You’ve heard the saying “Out of sight, out of mind” right? 9 times out of 10, we fail to realize the importance of something until it effects us directly. How many of you heard of Haiti before they were hit by that catastrophic 7.0 earthquake last week? How many knew that Haiti was one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere? I mean…I’ve heard of Haiti, but sadly I didn’t realize how poverty stricken they are. It’s sad that many people probably never thought twice about Haiti until the earthquake. On the flip side, it’s great to see so many people coming together to help with relief efforts. I know one thing’s for sure, I think we’ve all learned to appreciate the little things we often take for granted.
I think an important lesson we can learn from the situation is to appreciate the
little things we often take for granted. For one day, I dare you to put a dollar (or a penny, nickel, whatever you have) in a jar every time you complain about something. I bet you’d find yourself with a lot of money. I know I would! I think now you’ll see that complaining about not getting those Seven jeans or having to catch the bus because your parents won’t let you drive their car is nothing in comparison to what teens in Haiti are going through.I spoke with Savannah Roberson, 15, out of Oxnard CA and here’s what she had to say about the effect the earthquake in Haiti has had on her.
“It makes me realize how fortunate we are to live in the United States. I’m thankful that we have buildings that can support us. Theirs weren’t made like that because they don’t have the money. It makes me want to give back more because their country is destroyed and there is nothing they can do about it. At school, we had a fundraiser called “Hats for Haiti.” Since I go to a private school with a strict dress code we were allowed to wear hats if we donated money. Our school was able to exceed our goal of $3,000 and raise $5,000. If we had an earthquake I would want people to help us. I think we would all come together as a community if something were to happen like that here.”
“It makes me realize how fortunate we are to live in the United States. I’m thankful that we have buildings that can support us. Theirs weren’t made like that because they don’t have the money. It makes me want to give back more because their country is destroyed and there is nothing they can do about it. At school, we had a fundraiser called “Hats for Haiti.” Since I go to a private school with a strict dress code we were allowed to wear hats if we donated money. Our school was able to exceed our goal of $3,000 and raise $5,000. If we had an earthquake I would want people to help us. I think we would all come together as a community if something were to happen like that here.”
I hope that this tragic situation will open our eyes to the world outside of the United States. There are a lot of people suffering overseas. I know it gets hard, but we should remember that there is always someone who has less than we do. We should always try to lend a hand. It doesn’t always have to be monetary. You can donate food or clothing to someone in need as well. Let’s not wait to until tragedy streaks to remember the forgotten.
Here are some ways to get involved with Haiti relief efforts:
--Tymika Morrison
Brownstone Team
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