Thank you so much for visiting my page! My trip is scheduled for July 28th- August 3rd. Thanks to everyone's amazing generosity I have reached my required fundraising goal and will be able to participate in the Be LIke Brit Foundation's efforts to build homes and shelter orphans. However, I want to make a lasting impact on the children I am traveling to visit so I'm not going to stop now! Every additional dollar donated will go straight to the Be Like Brit foundation in Haiti. How amazing is that!? Any amount is truly appreciated and I cannot wait to share my experiences with you when I come back!
Ever since 5th grade, when I first learned about an orphanage in Uganda, it has always been a dream of mine to travel to a third world country to serve others. I vividly remember the emotions that I felt when learning more and more about children my age that lived in extreme poverty. 5 years later, I am still filled with the same compassion and empathy. Over the years, my family and I have served others in various ways but I knew that for me, nothing would ever be as fulfilling as going to serve in an impoverished country. However, I always thought that I would have to wait until I was at least in college. So you can imagine my excitement when I found out about the Be Like Brit organization! I am so blessed to have this opportunity and am beyond excited for this trip! Thank you!!
Donations support one of the following:
Britsionarys in need of financial support:
Britsionarys who cannot afford the cost of the trip alone, can use our pages to ask family and friends for financial support. Donations help to cover the cost of the Britsionary's trip (lodging/food/transportation/insurance/etc.) until they have reached their total amount due for their trip. Once they have reached this amount, any additional donations will go directly to a Be Like Brit general fund to support the children at Brit's Home.
Fundraising for the children at BLB:
Britsionarys who are paying for the entire trip themselves, can choose to fundraise for the children at Brit's Home and support our mission. All donations will go directly to a Be Like Brit general fund to support the children at Brit's Home.
Any donations/payments raised over the total amount due for the Britsionary's trip, will go to Brit's Home to support the children who live there.
Britsionarys
What does it mean to be a “Britsionary”? Being a Britsionary means different things to everyone, but in essence it means you are continuing the compassion of Britney Gengel. Britsionarys travel to Haiti and work side-by-side with Haitian workers and interact with the children at BLB - to achieve a common goal - to fulfill Britney's last wish to help the children of Haiti.
Our Britsionarys have diverse backgrounds, experiences, and skills yet they are able to work together to help bring hope to the children of Brit's Home. In our past trips, we have had students, nurses, social workers, teachers, mothers and sons, fathers and daughters - and everyone has played an essential role in building Brit's Home and making our children feel deserving of love. We have also been blessed to have skilled tradespeople such as carpenters, plumbers, and electricians donate their time and teach their Haitian counterparts their skills and techniques.
Our Britsionary Program was created to provide an opportunity for volunteers to gain a better understanding of global partnerships and cultures. Short-term Britsionary groups take a 1 week service trip to Brit's Home in Haiti, to help with youth and community outreach projects and immerse themselves in the beautiful Haitian culture. This program gives young adults an opportunity to enhance their understanding of poverty and development while also broadening their global perspective. For non-medical Britsionarys, the mornings are spent building a home for a family in need in our community, and the afternoons are spent doing programatic activities with the children (field trips, coloring, games, learning activities, etc.). For medical Britsionarys, the mornings and some afternoons are spent working in the BLB or local public clinic, and the remaining time is spent with the children and the Britsionary group.
About Be Like Brit
In many ways, Britney Gengel of Rutland Massachusetts was a typical 19-year-old young woman, but her humor, passion and deep sense of caring for those less fortunate made her memorable to all who met her. It was her compassion for others that brought Britney to Haiti on January 11, 2010, just a day before a catastrophic earthquake claimed an estimated 230,000 lives and rocked the small, poverty-stricken country. Britney had spent the day visiting a Haitian orphanage where she and fellow students of Lynn University, met the Haitian orphans they had traveled so far to help. Just a few hours later, Britney, three of her fellow students, and two Lynn University professors lost their lives in the rubble of the Hotel Montana in Port-Au-Prince. Britney was missing for 33 days before her remains were recovered.
