick, Matthew worked tirelessly to make sense out of all the bags and boxes that were dropped off at Convention Hall. Matthew's kind leadership united various groups and individuals, who then returned to give of their time and experience, again and again and again. He kept the chaos to a minimum and left the vast area at Convention Hall ready for other activities when the effort for Haiti was completed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jeremy Margolis of Windmill Hot Dogs in Ocean Grove worked with volunteers and Convention Hall staff to accomplish what was needed. Jeremy worked out the trucking logistics and drove the forklifts to get everything loaded, on time, for delivery in Haiti. Schedules change and the trucks arrived in various assorted sizes, but Jeremy, working with Windmill Hot Dog owner Steven Levine, was able to make it all work out on time, at our end, for the Convoy of Hope trucks to meet the planes, way out in Missouri. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Montplaisir of the French Baptist Church in Asbury Park, gathered together many talented Haitian young people who came together, eager to share their voices with a hurting community. Cassandra herself performed and brought hope and lifted spirits of all. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The students of Asbury Park High School, under Art Teacher Jean Johnson, created the Elephant sculpture a figure of indomitable Haitian hope. Asbury Park High School will hold a silent auction for the sculpture. (Watch these pages for updates). Our young people, all over the area, have spoken eloquently, with intelligence and conviction, regarding the devastation in Haiti. Our hope continues in their hands. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ more thank you notes to come ... |