Dear friends and partners,
November is the partners meeting month. This virtual gathering gave us all an occasion to meet, share and plan for the coming year. It reminds us that our journey is a 20 plus year one! Before this crisis, we used to meet twice a year in person, one partner visit in Haiti and one meeting in North America where progress, budget and report are discussed.
On another note, Stephane Vaillancourt, Quebec YMCA CEO and President, the most senior YMCA d’Haïti partner is retiring. Stephane has been more than supportive for the
last 22 years. He has voluntarily took a vaccine against “Haiti fatigue”! We will be forever grateful and in thinking him for his service, we dedicate this edition of the journal to him and wish him the best retirement ever.
This partners meeting was a very good one and thanks to the extraordinary effort of Ernest Lamour, Greater Rochester CEO, we met new faces this year. Ernie is so dedicated to the cause of getting the Haiti coalition stronger that he never lost an occasion to invite his colleagues over. Welcome Charlie from Greater Boston YMCA, David from Old Colony and Bertram from Greater Brandy Wine.
We are also thankful that World Service has decided to keep supporting at the same level: Nico, Tom, Mary and the others who renew their support. We want to thank Tom Wells for his contribution to remake the YMCA of Caracol porsche that collapsed and Jean Scutt who donates laptop computers for the national office.
Alayna, our new national director who conclude this month her first year at the position, had the opportunity to speak with our friends and partners of the YMCA d’Haïti to introduce herself and share the desire and motivation to give back to the YMCA and the communities.
Against all odds, our YMCA is not giving up.
Gwénaël
…that they all may be one!