Fortunately, Britney’s dream did not die with her. Only hours before the earthquake, Britney sent a text message to her family that read:
“They love us so much and everyone is so happy.
They love what they have and they work so hard to get nowhere, yet they are all so appreciative. I want to move here and start an orphanage myself.”
- Britney Gengel, 3 hours before the earthquake
These forty words would sustain Britney’s family through the tragedy and, ultimately, serve as the driving force behind the establishment of Be Like Brit and the decision to build an orphanage in Grand Goâve for the children of Haiti.
Our Mission: Our commitment is to continue the compassion of Britney Gengel by serving the children of Haiti and sustaining a safe, nurturing home, rooted in the virtues of Faith, Hope, and Love, while developing a sense of social responsiblity, community involvement, and unconditional love.
Our Vision: To raise the next generation of leaders in Haiti.
Be Like Brit Foundation, Inc. is an official U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, tax ID #27-1857525.
Supporters | |||
Name | Date | Amount | Comments |
Melissa Lower | 06/04/2019 | $50.00 | I'm so excited for you! Thank you so much for your service to others. | Bill Griffin | 04/04/2019 | $25.00 | Michelle Dwyer | 03/28/2019 | $25.00 | You Go Girl!!! | James Dewar | 03/20/2019 | $50.00 | Go Make a Difference!!! | Maria Veale | 03/19/2019 | $25.00 | way to go Z!!! | Patrick Flavin | 03/18/2019 | $25.00 | Keep doing great work!! | Patricia Collins | 03/16/2019 | $200.00 | What a life changing experience for you! | Laura Signorello | 03/15/2019 | $100.00 | So excited for you Mackenzie! What an amazing experience awaits you. Have fun and enjoy every minute. With love, The Signorellos | Cathleen Collins | 03/15/2019 | $200.00 | So excited for you, Z! | Pam McIntyre | 03/13/2019 | $100.00 | Wishing you a wonderful trip. | Shayne Brenner | 03/13/2019 | $25.00 | Hey this is awesome!! Safe travels and best of luck have fun!! | Kristen Menhall | 03/12/2019 | $100.00 | Best wishes and safe travels. Thanks for doing great things! | Megan Collins | 03/12/2019 | $200.00 | Have an amazing trip! :) | Margaret Whitbread | 03/12/2019 | $1,000.00 | How can I not be generous to such a generous desire to help others in their need? | Stephanie Muzzy | 03/12/2019 | $100.00 | Mackenzie, Wishing you safe travels, God's continued blessings and much fulfillment as you are leading by example with "Service Over Self"! | Chris Marino | 03/11/2019 | $100.00 | Sounds like an amazing opporutunity, Mac! Congratulations and good luck! -The Marino's | Joan Barry | 03/11/2019 | $75.00 | So proud of you | Christopher Chiu | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | Nicole Keefe | 03/10/2019 | $25.00 | So proud of you! Have fun! | Amy Bouvier | 03/10/2019 | $50.00 | Jen Kravatz | 03/10/2019 | $50.00 | We’re so proud of you MacKenzie! Such an amazing opportunity! Good luck reaching your goal! | Jessica Melo | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | We are proud of you! | Marilyn Flynn | 03/10/2019 | $50.00 | Mitch Waters | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | Chase your dreams and live your passion. With love, The waters family | Amy Kelly | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | Good for you! Best wishes. | Jeann Shea | 03/10/2019 | $25.00 | Linda Davidoff | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | Julie Upham | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | Sounds like an amazing trip, doing important work. Best wishes to you. | Derek Mulligan | 03/10/2019 | $50.00 | Mike Coonan | 03/10/2019 | $25.00 | Have fun! Such a great cause to support!! | Kevin Wajer | 03/10/2019 | $100.00 | Shawn Burns | 02/24/2019 | $5.00 |
Total | $3,380.00 |