Our Farewell Dinner The night before we departed on this greatly anticipated trip, I invited the group traveling to Haiti to my home for dinner. Toby Brooks, a friend and past student of mine who was invited on the trip as photographer, brought his lovely girlfriend Liann. Ian Wood, our new videographer, was at work late and was not able to make it. Believing that a good meal can elevate the spirit and encourage good fellowship, I cooked all day to prepare a delicious meal fit for a king, followed by five desserts.
I was pleased that many enjoyed second helpings and some thirds and that the desserts were welcomed with unabashed enthusiasm.
The mood was celebratory and, although the ages in the group varied widely from 24 to 60, everyone got along very well, which is a good thing as we were about to embark on an experience that would truly bond our hearts and souls in a very special way. Since our flight was scheduled to leave for Haiti at AM, we needed to wake up early β AM at the latest β in order to arrive in Miami by AM.
The staff had graciously prepared a nice breakfast for us, followed by a tour of the warehouse, which is undergoing major reconstruction and expansion after being severely damaged in the January 12th earthquake. As under normal circumstances prior to the disaster, there was an amazing amount of food ready for distribution there, but we knew that it would not last long. Trucks were being loaded with these nourishing and life-saving supplies as we passed by the dock.
Our feeding center cooks 24 hundred-pound bags of rice and 8 hundred-pound bags of beans to fix the 15, meals prepared daily, 6 days a week. It is always an impressive sight β the mountains of rice and beans, and pallets of peanut butter!
