Feds extend window for TPS applicants by six months

July 12, 2010 by Reporter Staff

The federal government has extended the deadline for Haitian nationals to apply for "Temporary Protected Status" or TPS, a relief program launched in response to the Jan. 12 earthquake. The new registration deadline is Jan. 18, 2011. The TPS designation applies to Haitians who have continuously resided in the United States since January 12, 2010, when the earthquake occurred; Haitian nationals who first entered the United States after that date are not eligible. Read more

Inside the refugee camps, resilient people leave an indelible impression

June 18, 2010 by By Quang Truong, Special to the Reporter

Quang TruongOne month after my trip to Haiti, I am discovering that I possess more memories about the trip than I knew I had.

I keep recalling a woman from a refugee camp that showed me the inside her home. Cramped and sweltering, her tiny area was bathed in a faint blue, emanating from the tarps that made up her walls. Her roof was nothing more than bed sheets held up with stakes, and two bare mattresses, one used by her and the other for her three children, were the only furniture to speak of. This was the entirety her life and the lives of her children – just bed sheets, 2 mattresses and the faint blue glow from the tarps. Read more

Nancy Rousseau is a woman on the go

June 17, 2010 by Tara Merrigan, Special to the Reporter

Nancy RousseauSoon after an earthquake devastated Haiti in January, three thousand people packed Hibernian Hall in Roxbury. The high turnout, with only a few days notice, was in part thanks to Mattapan resident Nancy Rousseau and several others who organized the event.

“It was challenging to pull off that event in such a short time and be the anchor of the event on that day,” says Manolia Charlotin, Rousseau’s friend and colleague. “She was so calm. It really impressed me that she could maintain that level of calm on such a hectic day. I suppose that’s because for Nancy her work is about the people she’s helping. It keeps her focused.” Read more

New cafe and bakery Belle Epoque opens doors in Brockton

June 14, 2010 by Reporter Staff

Belle Epoque Grand Opening: Brockton Mayor Linda M. Balzotti cut a ceremonial ribbon at the grand opening of the new Haitian-American restaurant and bakery Belle Epoque on Saturday, June 12.

Brockton's latest Haitian-American owned business celebrated its grand opening on Saturday with encouragement from city and state leaders who turned out to welcome Belle Epoque to its new home in the Massasoit Plaza on Crescent Street. The business— which features both table and take-out service— is operated by the Devaris family, which already boasts a large client base through its catering business of the same name. Pictured above, left to right, at the ribbon cutting are Brockton City Council member Dennis DeNapoli, Mayor Balzotti, Andrew Calixte, Djennan Devaris-Calixte, owner-chef Mrs. Carolle Devaris, Kenson Calixte and his son Matthew, Brockton state Rep. Christine Canavan, State Rep. Linda Dorcena Forry and Cathy Auguste.

The restaurant and cafe specializes in a wide range of culinary tastes with a Haitian flair. Mrs. Devaris is an accomplished baker with a specialty in custom designed cakes. The cafe also features a menu of Haitian-American lunch and dinner favorites. Belle Epoque is located at 793 Crescent Street, Brockton. The phone number is 508-580-0020.

Shelter and Solidarity: Boston fact-finding delegation reports on trip

May 14, 2010 by Charlotte Golar Richie and Sabine St. Lot

Six and Counting for Haiti: The Boston-based group includes members Darnell Williams of the Urban League, Herby Duverne, Sabine St. Lot, Sandy Cody, Gerald Reid, and Charlotte Golar Richie with their hosts Bob and Magalie Hyppolite and Haitian Minister Edwin Paraison (far left). Photo by Joel Theodat.

Sabine St. Lot and Charlotte Golar Richie recently returned from Haiti with their group, Six and Counting for Haiti; members Sandy Cody, Herby Duverne, Dr. Gerald Reid and Darnell Williams contributed to this article.

Why We Went
In less than a minute, on a late Tuesday afternoon in mid-January, Haiti experienced one of the worst natural disasters in modern times. Struck by a very powerful earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.0, nearly a quarter of a million people died (numbers vary), and homes, schools and churches instantly vanished. Port-au-Prince, Leogane, Jacmel and Petit-Goave were severely crippled and will never be the same.
Thankfully, the world responded and thousands of people from far and wide have traveled to Haiti to assist with clean-up and rebuilding efforts. And so did we: three Haitian-Americans and three African-Americans from Massachusetts, who traveled there, three months after the earthquake, from April 19th to the 23rd, to deliver tents and supplies to people in need.
Not there to compete with the large international relief organizations, which have been steadily transporting water, tents, tarps and supplies to the capital and other communities, the members of our group were determined to do what we could to lend a helping hand. In doing so, we experienced a journey that was heart-wrenching, awe-inspiring and motivating. It also was challenging. And our visit is one we will never forget. Read more

Haitian-American nurse shares tale of compassion, heartache

March 11, 2010 by Yolette Ibokette, Reporter Contributor

Nurse Dana Bordenave with CNNs Dr. Sanjay Gupta“January 12, 2010 will always be with me,” says Dana Bordenave, a Haitian-American registered nurse who recently returned from Haiti after helping earthquake survivors. She shared her experiences last month at a fundraiser in Randolph organized by Georja Joseph, owner of Tete-a-Tete Beauty Salon. Bordenave went to Port-au-Prince with the Haitian-American Nurses Association ten days after the earthquake hit the island nation.
“I wasn’t prepared for what I encountered. The magnitude of the problem is beyond words,” said Bordenave, who works at Rhode Island Hospital. She last visited Haiti in 1989. Upon her arrival this time, she had to wait at the airport for five hours before being taken to the General Hospital, where her group set up shop. Read more

Kerry presses money transfer companies to drop fees

February 24, 2010 by Reporter Staff

A pair of US Senators — including Massachusetts' own John Kerry, who is Chairman of the Senate's Foreign Relations Committee— are urging Western Union and MoneyGram to "eliminate or reduce the fees for money transfers to Haiti through June 2010 after the devastation of last month's earthquake." In a statement issued Tuesday by Kerry's office, the Senator and his colleague Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, were critical of the current fee structure that has been re-instated by the companies after they initially reduced or eliminated fees in the aftermath of Jan. 12.
"Current fees give 7 to 9 percent of remittances people send to loved ones in Haiti to the money transfer companies instead of going directly to the recipient or to the Haitian relief effort," the statement noted. "While we appreciate your initial efforts, the need for a longer commitment is great because for many Haitians remittances will act as a lifeline. With your help, Haitian Americans who sacrifice to send remittances will see more of that money reach their families in Haiti who are in desperate need."
The full text of the letter- provided to the Reporter by Kerry's office- is below: Read more

Children's Hospital blog documents commitment to help Haiti

February 19, 2010 by Bill Forry

Nelson Aquino, a nurse anesthetist from Children’s Hospital Boston, went to Haiti last month with a group of Children’s clinicians as part of a disaster response team. Now, after two weeks back in the United States, he reflects on the life-altering experience in the video above. For many more accounts of the way Children's Hospital Boston has helped respond to the disaster, please check out their blog dedicated to Haiti. Thank you to our friends at Children's Hospital Boston for their ongoing efforts.