Three years ago, Barbara Nureddine visited Haiti, known to be the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere, for the first time. She thought she was prepared for what she would encounter. She wasn’t. No one is. “The unrelenting poverty – family after family, community after community – is almost more than one can take in,” according to Nureddine.
But take it she did and upon returning home, she and her husband, Mark Nureddine, owner of Bull Outdoor Products, partnered with For A Reason (FAR) a non profit working in rural Haiti to educate children.
The couple went on to establish the “Grill for Good” campaign bringing businesses and the Lodi community together to support the For A Reason scholarship program and school development in the most impoverished regions of rural Haiti.
In two years, the Grill for Good campaign has raised over $75,000. Two kitchen facilities for rural school communities are under construction, one family home has been rebuilt, children have received lunches at their schools and more students have been able to continue their education. Nureddine points out that in a country where fewer than 50% of the population attends school
beyond the sixth grade, helping families keep their children in school is important for the country’s development.
Since her first visit to Haiti, Nureddine has returned several times, taking her two younger children with her. “My children know they are fortunate and our travels have helped them grow up as compassionate, giving individuals. The support of the Lodi community has been heartwarming. Together we really are changing the world!”
This year’s Grill for Good event is on September 10 at the Lodi American Legion Hall, 5:30 – 9:30. Tickets for the event are on sale at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/grill-for-good-tickets-25919528006 . Join us and change the world – one child, one school, one community- at a time!
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